|
There are many causes of peripheral vascular disease. One major risk factor is smoking cigarettes. Other diseases predispose patients to develop peripheral vascular disease. These include diabetes, Buerger's disease, hypertension, and Raynaud's di...
|
![]() |
Weak or absent pulse is any difficulty in feeling a pulse, or an inability to detect a pulse at all. See also the information on CPR for more information about first-aid procedures.
|
|
Pain is an unpleasant sensation triggered in the nervous system that can range from mild
discomfort to unbearable agony. Pain receptors located throughout the body send
electrical impulses via the spinal cord to the brain.
|
|
|
Cyanosis is a physical sign causing bluish discoloration of the skin and mucous membranes. Cyanosis is caused by a lack of oxygen in the blood.
|
|
|
Cyanosis is a physical state characterized by bluish discoloration of the skin and mucus membranes. This elderly woman's lips turned purple due to central cyanosis, a condition most commonly due to slow blood circulation, leading to a bluish skin coloration.
|
|
Blue fingernails may represent a type of cyanosis caused by a lower level of lack of
circulating oxygen in the red blood cells. It may also represent a high level of an
abnormal form of hemoglobin in the circulation.
|
|
Blue lips may represent a type of cyanosis caused by a lower level of circulating oxygen
in the red blood cells. It may also represent a high level of an abnormal form of
hemoglobin in the circulation.
|
|
An abnormal sensation is often a signal that there something affecting a nerve or the nervous system. These sensations are often difficult to describe and are subjective, that is, experienced by the patient but may be difficult for the provider to diagnose and treat.
|
|
I'm a lung cancer survivor. My feet and hands are always hot, like they're on fire. Why could this be?
|
|
Sensations are carried from the extremities of the body to the brain via neurons in the
spinal cord. If the blood supply to the nerves is or if the nerve is otherwise damaged or its
function affected, it can produce the feeling that "my finger fell asleep".
|
|
Walking abnormalities are unusual and uncontrollable walk patterns, usually caused by diseases or injuries to the legs, feet, brain, spine, or inner ear.
|
|
Gait or walking is a coordinated action of the neuromuscular and musculoskeletal systems. The coordination of muscle contraction , joint movement, and sensory perception allows the human body to move in the environment.
|
|
|
Gait and balance problems exist when a disease process, trauma, or aging result in the inability to control one ' s center of gravity (COG) over the base of support (BOS) in static or dynamic tasks and environments. Any number of factors may contribute to gait and balance problems.
|
|
Sensations are carried from the extremities of the body to the brain via neurons in the
spinal cord. If the blood supply to the nerves is decreased, it can produce the feeling that
"my hand fell asleep".
|
![]() |
Hypertension is the term doctors use for high blood pressure. Blood pressure readings are measured in millimeters of mercury (mmHg) and usually given as 2 numbers. For example, 140 over 90 (written as 140/90. The top number is your systolic pressure, the pressure created when your heart beats. It is considered high if it is consistently over 140; The bottom number is your diastolic pressure, the pressure inside blood vessels when the heart is at rest. It is considered high if it is consistently over 90. Either or both of these numbers may be too high. Pre-hypertension is when your systolic blood pressure is between 120 and 139 or your diastolic blood pressure is between 80 and 89 on multiple readings. If you have pre-hypertension, you are more likely to develop high blood pressure at some point. See also: Blood pressure
|
|
|
Blood pressure is the force with which blood pushes against the artery walls as it travels through the body. Like air in a balloon, blood fills arteries to a certain capacity- and just as too much air pressure can cause damage to a balloon, too much blood pressure can harm healthy arteries.
|
|
Detailed information on high blood pressure, also called hypertension, including symptoms, diagnostic, and treatment information
|
|
|
Also known as high blood pressure, a condition in which too much force is exerted by the blood as it travels through the body ' s arteries. There are two types of hypertension: primary and secondary.
|
|
High blood pressure is a sneaky ailment. The condition has no symptoms that you can see or feel. Having your blood pressure checked is the only way to know if it is high.
|
|
Knowing the definitions of terms your doctor may use when talking with you about your blood pressure is important.
|
|
This report explains what your blood pressure numbers mean and how hypertension can be prevented and treated by making diet and lifestyle changes. Also includes information on medications.
|
|
Each day that your blood pressure is too high, your chances of having a stroke are increased.
|
|
Detailed information on high blood pressure, also called hypertension, including symptoms, diagnostic, and treatment information
|
|
Detailed information on high blood pressure, also called hypertension, including symptoms, diagnostic, and treatment information
|
|
|
Hypertension is the medical term for high blood pressure. Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of arteries as it flows through them.
|
|
High blood pressure has joined type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol on a list of ailments that once struck only adults but now afflict children.
|
|
Prehypertension is a new term that alerts people to the risk of developing chronic high blood pressure if they don’t take timely steps to improve their lifestyle habits.
|
|
High blood pressure is more common among African Americans than other ethnic groups. Nearly 40 percent of non-Hispanic blacks have hypertension.
|
|
When I get up in the morning, my systolic blood pressure is 30 to 50 points higher than it is later in the day (about 110). I am taking three different blood pressure medications. Is this unusual?
|
|
The National High Blood Pressure Education Program (NHBPEP) was established in 1972 by the National Institute of Health to translate research results on the health hazards of high blood pressure into clinical and public health practice. Before 1900, high blood pressure, or hypertension, was not generally recognized as a health problem.
|
|
Did you know you can purchase your own blood pressure monitor and check the reading yourself at home?
|
|
While people with high blood pressure are typically told to abstain from alcohol, a study suggests that moderate alcohol consumption may help prevent them from having a heart attack.
|
|
A Harvard Medical School doctor discusses possible causes of low blood pressure.
|
|
Detailed information on high blood pressure, also called hypertension, including symptoms, diagnostic, and treatment information
|
|
Is it absolutely necessary for a diabetic who does not have high blood pressure to take a blood pressure pill anyway?
|
|
A healthy blood pressure level can reduce your risk for many serious diseases and increase your longevity.
|
|
High blood pressure (hypertension) is called the silent killer. This is because many people who have it don’t know it. You can take an easy test to see if your blood pressure is too high. If it is high, you can take steps to lower it. Doing so could save your life.
|
|
Risk factors are things that make you more likely to have a disease or condition. Do you know your risk factors for high blood pressure?
|
|
What causes high blood pressure in a 4-year-old?
Claire McCarthy, M.D., is a senior medical editor for Harvard Health Publications. She is an instructor in pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, an attending physician at Children's Hospital of Boston, and co-director of the pediatrics department at Martha Eliot Health Center, a neighborhood health service of Children's Hospital. The author of two books, "Learning How the Heart Beats" and "Everyone's Children", Dr. McCarthy was a regular columnist for "Sesame Street Parents Magazine" from 1995 to 1998 and is currently a contributing editor for "Parenting Magazine".
|
|
The FDA has approved a new blood pressure drug that works by inhibiting hte production of renin, a substance made by the kidneys that is the first step in the body's system of regulating blood pressure.
|
|
High blood pressure, or hypertension, is the most common chronic adult illness in the United States. There is no cure for high blood pressure, but it can be controlled.
|
|
Even if your blood pressure is normal or high-normal, you're still at increased risk for hypertension (high blood pressure), the condition in which your heart works too hard and the resulting forceful blood flow harms arteries.
|
|
In most cases, high blood pressure responds to treatment, but the success of the treatment is up to you.
|
|
Hypertension, or high blood pressure, isn't limited to those 18 and older.
|
|
For those living with high blood pressure, lifestyle changes such as eating a healthier diet, exercising regularly, and losing weight will likely have a positive effect not just on blood pressure, but on overall health.
|
|
Prehypertension is a new term that alerts people to the very real risk of developing chronic high blood pressure if they don't take timely steps to improve their lifestyle habits.
|
|
If you have high blood pressure, you need to know, so you can control it. If you don't, you increase your risk for serious illness.
|
|
Is it possible for a blockage in the kidneys to cause high blood pressure? What type of blockage would there be in a kidney?
|
|
High blood pressure can contribute to sexual problems, as can some treatments for it.
|
|
The number of Americans with high blood pressure has risen steadily since the 1960s, and now tops 65 million.
|
|
This HealthSheet was discontinued in quarter 1 of 2006. (also 83203 Spanish) Replaced with: (same title) 85660 English – 85661 Spanish
|
|
Hypertension is high blood pressure. Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of arteries.
|
|
A study reports that if the vertebra that supports the skull is misaligned, careful manipulation of it may result in a significant drop in blood pressure.
|
|
Isolated systolic hypertension, when the systolic blood pressure is above 140 while the diastolic pressure is below 90, is caused by stiffening of large arteries. Medication may be prescribed, but lifestyle changes will have more impact on overall health.
|
|
|
Hypertension is high blood pressure. Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of arteries as it flows through them.
|
|
An old theory about the connection between headache and high blood pressure makes a comeback.
|
|
The category of prehypertension was established to serve as a warning. Those whose blood pressure reading falls in it should work to lower their pressure through diet, exercise, and weight control, though in some cases medication may be prescribed.
|
|
|
Hypertension is high blood pressure . Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of arteries as it flows through them.
|
|
If your blood pressure has been very good for most of your life and then suddenly rises to a dangerous level, could there be an infection or some other medical condition that caused the sudden jump?
|
|
Poor circulation and blockage of blood in the leg arteries produces an aching, tired, and sometimes burning pain in the legs . This pain is brought on by exercise, and relieved by rest. The limping that occurs from leg cramps is called claudication.
|
|
Detailed information on claudication, including causes, risk factors, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and a labeled, full-color anatomical illustration
|
|
How do you know the difference between ordinary cramps and a real medical problem? Take this quiz and learn some distinctions.
|
![]() |
Leg pain is a common symptom and complaint. For more specific topics, see foot pain , hip pain , knee pain , muscle pain , joint pain , shin splints , and blockage of leg arteries.
|
|
The symptoms in your back or leg may be due to pressure on a nerve. This pressure may be caused by a damaged disk or by abnormal bone growth. Either way, you may feel pain, burning, tingling, or numbness. If you have pressure on a nerve that connects to the sciatic nerve, pain may shoot down your leg.
|
![]() |
Stasis dermatitis is a skin condition caused by fluid building up under the skin. This fluid buildup, or swelling, is caused by poor circulation in the veins ( venous insufficiency ). Eventually, poor circulation can lead to ulcers (craters) in the skin.
|
|
A Harvard Medical School doctor answers your question about the cause of sudden leg weakness and fatigue.
|
![]() |
Muscle aches and pains are common and can involve more than one muscle. Muscle pain also can involve ligaments, tendons, and fascia, the soft tissues that connect muscles, bones, and organs together. See also muscle cramps and joint pain .
|
|
Sensations are carried from the extremities of the body to the brain via neurons in the
spinal cord. If the blood supply to the nerves is decreased, it can produce the feeling that
"my foot fell asleep".
|
|
Sensations are carried from the extremities of the body to the brain via neurons in the
spinal cord. If the blood supply to the nerves is decreased temporarily, it can produce the
feeling that "my leg fell asleep".
|
![]() |
Numbness and tingling are abnormal sensations that can occur anywhere in your body, but are often felt in your hands, feet, arms, or legs.
|
|
Definition and classification Pain is a universal human experience. The International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) defines pain as " an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage or described in terms of such damage.
|
|
Expert-reviewed information summary about pain as a complication of cancer or its treatment. Approaches to the management and treatment of cancer-associated pain are discussed.
|
|
Pain, medically termed "nociception," is a response to noxious stimuli that is conveyed to the brain by sensory neurons . The discomfort signals actual or impending injury to the body.
|
|
Communicating About PainResourcesAmerican Pain Foundation888-615-7246www.painfoundation.orgAmerican Chronic Pain Associationwww.theacpa.orgThe National Pain Foundation www.painconnection.orgYou have a right to have pain treated. Untreated pain can...
|
|
Pain is an unpleasant feeling that is conveyed to the brain by sensory neurons. The discomfort signals actual or potential injury to the body.
|
|
Measuring Your PainA pain scale helps you rate pain intensity. In the scale, 0 means no pain, and 10 is the worst pain possible.
|
|
Pain is an unpleasant feeling that is conveyed to the brain by sensory neurons. The discomfort signals actual or potential injury to the body.
|
|
Pain is an unpleasant feeling that is conveyed to the brain by nerves in the body. Pain arises from any number of situations.
|
|
This comprehensive report describes the many causes of pain, the latest treatments, and the best preventive strategies.
|
|
Children who experience verbal abuse are at as much risk for developing anxiety or depression as those who are abused physically or sexually. This may be due to the fact that verbal abuse is likely to persist over a lengthy period of time.
|
|
Examines the role of forgiveness in personal health and happiness, ranging from reduced stress to improved relationships.
|
|
I have recurring sores in my mouth, most generally on the sides of my tongue, and the tip of my tongue gets very tender and sore. Do I have a vitamin deficiency? What else could be the cause of this?
|
![]() |
Paleness is an abnormal loss of normal skin or mucous membrane color.
|
|
Numbness and tingling are decreased or abnormal sensations caused by altered sensory nerve function. The feeling of having a foot " fall asleep " is a familiar one.
|
|
Cyanosis refers to a bluish cast to the skin and mucous membranes caused by a lower
level of circulating oxygen carried by the red blood cells. It may also represent a high
level of an abnormal form of hemoglobin in the circulation.
|
![]() |
Swelling involves the enlargement of organs, skin, or other body structures. It is caused by excessive buildup of fluid in the tissues. This buildup can lead to a rapid increase in weight over a short period of time (days to weeks). Swelling can occur throughout the body (generalized) or it may be limited to a specific part of the body (localized). See also: Ankle, feet, and leg swelling Angioedema Swollen gums Swollen glands Facial swelling Swelling in the abdomen Breast enlargement Scrotal swelling Joint swelling
|
![]() |
Abnormal buildup of fluid in the ankles, feet, and legs is called peripheral edema.
|
|
Numbness and tingling are decreased or abnormal sensations caused by altered sensory nerve function. The feeling of having a foot " fall asleep " is a familiar one.
|
|
Having a limb fall asleep and then feeling pins and needles is more common if you have poor circulation.
|
|
Sensations are carried from the extremities of the body to the brain via neurons in the
spinal cord. If the blood supply to the nerves is decreased, it can produce the feeling that
"my toe fell asleep".
|