The test: Turn your palms upwards in front of you and stretch out your fingers, almost as if you're reaching for something just out of touch. If the creases in your palm are pale, regardless of skin tone, this may mean you're suffering from poor circulation in your blood vessels due to low iron levels.
Symptoms and Causes
Muscles that hurt or feel weak when you walk. A “pins and needles” sensation on your skin. Pale or blue skin color. Cold fingers or toes.
One way nurses assess circulation is by checking the pulse, the temporary swelling of an artery as blood passes through with each heartbeat. Capillary refill is also part of a circulation assessment, which is the time it takes for blood to return to a finger or toe after the blood supply is pinched off.
Running, biking or walking can help boost circulation—and the same goes for stretching before and after exercising. If you smoke, quit. Smoking can inhibit blood flow, destroy blood vessel walls, and cause plaque to accumulate in the veins. “The sooner you quit smoking, the sooner your health will improve,” says Dr.
Leg numbness or weakness. No pulse or a weak pulse in the legs or feet. Painful cramping in one or both of the hips, thighs or calf muscles after certain activities, such as walking or climbing stairs. Shiny skin on the legs.
Poor blood circulation is a treatable medical condition. Whether it's caused by varicose veins, PAD, or diabetes, your doctor can recommend treatment options to enhance your circulation, so you feel much healthier.
Vascular studies use high-frequency sound waves (ultrasound) to measure the amount of blood flow in your blood vessels. A small handheld probe (transducer) is pressed against your skin. The sound waves move through your skin and other body tissues to the blood vessels. The sound waves echo off of the blood cells.
Start doing daily stretching, exercises, or yoga to increase blood flow. Do aerobic or cardio exercises to get your blood moving and your heart rate up. Wear compression stockings to encourage the blood to move from your legs back up to your heart. Eat a healthy diet to lower cholesterol and blood pressure.
Swollen ankles and feet, discolored or blue and red toes, hair loss on the legs and thin, dry, or cracked skin can be symptoms that someone with poor circulation can experience. In the end, poor circulation is almost always a sign of another condition or disease.
Poor circulation isn't a condition in itself but can result from various conditions. The most common causes include obesity, diabetes, heart conditions, and arterial issues. If you have signs and symptoms of poor circulation, it's essential to treat the underlying causes rather than just the symptoms.
Symptoms of poor circulation are often easy to spot. They include muscle cramping, constant foot pain, and pain and throbbing in the arms and legs. As well as fatigue, varicose veins, and digestive issues. Leg cramps while walking and wounds that don't seem to heal in your legs, feet, and toes are also symptoms.
When they do occur, the most common is chest pressure or pain, typically on the left side of the body (angina pectoris). Other signs and symptoms — which might be experienced more commonly by women, older people and people with diabetes — include: Neck or jaw pain. Shoulder or arm pain.
Because they are rich in potassium, bananas help the body's circulatory system deliver oxygen to the brain. This also helps the body maintain a regular heartbeat, lower blood pressure and a proper balance of water in the body, according to the National Institutes of Health.
Nitric oxide helps to naturally loosen up your blood vessels and improve the flow of blood to your tissues and organs. Researchers have found that beet juice can lower your systolic blood pressure (the first number in a blood pressure reading), too.
ACV, as it's known, stimulates circulation, aids in liver detoxification, and supports the immune system.
Magnesium plays a role in blood circulation and neurotransmitter function and can help control pain by releasing pain-reducing hormones and constricting blood vessels. Improved digestion.
Caffeine is Good for Heart Health and Headaches
Research has shown that in most parts of the body, caffeine acts as a vasodilator by stimulating the release of nitric oxide. That means it widens blood vessels to increase blood flow and improve circulation.
Which B vitamins can help circulation? Vitamin B12 is most beneficial for circulation as it helps to keep nerve and blood cells working well. Without enough vitamin B12, the body may not be able to create enough red blood cells to transport oxygen around the body.
In many instances, clogged arteries do not cause any symptoms until a major event, such as a heart attack or stroke, occurs. At other times, especially when the artery is blocked by 70% or more, the buildup of arterial plaque may cause symptoms that include: Chest pain. Shortness of breath.
This risk means that one in five people with PAD, if left undiagnosed and untreated, will suffer a heart attack, stroke, or death within five years. Untreated PAD can have other serious consequences, including leg muscle pain, discomfort during exercise, and loss of mobility and independence.
The classic symptom of PAD is pain in the legs with physical activity, such as walking, that gets better after rest. However, up to 4 in 10 people with PAD have no leg pain. Symptoms of pain, aches, or cramps with walking (claudication) can happen in the buttock, hip, thigh, or calf.