What Causes Hardening And Narrowing Of Arteries?

Arteriosclerosis means the hardening and narrowing of the arteries. This is a common disorder which results from the plaque surrounding the arteries. With time, this can block the arteries affecting the blood flow. This is the usual cause of cardiovascular disease like heart attack.
For the blood to flow smoothly, it is important to have flexible arteries. These arteries help blood to carry oxygen and nutrients to various parts of the body. With its hardening, the blood finds it difficult to move smoothly thus resulting in various problems.

Causes:

Normally, the arteriosclerosis occurs with age. It happens as its process is slow. With time, the arteries start to get the deposition of various materials as in fat, cholesterol and others, which makes it stiffer. Then, this stiffness becomes trouble for the blood vessels to pass easily.

Sometimes, the plaque may flow with the blood and gets blocked in the small arteries. This later on may result in blockage and thus becomes the reason for stroke or heart attack. It was found that the cholesterol can be blamed for the hardened arteries.

Those, who suffer from bad cholesterol at a younger age, may get the trouble in their later years. Along with cholesterol, there are certain other diseases which could lead to arteriosclerosis problem. These are listed below:

• 1)    Diabetic
• 2)    High blood pressure
• 3)    Smoking
• 4)    Family history of arteriosclerosis
• 5)    Obesity
• 6)    Stress
• 7)    Improper diet

Symptoms:

As this affects the blood flow in the body, the symptoms can be observed easily. Following are the possible symptoms:

• 1)    Chest Pain: The one who suffers from the problem of the hardening of the arteries would feel chest pains at times. This happens as the heart finds it hard to pump the blood.

• 2)    Loss Of Hair: Blood carries necessary nutrients and oxygen to the body. Suffers would notice the loss of hair on their body. This is due to the insufficient flow of blood.

• 3)    Chronic Pain: Sometimes, the person may also complain about the chronic pain. At times, their legs may turn blue or due to pain, they might face difficulty in walking and doing the daily activities.

• 4)    Numbness Of Limb: Often, after sitting at one place for a longer period of time, a person may also complain about the numbness of legs or feet.

Arteries are meant for the easy flow of the blood. Any sort of disturbance can cause trouble to various parts of the body. It is important that one takes care of the health so that the deposition of fats, cholesterol and others can be avoided. Also, one needs to exercise daily as this would help you maintain your body weight. Also, consult your doctor for the proper precaution considering your condition.