What A Vascular Ultrasound Can Reveal About Your Circulatory System

Vascular ultrasounds are the best way to get information about your veins and the many different problems affecting them. When you consider just how many kilometres of veins you have running through your body, it is amazing how few problems occur, which means that when they do you need to take them very seriously. If your doctor is concerned about your circulatory system and wants to get a better picture so they can properly treat you, they will order a vascular ultrasound. Here are a few vital problems that a vascular ultrasound can reveal which could just save your life.

Plaque Build-Up

Usually, a vascular ultrasound focuses on extremities, or veins further away from the heart, because these are where problems first become very noticeable. Plaque build-up is common for those who have a high-cholesterol diet and other problem factors. If the plaque has built up to such a level where the flow of blood is starting to alter (such as turbulence due to compressed entry), then you may need a stent or rebore the area to allow blood to properly flow again. If the plaque is not as severe, then you can fix these issues with simple lifestyle changes such as diet alteration, exercise and minor medications.

Deep Vein Thrombosis

Deep vein thrombosis is a blood clot that can occur in any vein, but it has to exist, as the name suggests, deep in the vein, not on a superficial level. It is dangerous because it travels and clots can break off and move to vital organs. The issue with deep vein thrombosis is that you can't see it from the surface, so the only way to properly diagnose it is with a vascular ultrasound. Once DVT has been identified, treatment is quite simple as blood thinners will take care of the bulk of the problem, and your doctor will keep monitoring you to make sure it works.

Congenital Defect

Sometimes people are born with congenital conditions that will affect their blood flow in one way or another. Without mapping out their circulatory system, it can be very hard to tell whether they do have anything wrong, developmentally wise, in their internal organs and with their veins. One of the problems that can occur with congenital defects includes hemangioma, which is a little collection of abnormal blood vessels that can make the leg appear to balloon in size for no real reason. This is quite rare, but it is a serious problem that your doctor will monitor for by using vascular ultrasounds.


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