The "time bomb" hidden in the body! Can you tell whether your blood vessels are healthy by touching the instep?

Expert of this article: Chen Sijiao, chief physician and professor of geriatric cardiovascular medicine, First Hospital of China Medical University

Blood vessels are hidden in our body and are a closed pipe system through which surging blood flows.

Even if it is blocked, it cannot be seen or touched, but it will bury a "time bomb" and the consequences may be serious, such as causing cerebral infarction, myocardial infarction, or even death.

So, how do you judge whether your blood vessels are healthy? Can you tell if your blood vessels are blocked by touching the instep? What other methods can you use to judge?

Let’s learn together today.

Can you tell whether your blood vessels are healthy by touching the instep of your feet?

There is some truth in this.

The temperature of the skin on the dorsal foot and the pulsation of the dorsalis pedis artery can not only reflect the health of the blood vessels in the lower limbs, but also, to a certain extent, indicate the health of the blood vessels in other parts of the body, such as the heart, brain, and aorta.

Since the symptoms of lower limb vascular disease are more typical, once lower limb vascular disease occurs, it is very likely that corresponding lesions have also occurred in other parts of the body.

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If the femoral artery and calf artery are normal, then their branch dorsalis pedis artery is usually normal, and the dorsalis pedis artery can be felt to pulsate. On the contrary, if the dorsalis pedis artery cannot be felt to pulsate, it means that there is a problem with its superior blood vessel.

If the upper-level blood vessel is blocked, the blood supply to its lower-level branches and its branches will be reduced... The dorsalis pedis artery is located at the most superficial part of the body - the instep, with a large exposed area and is easiest to feel with the hand.

Therefore, the condition of blood vessels can be initially judged by touching the instep. The dorsalis pedis artery is located at the highest point in the middle of the instep.

Source: Provided by the author

What are the symptoms of lower limb blood vessel blockage?

The arteries of the lower limbs are the "traffic arteries" connecting the heart and the feet. Blood flows through the thoracic aorta, abdominal aorta, and iliac arteries to the arteries of the lower limbs, mainly including the femoral arteries (femoral arteries, popliteal arteries), calf arteries (anterior tibial arteries and posterior tibial arteries), and finally reaches the foot arteries to supply nutrition to the feet.

There may be no symptoms in the early stages of lower extremity arterial disease, and most people are already in the late stages of the disease once they are discovered. If you have "cold legs and feet, leg pain when walking", don't always think it's "rheumatism, cold" or "old cold legs, arthritis", it's likely that the blood vessels in the legs are blocked.

Early symptoms: numbness, chills, coldness, fatigue, weakness, muscle aches;

Typical symptoms: calf muscle pain is the most common, intermittent claudication, and the typical repetitive pattern of "walking-pain-rest-relief".

How to self-check whether the blood vessels in the lower limbs are blocked?

Palpable pulse: The dorsalis pedis artery pulse (the highest point in the middle of the dorsum of the foot) is very weak or difficult to feel; after walking and resting, no pulse can be felt on the dorsum of the foot, and the blood vessels in the lower limbs may be narrowed.

Look at the color: After lying down with your legs raised (45 degrees) for 1 minute, the skin color of your legs is inconsistent; after sitting down with your legs down, if it lasts more than 30 seconds, ischemia may have occurred.

Feel the temperature: Use your hands to feel the skin temperature of both legs (thighs and calves) to see if it is consistent. If not, the leg with lower temperature may have blocked blood vessels.

Is the carotid artery the blood vessel that is most afraid of blockage in the human body?

The carotid artery is a very important artery in the whole body. It is a "traffic artery" connecting the heart and the brain. Blood pumping from the heart to the brain needs to pass through the carotid artery.

If the carotid artery is clogged with plaques, the plaques will fall off into the brain as the blood flow in the artery impacts the blood, and the cerebral blood vessels will be blocked, and the brain tissue will be in a state of ischemia and hypoxia. This can cause dizziness and even cerebral infarction, and a stroke will occur!

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Therefore, from the perspective of "traffic arteries", the carotid artery is the blood vessel that the human body is most afraid of being blocked. 70-80% of the blood supply to the brain is completed by the carotid artery. For a healthy brain, it is most important to keep the carotid artery unobstructed.

Studies show that 20% of the 2.5 million new strokes in my country each year are caused by carotid artery plaques, which are an important cause of cerebral infarction.

In addition to touching the instep,

Where else can we “feel” out blockages?

Figure 1. Palpation of the aorta with both hands on the left side near the umbilicus;

Figure 2. Palpation of the midpoint of the inguinal crease (common femoral artery);

Figure 3. The patient's knee is slightly flexed and relaxed. The examiner places his thumb on the tibial fornix and presses deeply on the popliteal fossa (popliteal artery) with the index and middle fingers of both hands.

Figure 4. Ask the patient to dorsiflex the big toe upward and touch the lateral side of the extensor hallucis longus tendon (dorsalis pedis artery) with the index and middle fingers.

Figure 5. Palpate the posterior part of the medial malleolus (posterior tibial artery);

Pay attention: find the correct location, feel the pulse; make an accurate judgment, and go to the hospital!

Source: Provided by the author

Different symptoms correspond to different "traffic arteries" congestion

Life never stops, and running never ceases. How can we walk the "100,000 kilometers" of blood vessels? All blood vessels lead to the heart!

If a "traffic artery" is blocked, the organs it supplies blood to will be deprived of blood! Which symptoms correspond to which "traffic artery" is blocked? Can you judge?

Headache, drowsiness, slurred speech, numbness in the limbs, and unsteady walking may indicate cerebral blood vessel blockage;

Sudden chest tightness and dyspnea may indicate pulmonary embolism, which can lead to sudden death in severe cases;

Chest pain and angina pectoris may indicate coronary artery blockage, myocardial infarction, or even sudden cardiac death.

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What actions can relieve blood vessel blockage?

In addition to a healthy diet, exercise can relieve blood vessel blockage by taking a brisk walk and stretching your arms and legs more often.

In addition, you can do any exercise that suits you, such as Tai Chi, aerobics, square dancing, etc.; any exercise must be persisted in to effectively prevent disease.

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