Many disorders are associated with circulatory difficulty. Plaque or fatty deposits along the walls of the arteries cause them to harden and constrict. This results in high blood pressure, or
hypertension, because the blood exerts greater force against the walls of the narrowed blood vessels. This in turn may lead to stroke, angina pectoris, kidney damage, or heart attack.
Another type of circulatory difficulty is called thromboangiitis obliterans, or Buerger's disease. This is a chronic inflammation of the blood vessels in the extremities. It is prevalent among
those who smoke. It usually affects the food or lower leg but may occur in other areas as well. It begins as a tingling or burning sensation but may lead to ulceration or gangrene.
Raynaud's Phenomenon is a circulatory condition that causes constriction and spasm of the blood vessels in the extremities. Most people suffer it in the fingers but it may also appear in the toes or the tip of
the nose. Cold, stress, smoking, or other factors may cause the fingers or toes to become numb, colorless or bluish due to lack of circulation.
Circulatory difficulty may also result from varicose veins, which develop because of a loss of elasticity in the walls of the veins.
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