The heart and blood vessels work together to deliver blood that contains oxygen and nutrients to every part of the body. Big blood vessels like arteries and veins, as well as smaller blood vessels, are found everywhere in the body. The arteries carry blood rich in oxygen and nutrients from the heart to every part of the body. Veins return oxygen-poor blood to the heart. When these blood vessels are affected by diseases, several symptoms arise.
Chest Pain
The National Heart Lung and Blood Institutes describes chest pain or angina as a sensation of pressure or squeezing in the chest. It may also be felt in the shoulders, neck, back and arm. It happens when blood flow to part of the heart is low or insufficient.
Chest pain is a symptom of coronary artery disease. This disease occurs when the arteries that supply the heart with blood--coronary arteries--become hardened and narrow. Plaque is a hard substance that is made of fatty materials, cholesterol and other materials found in the body. Coronary artery disease happens when plaque builds up on the coronary artery walls. When this happens, the arteries may become narrow and blood flow to the heart could be reduced. A reduction in blood flow to the heart means it gets less oxygen and nutrients. Therefore, when the heart needs more oxygen during strenuous situations, chest pain or angina occurs due to a lack of oxygen and low blood supply.
Leg Pain
The Merck Manuals Online Medical Library describes leg pain, or claudication, as a tightening pain that occurs in the legs during physical activity. The pain goes away once the legs are rested. Intermittent claudication is a symptom of peripheral artery disease. It is a blood vessel disease in which there is narrowing of the blood vessels that supply the legs with blood. Accumulation of plaque in these vessels causes low blood supply to the legs. During physical activity, such as walking, the legs may need more oxygen. In peripheral artery disease, the legs do not get the oxygen they require due to low blood flow and because of this, leg pain occurs.
Numbness
Numbness and tingling are symptoms of Raynaud's disease, a condition in which the small blood vessels that supply places like the fingers with blood contract and relax intermittently. When these blood vessels contract, blood flow is temporarily reduced and this leads to numbness in the affected area. If these contractions keep happening, the blood vessels may become thicker and further limit the flow of blood.
References
- National Heart Lung and Blood Institutes: What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Coronary Artery Disease
- The Merck Manuals Online Medical Library: Symptoms and Diagnosis of Heart and Blood Vessel Disorders
- Mayo Clinic: Raynaud's Disease--Symptoms
- National Heart Lung and Blood Institutes: What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Raynaud's?
- Mayo Clinic: Peripheral artery disease (PAD)
