Emergency Urgent Care: When to Go to an ER: Vascular Disease
The vascular system in your body is the network of blood vessels. It not only includes arteries, which move oxygenated blood away from the body to the various organs and veins which return blood from the organs to the heart, but also comprises of the capillaries which are tiny blood vessels which connect small arteries to small veins and whose walls are thin and porous to allow for an exchange of materials between your body’s tissues and blood, as discussed in detail over at the excellent frontlineer.com. Vascular diseases are therefore those conditions that affect the vascular system. Given the important role the vascular system plays in our body, and given that it comprises of some very important blood vessels, such as the body’s main blood vessel, the aorta, there are some vascular diseases that are potentially life-threatening and as such require to head over to an ER as soon as they can for emergency urgent care. It is important to know these vascular diseases as well as when you should go to an ER for them so that you can get the treatment you need and avoid any severe consequences, something this article will look to help with.
One of the most common vascular diseases out there is an aneurysm which is a bulge in the wall of a blood vessel in your body. The most common aneurysm is an aortic aneurysm which affects the aorta and can either be a thoracic aortic aneurysm if it is found in the chest or an abdominal aortic aneurysm if is located in the abdomen. A ruptured aortic aneurysm is a medical emergency that requires one to go to an ER, such as the highly rated frontlineer.com, as soon as possible. Signs and symptoms of a ruptured aortic aneurysm include sudden pain in the abdomen, back or chest, pain radiating towards the legs, buttock, pelvis or your back for an abdominal aortic aneurysm, clammy skin, an increased heart rate and shock or even loss of consciousness. If you experience any of these symptoms, you need to go to an ER as soon as possible. Another common vascular disease are blood clots which occur when a blood clot forms inside a blood vessel. Blood clots in veins can either lead to deep vein thrombosis if the clot is located in the lower leg, thigh or pelvis or it can be pulmonary embolism if the clot breaks off and travels to the lungs. Signs of deep vein thrombosis include swelling or pain in your leg, ankles or feet as well as skin changes in your leg such as redness, warmth, discoloration, and thickening among others. As for a pulmonary embolism, red flags include chest pain, coughing up of blood, and sudden shortness of breath as well as a rapid or irregular heart rate. If you notice symptoms for any of these two conditions, you should head over to an ER as soon as possible.
Blood clots in arteries however increase the chances of suffering from a stroke or a heart attack. A stroke is yet another type of vascular disease which occurs when blood flow to your brain is interrupted or stopped. This causes the brain cells in the part of the brain affected to be die as they are deprived of nutrients and oxygen, as discussed in detail over at frontlineer.com. A stroke is a medical emergency and as soon as you notice signs that you may be having one, you should head over to an ER as soon as possible, by calling 911 and having an ambulance come and take you there; never drive yourself to an ER if you are having a stroke. Signs of a stroke include a sudden and severe headache, weakness or paralysis on one side of the body which can be seen by the drooping of your smile on one side of your face when you smile or one of your arms drifting or dropping down when you try to lift both your arms up. Other signs of a stroke include changes in vision such as blurred, double or even loss of vision, difficulties in speech such as slurred speech and an inability to understand language, among others. If you notice any of these signs, call 911 as soon as possible to be taken to an ER.
Another vascular disease that may require a visit to an ER is peripheral artery disease which occurs when arteries narrow hence reducing blood flow to your limbs, a condition known as ischemia as covered in detail over at the excellent frontlineer.com. While peripheral arterial disease is not always an emergency, there are certain instances when you need to call 911 so that you can be taken to an ER for the same. These signs include pain in the chest, which may radiate towards the neck, jaw, shoulder or back, loss of consciousness, sudden confusion, sudden difficulties with speaking or understanding speech, sudden issues with sight in one or both eyes, sudden numbness, weakness or paralysis of one side of your face, leg or arm, a sudden unexplained severe headache among others. If you experience any of these symptoms, you should head over to an ER as soon as possible to be attended to for vascular disease.
There is a lot more to be uncovered on this and other related topics by checking out the excellent frontlineer.com, where you will also access the best emergency urgent care services around.
