Why Vascular Health Matters: Taking Care of Your Blood Vessels

Dr. Alfonso J. Tafur, Vascular Specialist
Dec 31, 2024
3 min read

Updated: Feb 7

Imagine your body as a busy city. Your blood vessels are the highways that keep everything running. These highways—arteries, veins, and capillaries—carry blood, oxygen, and nutrients to every part of your body. When traffic flows smoothly, we all arrive to work early and we can go home or have fun without yelling at the street light. Likewise, your body feels strong and healthy. When these highways get damaged or blocked, serious health problems can happen. Taking care of your blood vessels is important, and it starts with understanding how they work and how to keep them healthy.

How Blood Vessels Keep Your Body Running.

While your heart is like a powerful pump working out 100,000 beats a day, sending blood through your arteries, the veins need the calf muscles to act like pumps too and help push blood in your veins back up to your heart. This is why staying active is so important for your circulation. If arteries get clogged or veins don’t work well, it’s like a traffic jam. Then we have suffering at the organ they were managing 1.e. a Stroke, Heart attack, Leg clot, or even worse varicose veins because those highways are not well maintained.

Las arterias transportan la sangre rica en oxígeno; las venas necesitan contracciones musculares para mover la sangre al corazón.

What Can Damage Your Blood Vessels and How to Protect Them.-

Your blood vessels are tough, but they can still get damaged. Things like inflammation, poor habits, or family history can all cause problems. Let’s talk about what can harm your blood vessels and how to protect them.

A consequence of poor habits and predisposition among us Hispanics, is Metabolic Syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is like a group of health problems that tend to show up together. It’s when you have high blood pressure, high blood sugar, extra fat around your belly, and bad cholesterol levels. This combination can make your blood vessels weak and your heart work too hard. As many as 1 in 3 of us Latinos living in United States will have Metabolic Syndrome, and if it’s not controlled, it can lead to serious problems in your circulation. This about it as a trigger to inflammation.

Think of inflammation as a small fire inside your blood vessels. A little inflammation is normal, but too much can damage the walls of your blood vessels and lead to plaque buildup. This can make your arteries narrow and stiff, which raises the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Family history also matters. If your parents or close relatives had blood clots, heart attacks, or strokes, your chances of having these problems might be higher. Knowing your family’s medical history can help you take action early.

The good news? There’s a lot you can do to stop it in its tracks:

Stay Active: Even 30 minutes of walking most days can make a big difference.
Eat Healthy: Choose fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins. Avoid sugary drinks and too much fried food.
Watch Your Weight: Losing even a small amount of weight can help reduce your risk.
Get Regular Checkups: Your doctor can catch problems early and help you make a plan.
El síndrome metabólico es común en latinos y puede dañar los vasos sanguíneos.

When Should You See a Doctor?.- Your body might give you signs that something is wrong with your blood vessels. Here are some questions to ask yourself:

Do you feel pain or cramps in your legs when you walk but feel better when you rest? (This could be a sign of peripheral artery disease.)
Have you noticed swelling in your legs or ankles that doesn’t go away? (This might mean poor circulation or even a blood clot.)
Do you have a family history of blood clots, heart attacks, or strokes?
Have you had sudden chest pain, shortness of breath, or felt very tired for no reason?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, it’s time to visit your doctor. Going to the doctor is a great time to learn about your vascular health. Here are some tips to help:
Share Your Family History: Tell your doctor if anyone in your family has had blood clots, strokes, or heart attacks. This can help your doctor understand your risks.
Ask About Circulation Tests: Ask your doctor to check the pulses in your feet and look for swelling or varicose veins.
Talk About Symptoms: Be clear about any pain or swelling you’ve noticed. For example, say, "My legs cramp after walking for 10 minutes" instead of just "My legs hurt."
Ask About Prevention: Find out what you can do to stay healthy. Your doctor might suggest lifestyle changes, medications, or tests like an ultrasound.