There are lots of health conditions and inherited genetics that can make a person suffer from poor blood circulation in the body. Many people in the world are affected by this problem and have to find ways to deal with it.
Luckily, there are quite a few poor circulation symptoms, so it can relatively easy to identify the problem. Though people can carry on working with the help of medications, in later stages of life, this poor blood circulation can have tragic consequences.
Poor blood circulation may happen due to buildup of plaque or an unseen and undetected heart condition, which makes it hard for the blood to circulate throughout the body properly. Body parts like the hands and feet are worst hit due to their location, as blood struggles to reach the hands and feet properly, taking more time, and it affects them the most.
Here are five side effects caused by poor blood circulation.
Numb extremities
One of the first signs of bad blood circulation occurs in our hands and feet. As the blood flows throughout our body, it delivers oxygen-rich nutrients to all parts of the body. But when this blood doesn’t reach in proper quantities to its destination, a feeling of numbness or tingling happens.
It must have happened to anyone when you keep your legs folded in one position for a long period of time, you feel that your leg has fallen ’asleep.’ What happens is that the blood supply gets cut off due to that position, and then the feeling in that body part shuts off. Hence the body part falls asleep.
Hands and feet getting cold
The circulatory system of the body not only carries the blood to and fro from the heart and keeps the organs working perfectly; it also acts as the regulator of body temperature. The regular flow of new and fresh blood means that the body’s temperature is kept at the optimal level, and the body is kept warm. But due to poor circulation, sometimes the blood doesn’t reach the organs.
The main parts to get affected due to poor circulation of blood are the hands and the feet. Though most of the times, they can be warmed up by rubbing them together. But if such episodes continue, you should consult your doctor immediately.
Varicose veins
Varicose veins are formed when the valves that pump the blood throughout the body become weak and pressure to ensure normal blood flow builds up, causing the veins to swell up and darken their color.
These veins are then visible through the skin and look gross. If the veins continue to twist and swell like this for a prolonged period of time, it can cause severe pain and even cause the limbs to cease working.
Swollen ankles and feet
Poor circulation also means that the kidneys are not working properly, and when their work gets hampered, the whole body suffers from it. The most common problem that happens when a kidney’s work is obstructed is that swelling sets in. The body starts to collect fluid, and swelling begins to build up, and legs and ankles get affected first. These parts get swelled up due to poor blood circulatory conditions. The body tries to compensate for the reduced supply of blood by retaining water to lessen the pressure from the circulatory system, and this water gets stored in the feet and ankles, swelling them up.
Slow healing process
The blood circulatory system also sends various nutrients throughout the body, which are absorbed by the body organ they are meant for. Most of the effect of the poor blood circulation happens on the immune system, and this means that it cannot do its work properly. This also means that a person will get sick more often due to the immune system not working correctly. Moreover, that person will also take more time to get better.
