Blood vessel health

Can anyone give me a rundown on which meds, foods, or drinks help dilate blood vessels versus what actually constricts them? Just throw out whatever comes to mind...
I’m also wondering if things like working out, going for walks, or running make much of a difference when it comes to widening those vessels?

Alex Mendoza2 said:Can anyone give me a rundown on which meds, foods, or drinks help dilate blood vessels versus what actually constricts them? Just throw out whatever comes to mind...
I’m also wondering if things like working out, going for walks, or running make much of a difference when it comes to widening those vessels?

Taking Tylenol 100 and Aspirin thins your blood, which ultimately helps get things moving better through your system. I take one a day just as a preventative measure against cardiovascular disease. The only real difference I’ve noticed is that Tylenol is a bit easier on my stomach compared to Aspirin, but when it comes to the actual effect, they do the exact same thing.
Why on earth would that be any of your business?

First thing I'd try is adjusting my diet to include stuff that actually helps circulation, then maybe look into medication later on. Does working out actually help dilate blood vessels and get things moving better?

I'm asking because I feel like the blood flow is pretty sluggish in certain parts of my body... if you remember my previous thread, you'll know exactly what I'm getting at 😁 plus I've got a feeling the circulation in my legs is pretty weak too.

Alex Mendoza2 said:First thing I'd try is adjusting my diet to include stuff that actually helps circulation, then maybe look into medication later on. Does working out actually help dilate blood vessels and get things moving better?

I'm asking because I feel like the blood flow is pretty sluggish in certain parts of my body... if you remember my previous thread, you'll know exactly what I'm getting at 😁 plus I've got a feeling the circulation in my legs is pretty weak too.

I mean, I’m just assuming here. Look, if you listen to the World Health Organization, they all point toward the Mediterranean diet as the gold standard for healthy living. We're talking plenty of fish, tons of veggies, whole grains, fruit, lean poultry, olive oil, and plenty of Omega-3s. Toss in at least 30 minutes of daily exercise—enough to actually break a sweat and get your heart rate up—and you've got the blueprint.
Taking Aspirin will definitely help protect you—guaranteed.
It’s really not that deep. No need to overthink it.
Look, just take a breath and stop stressing out so much. Summer is right around the corner, so you might as well make the most of it. Get out there, soak up as much sun as possible, hit the beach, and get moving around your local neighborhood.😉

The whole point here is to stop—or at least slow down—the buildup in your arteries. There are a ton of factors that contribute to this kind of gunking up, which eventually chokes off blood flow, leading to high blood pressure, heart issues, and potentially a stroke or heart attack down the line.
We’re talking about greasy, heavily seasoned junk food, high cholesterol, sitting on the couch too much, stress, smoking...
I can't think of anything else right now...
Taking some Omega-3 fatty acids helps restore that balance and keeps plaque from building up.
As for cardio, just hitting the stairs at a brisk pace works wonders.
If you live on the fifth floor and make it a habit to take the stairs instead of the elevator every single day, you're already ahead of the game.

Thanks for all the input.

I already had Omega-3 on my shopping list, just haven't gotten around to grabbing it yet. I'll pick some up later today.

As for those stairs... look, I'm not living on the 5th floor, but I'll figure something out eventually... 😁

Best,

Hey there! I have a quick question and wasn't quite sure where to post this, but this seemed like the right spot. I'm 20 years old. I frequently deal with this weakness in my left arm, and specifically in my left leg when I'm walking. It happened again tonight. Just this sudden, intense weakness in my left arm, and when I looked down, it seemed like my veins had narrowed significantly. Like, really noticeably. I don't think that narrowing is exactly normal. I'm honestly pretty nervous about heading to the doctor, especially since I've been feeling some irregularities with my heart lately too. Has anyone else gone through something similar? 😢

Is there any non-invasive way to check the blood vessels in my head and around my heart?

I’ve been dealing with this for 15 years now. I suspect it’s my vascular system, even though everyone keeps telling me that vessels shouldn't cause pain. We just can't get a clear diagnosis.

I had a color Doppler scan on my neck and head vessels (“symmetrically placed, appropriate ACC width, symmetrical bifurcation levels, normal positioning and flow of ICA and ECA, appropriate wall thickness, no signs of atherosclerotic thickening or formed plaques...carotid artery flow rates are appropriate, normal direction...etc., basically everything looks perfect”).

The results were fine, but honestly, the name of the test is totally misleading. 90% of the scan focuses on your neck, and the rest goes up toward the ear. They can't see anything higher than that because the skull bone gets in the way. But the neck isn't what bothers me—it's my head and sometimes around my heart. I get this sudden pain (it feels like a vessel is about to burst) that passes quickly, but then I'm left with numbness and tightness in that area all day. It always scares me that I might be having a stroke or a heart attack.

Birth control also messed with me (dizziness and losing part of my field of vision), but as soon as I stopped taking it, those symptoms vanished. My doctor insists it's all coming from my cervical spine and claims the vision loss was a neck issue rather than the pills. I don't buy it. My neck never hurts. Plus, once I quit the birth control, that vision issue never happened again, and that was 20 years ago.

Over these 15 years, I've had a few breaks where symptoms disappeared. Twice it lasted four months, and right now I've been symptom-free for a year and a half, but then everything came rushing back a week and a half ago.

Or maybe some advice on blood tests? A few years back, I had surgery and had to do the standard pre-op blood work. There were a couple of tests specifically for coagulation (can't remember which ones, and I can't find the paperwork), but they came back normal.

Tylenol, Aspirin (actually, I think it was a version from Novartis 🤔), and bioflavonoids didn't help at all. I'm not sure if the Omega-3 helped, or if a lucky streak of feeling better just coincided with taking it. Hawthorn supplements helped when I first started, but they weren't as effective later on.

For the last two months, I've been taking Vitamin D (5000 IU, sometimes 1000 IU) because I'm pretty deficient. I know you're supposed to take magnesium and Vitamin K2 with it to prevent vessel calcification, but I haven't been doing that. I stopped the Vitamin D for now. My K2 should arrive this week, and I started the Omega-3 about 6 or 7 days ago. I'm hoping the K2 and Omega-3 help, but I still feel lost.

I don't smoke, I don't drink, my weight is normal, and my blood pressure is fine.

Alex Mendoza2 said:Can anyone give me a rundown on which meds, foods, or drinks help dilate blood vessels versus what actually constricts them? Just throw out whatever comes to mind...
I’m also wondering if things like working out, going for walks, or running make much of a difference when it comes to widening those vessels?

Oxygen constricts them, while carbon dioxide dilates them. Controlled breathing can work wonders for that.

Rebecca Reed3 said:Is there any non-invasive way to check the blood vessels in my head and around my heart?

I’ve been dealing with this for 15 years now. I suspect it’s my vascular system, even though everyone keeps telling me that vessels shouldn't cause pain. We just can't get a clear diagnosis.

I had a color Doppler scan on my neck and head vessels (“symmetrically placed, appropriate ACC width, symmetrical bifurcation levels, normal positioning and flow of ICA and ECA, appropriate wall thickness, no signs of atherosclerotic thickening or formed plaques...carotid artery flow rates are appropriate, normal direction...etc., basically everything looks perfect”).

The results were fine, but honestly, the name of the test is totally misleading. 90% of the scan focuses on your neck, and the rest goes up toward the ear. They can't see anything higher than that because the skull bone gets in the way. But the neck isn't what bothers me—it's my head and sometimes around my heart. I get this sudden pain (it feels like a vessel is about to burst) that passes quickly, but then I'm left with numbness and tightness in that area all day. It always scares me that I might be having a stroke or a heart attack.

Birth control also messed with me (dizziness and losing part of my field of vision), but as soon as I stopped taking it, those symptoms vanished. My doctor insists it's all coming from my cervical spine and claims the vision loss was a neck issue rather than the pills. I don't buy it. My neck never hurts. Plus, once I quit the birth control, that vision issue never happened again, and that was 20 years ago.

Over these 15 years, I've had a few breaks where symptoms disappeared. Twice it lasted four months, and right now I've been symptom-free for a year and a half, but then everything came rushing back a week and a half ago.

Or maybe some advice on blood tests? A few years back, I had surgery and had to do the standard pre-op blood work. There were a couple of tests specifically for coagulation (can't remember which ones, and I can't find the paperwork), but they came back normal.

Tylenol, Aspirin (actually, I think it was a version from Novartis 🤔), and bioflavonoids didn't help at all. I'm not sure if the Omega-3 helped, or if a lucky streak of feeling better just coincided with taking it. Hawthorn supplements helped when I first started, but they weren't as effective later on.

For the last two months, I've been taking Vitamin D (5000 IU, sometimes 1000 IU) because I'm pretty deficient. I know you're supposed to take magnesium and Vitamin K2 with it to prevent vessel calcification, but I haven't been doing that. I stopped the Vitamin D for now. My K2 should arrive this week, and I started the Omega-3 about 6 or 7 days ago. I'm hoping the K2 and Omega-3 help, but I still feel lost.

I don't smoke, I don't drink, my weight is normal, and my blood pressure is fine.

Man, you already did the carotid Doppler, the neck scans, and the TCD... isn't that enough? If you're worried about your heart, just go get an ultrasound.

Honestly, I've had my arteries and veins in both my arms and legs checked. After a mountain of tests and suspecting everything under the sun... turns out it was just anxiety. xD

Besides, "neck issues" aren't just limited to the neck. Just go get X-rays of your spine from different angles. If they find anything, they'll send you for an MRI, but you'll probably just end up with a clean bill of health or some minor degenerative stuff.

Casey Cox2 said:Man, you already did the carotid Doppler, the neck scans, and the TCD... isn't that enough? If you're worried about your heart, just go get an ultrasound.

Honestly, I've had my arteries and veins in both my arms and legs checked. After a mountain of tests and suspecting everything under the sun... turns out it was just anxiety. xD

Besides, "neck issues" aren't just limited to the neck. Just go get X-rays of your spine from different angles. If they find anything, they'll send you for an MRI, but you'll probably just end up with a clean bill of health or some minor degenerative stuff.

What I don't get is this: if the vessels in my neck are perfectly fine, does that mean the rest of my vessels are okay too, or not necessarily? My neck doesn't even hurt. It says the flow velocity is normal. Now, I don't know—if there's an issue with a vessel somewhere in my head, would the flow in my neck slow down? So, if the neck flow is good and there's no plaque, can we assume the other vessels are the same? I'm pretty clueless about this stuff.

I was honestly so disappointed when they wouldn't do the Doppler scan on my head. 😁 I could almost feel that "vessel" or whatever it is right in the same spot on my head. And I can feel it in my chest after it travels from my head. Both areas have been bothering me for about a week and a half, even though everything was fine for a year and a half.

I'm not allowed to do an MRI.

What kind of symptoms were you having? I'd really love to hear if anyone else has ever thought their vessels were the problem.😁

Rebecca Reed3 said:What I don't get is this: if the vessels in my neck are perfectly fine, does that mean the rest of my vessels are okay too, or not necessarily? My neck doesn't even hurt. It says the flow velocity is normal. Now, I don't know—if there's an issue with a vessel somewhere in my head, would the flow in my neck slow down? So, if the neck flow is good and there's no plaque, can we assume the other vessels are the same? I'm pretty clueless about this stuff.

I was honestly so disappointed when they wouldn't do the Doppler scan on my head. 😁 I could almost feel that "vessel" or whatever it is right in the same spot on my head. And I can feel it in my chest after it travels from my head. Both areas have been bothering me for about a week and a half, even though everything was fine for a year and a half.

I'm not allowed to do an MRI.

What kind of symptoms were you having? I'd really love to hear if anyone else has ever thought their vessels were the problem.😁

Oh, absolutely. I thought my whole body had circulation issues—believe me, if they hadn't caught something on the carotid, vertebral, and transcranial Dopplers, I'd be collapsing constantly. There was this tiny blockage. You basically lose consciousness... those little ischemic vessels... you see that on a brain MRI. As people age, you start seeing these tiny, negligible spots in the white matter and stuff. I'm a neurology grad, by the way.

Casey Cox2 said:Oh, absolutely. I thought my whole body had circulation issues—believe me, if they hadn't caught something on the carotid, vertebral, and transcranial Dopplers, I'd be collapsing constantly. There was this tiny blockage. You basically lose consciousness... those little ischemic vessels... you see that on a brain MRI. As people age, you start seeing these tiny, negligible spots in the white matter and stuff. I'm a neurology grad, by the way.

Thanks. That actually makes me feel a bit better. 😁

I have poor circulation too. I never really thought it was a big deal—just felt awkward shaking hands with people in the winter, nothing more. I didn't realize bad circulation could cause other issues.

The worst part is that whenever my "vein" issues flare up, I get scared to even exercise. I'm worried any effort will just make things worse. Then again, I've always struggled to stay active anyway. 🙂

I've been looking through this thread. I think I'll pick up some Aspirin Protect. I know I tried some sort of Aspirin or Tylenol a few years back, but it probably wasn't Aspirin Protect, so I'll give this a shot. It shouldn't hurt. I don't plan on taking it long-term.

I’d love to just tell you exactly what you should do... but let’s be real—you probably already know you need that circulation to kick into high gear right now. hah... honestly, there are enough hypochondriacs out there Googling their symptoms until they're convinced they're dying—guilty as charged, myself included. just live your life and stop lurking in the health subreddits. loooool

I’ve got my treatment plan set up, so now I'm just waiting for everything to clear up.

I'm actually stepping away from this subforum 😁 because I know digging too deep into medical stuff online isn't great for the headspace. 🙂

Rebecca Reed3 said:Is there any non-invasive way to check the blood vessels in my head and around my heart?

I’ve been dealing with this for 15 years now. I suspect it’s my vascular system, even though everyone keeps telling me that vessels shouldn't cause pain. We just can't get a clear diagnosis.

I had a color Doppler scan on my neck and head vessels (“symmetrically placed, appropriate ACC width, symmetrical bifurcation levels, normal positioning and flow of ICA and ECA, appropriate wall thickness, no signs of atherosclerotic thickening or formed plaques...carotid artery flow rates are appropriate, normal direction...etc., basically everything looks perfect”).

The results were fine, but honestly, the name of the test is totally misleading. 90% of the scan focuses on your neck, and the rest goes up toward the ear. They can't see anything higher than that because the skull bone gets in the way. But the neck isn't what bothers me—it's my head and sometimes around my heart. I get this sudden pain (it feels like a vessel is about to burst) that passes quickly, but then I'm left with numbness and tightness in that area all day. It always scares me that I might be having a stroke or a heart attack.

Birth control also messed with me (dizziness and losing part of my field of vision), but as soon as I stopped taking it, those symptoms vanished. My doctor insists it's all coming from my cervical spine and claims the vision loss was a neck issue rather than the pills. I don't buy it. My neck never hurts. Plus, once I quit the birth control, that vision issue never happened again, and that was 20 years ago.

Over these 15 years, I've had a few breaks where symptoms disappeared. Twice it lasted four months, and right now I've been symptom-free for a year and a half, but then everything came rushing back a week and a half ago.

Or maybe some advice on blood tests? A few years back, I had surgery and had to do the standard pre-op blood work. There were a couple of tests specifically for coagulation (can't remember which ones, and I can't find the paperwork), but they came back normal.

Tylenol, Aspirin (actually, I think it was a version from Novartis 🤔), and bioflavonoids didn't help at all. I'm not sure if the Omega-3 helped, or if a lucky streak of feeling better just coincided with taking it. Hawthorn supplements helped when I first started, but they weren't as effective later on.

For the last two months, I've been taking Vitamin D (5000 IU, sometimes 1000 IU) because I'm pretty deficient. I know you're supposed to take magnesium and Vitamin K2 with it to prevent vessel calcification, but I haven't been doing that. I stopped the Vitamin D for now. My K2 should arrive this week, and I started the Omega-3 about 6 or 7 days ago. I'm hoping the K2 and Omega-3 help, but I still feel lost.

I don't smoke, I don't drink, my weight is normal, and my blood pressure is fine.

What did your thrombophilia testing look like?

velvetmoose9 said:What did your thrombophilia testing look like?

I don't think I ever had that specific testing done.

I know birth control pills can triple your risk of a clot, and pregnancy bumps it up 15 times. I haven't been pregnant, so I have no idea how that part would play out.

That said, my symptoms felt a bit different back when I was on the pill compared to what I’m dealing with now.

I mentioned getting some labs done before an old surgery. I can't remember if they checked my prothrombin time or something else—I tried looking for the paperwork yesterday but couldn't find it.

Those thrombophilia tests confuse me too. Is a DNA coagulation factor test the same thing as thrombophilia testing, or are they separate? Plus, I hear they're pretty pricey. I remember reading a long interview with a singer from San Diego who was denied those tests during her pregnancy because they were so expensive, even though she'd lost a previous baby. They finally approved them, the results came back bad, and she had to be on shots for the whole pregnancy. It was worth it, though, since she had a healthy baby.

That is just a tiny snippet of her story; I read a much longer feature about it in Gloria or some magazine like that.

I thought about getting tested back when I was working, but honestly, I can't afford it right now. Maybe I'll land a job soon, but I really want to get this sorted before I start working again. I doubt my doctor would even refer me for it. She’s convinced it isn't a vein issue.

Edit: I just saw a lab listing a price per coagulation factor at $83. That doesn't seem too bad alone, but there are six factors, so the total would hit $0.50. You could probably get it done at a hospital like 🤔, but like I said, I don't think my doctor will send me. 🕺

I don't want to lie and say I'm planning a pregnancy; that feels silly. 🙂 I could maybe tell her I have a long flight coming up and I'm worried about these symptoms, but I'm not sure if she'd buy it. She’s usually great about writing referrals if she thinks you need them, but once she decides something is unnecessary, it's hard to change her mind.

After reading this, I don't think there's any point in asking my doctor for a referral. 🕺

I wanted to jump in here with a question regarding circulation—does anyone have any actual experience with this?
I’m 68 years old. I’ve already gone through angioplasty twice in both legs, but now I’ve hit a wall where I can barely walk because the pain in my calves and thighs is just too much. One hospital where I previously had the procedure refuses to perform another one on me. According to my latest scans, a major artery in my pelvic/abdominal area is completely blocked.
I’m honestly at a loss for what to do next. My vascular surgeon won't admit me, yet the radiologist sent me back to him, saying he needs to review the results and perform an angioplasty in the pelvic/abdominal region. Apparently, the circulation in my lower legs is fine, but there isn't enough blood flow coming from the pelvis to actually feed the muscles. It’s a catch-22: I can’t take even two steps without having to stop and rest.
The vascular surgeon sent me off for a CTA on my legs to "verify" things, meanwhile, I’m struggling just to move around.
Does anyone have any sensible advice on how to handle this or how to find some relief?
Aside from my legs, I’m otherwise healthy. No other issues so far. But because of this, I’m stuck in bed, which obviously just kills my circulation and mobility even more.