Are There Any Limitations With a Pacemaker?
You’re getting a pacemaker to regulate the rhythm of your heart, and you want to know whether you need to make any changes to accommodate the new addition. There are a few, which we review here.
Skin Changes and Heart Health: 5 Warning Signs to Know
Your skin is your body’s largest organ — covering an average of 22 square feet — and it plays an invaluable role in providing a shield for your body. Though the evidence of this protection can show up in the signs of scars and blemishes, your skin can also register what’s going on inside your body. In fact, your skin often acts as a window to your health, as evidenced by the skin conditions that can develop when you have heart disease.
To help you recognize some of the outward signs on your skin of potential heart disease, the team of skilled heart health experts here at Advanced Cardiology Specialists wants to focus on five dermatological signs of heart disease here.
-
Swelling in your lower extremities
One of the more common signs of heart disease that shows up in your skin is swelling in your limbs, mostly your lower limbs. If your cardiovascular system isn’t pumping blood efficiently throughout your body, fluid can build up. Reasons why this sign is more apt to develop in your lower extremities is that these blood vessels need to fight both distance and gravity to circulate blood back and forth to your heart, and excess fluid tends to gather at the lowest point of your body.
1. Color changes in your skin
If the tips of your fingers or toes turn bluish in color, this likely means that they aren’t getting enough oxygen. If you have blocked blood vessels, oxygenated blood isn’t able to pass easily and, what little that does, isn’t enough to provide oxygen for endpoint areas like your toes.
2. Waxy lumps and growths
If you develop yellow or orange, waxy bumps on your skin, this may indicate high cholesterol levels. These bumps often form on the inside corners of your eyes, on the backs of your legs, or on your palms.
Bumps can also form on your body because of dangerously high levels of triglycerides (fats) in your blood. These bumps tend to form in clusters on your skin, and they’re made up of fatty deposits of cholesterol.
3. Patterns of visible blood vessels
When your skin is cold, it isn’t uncommon for a visible network of blue blood vessels to develop in your skin. As your body warms up, this web slowly dissipates.
If you’re noticing this development when you aren’t cold and the web-like appearance of blood vessels becomes constant, this may be caused by blockages in your small arteries, which is called cholesterol embolization syndrome.
4. Painful bumps on your fingers and/or toes
If you develop bumps on your fingers or toes, and they’re quite painful, this could signal a heart infection called infective endocarditis. The bumps can come and go and last for several hours or several days.
If you’re experiencing any of the aforementioned symptoms, we urge you to come see us. In most cases, these are warning signs that allow us to take action to preserve your cardiovascular health.
If you have more questions about the many ways in which cardiovascular issues can show up in or on your skin, please contact our office in Mountain View, California.
You Might Also Enjoy...
I Can't Catch My Breath When I Exercise. Is This Serious?
You want to get (or stay) in shape, so you make exercise a top priority. These days, however, you’re struggling with catching your breath when you exercise and you want to know why. Let’s take a look.
The 3 Most Important Steps You Can Take to Prevent Heart Disease
Consider this: Heart disease is the leading cause of death in both men and women in the United States, yet 90% of heart disease is preventable if you take action in three key areas. We review those areas here.
Why Is High Blood Pressure Dangerous?
You hear a lot about high blood pressure being bad, but why exactly is that? Here, we get back to basics to explain why this condition is linked to so many serious issues, including heart attack and stroke.
Heart Disease Runs in My Family: Am I at a Higher Risk?
We inherit a lot of things from our family that range from eye and hair color to certain health issues and risks. When it comes to heart disease, family history can play a large role.
3 Effective Treatment Options for Arrhythmia
Millions of Americans live with an arrhythmia — or irregular heart rhythm — and most don’t require intervention. That said, plenty of people do have potentially problematic arrhythmias and here’s how we treat them.