Orlando, Fla.— Poor circulation can be indicated by a series of different types of symptoms. If causes a great deal of discomfort each day and there are potentially more serious consequences, so it is important to look into this properly.
Here are some of the symptoms of poor circulation:
Hands or feet cold or numb.
Legs can get a blue tinge.
Dry skin and brittle nails.
Hair fall out.
Men can have trouble getting or keeping an erection.
If you are a diabetic, your scrapes and wounds will heal slower.
To give you an idea, your body holds about 60,000 miles of blood vessels. Along with your heart and other muscles, they make up your circulatory system. This network of roadways carries blood to every corner of your body. But when your circulation is poor, it slows or blocks the blood flow. That means the cells in your body can’t get all the oxygen and nutrients they need.
Common causes of poor circulation
Lack of exercise can lead to bad circulation. It doesn’t happen overnight but usually creeps up on a person. However, you can improve things fairly quickly if you DO something about it.
Obesity — eating too much junk food which usually leads to being overweight is also a prime reason.
Smoking is associated with poor circulation.
Work related issues, such as sitting too long at a computer for years can cause these problems especially if you don’t take regular breaks or exercise a few times a week.
10 things you can do to improve or prevent it:
- Keep your blood pressure under control. It it’s too high it can cause arteriosclerosis, which is a condition that hardens your arteries and could impede your blood flow. You can use one of those home blood pressure monitors to check your reading at least once a month and make sure to keep it (or at least aim for) 120 over 80.
- If you smoke, do your best (and we mean your very best) to try quitting. Nicotine harms the walls of your arteries and thickens the blood making it difficult to pass through.
- Stay hydrated! Aim for 8 glasses of water as your daily routine.
- Avoid prolonged sitting periods as it harms your back and your circulation. Take short standing up breaks or even consider one of those desks that you can elevate to change your position as you continue to work.
- Low impact exercise like yoga offer many benefits for your blood stream. But other types of exercise like running, biking, walking and swimming, among others— are also helpful. You could get great results by doing it for at least 30 minutes during 5 or 7 days of the week.
- Compression socks are another alternative, but make sure to consult your primary physician regarding the length and amount of pressure that you need.
- Watch your diet and stay on a healthy weight as much as possible. One good way to get it started is by eating more plants and less meat, especially those with saturated fats. Also, control the amount of salt you ingest.
- Massage your body gently using long motions on legs and arms and circles on your abdomen and lower back. This can be done with a stiff, flat bristled brush for best results.
- Warm water makes arteries and veins open a bit wider increasing the blood flow. A relaxing hot tub might be in order for you.
- Consider taking some omega 3 fish oil either on a supplement or increasing the amount of fish on your diet.