Plaque buildup, blood clots or narrowed blood vessels can lead to poor circulation. When obstacles or narrow paths slow down blood flow, it's difficult for your body to send blood to every part of your body in an efficient way. Exercise and healthy food can help.
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.
Risks include cardiovascular failure, stroke, and complications such as infected skin ulcers or blood clots. If you have poor circulation, wounds heal more slowly and it takes longer to recover from illnesses. Elderly people with this condition and who are immobile are at greater risk of stroke and blood clots.
When peripheral artery disease is the cause of poor circulation, the person is at increased risk for a stroke or heart attack. This can occur when the blood vessels to the brain or arteries leading to the heart become blocked.
Potassium (Vitamin K)
Potassium is an essential mineral for many important bodily functions, including blood circulation. It keeps the blood vessel walls strong and can even help prevent bulging veins.
If blood does not circulate properly, it can cause fluid to accumulate over time. This fluid accumulation is called “edema” and can be an early sign of heart failure due to the heart being unable to circulate the adequate supply of blood needed to keep the body running.
Cold hands and feet can be a result of iron deficiency anemia. People with anemia have poor blood circulation throughout their bodies because they don't have enough red blood cells to provide oxygen to their tissue.
Weakening Circulation
While stress has a number of physical effects, it has a particularly detrimental impact on your circulation. Heightened stress can cause a sudden rise in blood pressure, which places greater strain on the walls of your veins.
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.
Detriments to blood flow include some diseases such as diabetes which affects arteries and veins, peripheral vascular disease, coronary artery disease, blood clots and, atherosclerosis or plaque or calcification in the blood vessels. Some medications also play a part in restricting blood flow.
There are many causes of poor circulation, including diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Smokers are also at a high risk. Here are other risk factors. Poor circulation that is not addressed can develop into a serious disorder, and can lead to amputations, strokes and heart attacks.
Extreme fatigue. Weakness. Pale skin. Chest pain, fast heartbeat or shortness of breath.
Some people who have iron-deficiency anemia develop restless legs syndrome (RLS). RLS is a disorder that causes a strong urge to move the legs. This urge to move often occurs with strange and unpleasant feelings in the legs.
Poor circulation most often requires a cardiologist for accurate diagnosis and treatment, and it is not easy to treat poor circulation without the assistance of a cardiologist. Therefore, it is important to see a cardiologist anytime multiple symptoms of poor circulation are present.
Poor circulation is a common problem caused by a number of conditions. Peripheral artery disease (PAD), diabetes, obesity, smoking, and Raynaud's disease are some of the many causes of poor circulation ( 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ).
If you have poor circulation, you may experience swelling in your feet, ankles, and legs. Swelling, also called edema, happens when blood pools in one area of the body. You may notice taut, warm skin, heaviness or stiffness in the surrounding joints, and pain.
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.
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. The result of this could be fatigue and weakness.
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.
You need to know the factors that affect blood flow through the cardiovascular system: blood pressure, blood volume, resistance, disease and exercise.