The aorta is the body’s largest artery, with the task of distributing oxygenated blood throughout the body through the circulatory system. In the following lines, you will learn what aortic disease is, how it is treated, and its symptoms.
Although this artery is the main lifeline for humans, what affects it makes it one of the most severe causes of pain, as it causes fibromyalgia syndrome in the scapula area, causing tightening of the shoulder muscles and upper back, resulting in severe pain.
Symptoms of aortic disease
Aortic disease has a set of symptoms according to the type and degree of infection, for example:
The patient feels more pain in the spine, especially the seventh paragraph, and above, in addition to pain in the arm, the patient can also feel cramps in the muscles of the shoulder, arms and lower neck, with shortness of breath.
Also, symptoms of some types of aortic disease may be a general feeling of discomfort in the abdominal area, in addition to pain in the chest, abdomen, lower back and flank, in addition to the thigh, as well as pain in the buttocks and legs.
Symptoms of some types of aortic disease may reach the appearance of a new color for the toes, as they change black or blue, as a result of a clot caused by the aorta, in addition to paralysis on one side of the body, or difficulty in speech.
Causes of aortic disease
The causes of aortic disease revolve around the idea of atherosclerosis, which in turn affects the blood supply to different areas of the body, and the occurrence of atherosclerosis in the aorta is related to the accumulation of a substance resulting from the presence of many plates of cholesterol inside it.
And with sclerosis come other factors such as genetic factors, old age, some infections, and exposure to severe injury to the abdomen or chest.
In some cases of the disease, which is called “aortic dissection”, its causes are caused by factors that some of them think are normal, such as high blood pressure and chest injuries.
Types of aortic disease
Diseases affecting the aorta are of various types, all of which combine in the idea of atherosclerosis, and differ in their effects and consequences for the patient.
For example, the so-called aortic sclerosis, which occurs due to the accumulation of cholesterol plates inside the artery, and this results from high cholesterol and blood pressure.
There is also another type that is scientifically called “aortic aneurysm”, which means the weakness of the artery, which is a fatal type, because the weakness causes it to expand like a balloon, and it can explode at any time.
There is also a type of aortic disease called an artery dissection, which is the separation of the layers of the artery wall from each other, and it is a fatal condition, and this has many causes, including high blood pressure, and damage to the artery wall.
Also, one of its types is the so-called “aortic insufficiency”, and this condition causes the artery not to close completely in its owners.
Finally, there is a type called arterial stenosis, a condition in which the heart is exposed to stress when pumping blood to the body, and it often results from rheumatic fever.
Aortic treatment methods
Of course, the methods of treating aortic disease vary according to the type of disease that affected it. There are types that doctors prefer to treat surgically, such as “aortic aniorism”, where the surgery is to restore the disease, or rather the artery, and likewise “aortic dissection” where the dissected part is removed, and it is replaced with a part prosthetic, as well as in the case of “aortic stenosis”, where the defective part is replaced.
However, there are some doctors who do not like surgical treatment, especially in normal cases, and prefer other types of treatments, such as dry needling therapy, or treatment by physiotherapists using Ultrasound, and lasers.
Aortic therapy exercises
Some physical therapists have specific methods of performing exercises that are useful in treating the effects of some types of aortic disease.
For example, they talk about using cold water as one of the treatment methods, where compresses can be placed from it for 3 days, then another warm one is placed for two days, with an unusual deep massage, in addition to harming some exercises, whether at home or at a physiotherapist.
Also, some specialists explained ways of some exercises, which sustaining them leads to important results in the treatment of the aorta.
Among them is their advice that if the pain is in the left part of the body, the individual should put his left hand behind his back, then turn his neck using his right arm to the right, looking down, for 30 seconds or a minute, and repeat this exercise 4 times a day.
Including that he looks down and puts his hands on his stomach, while making circular movements with the scapula outward and inward repeatedly, to do this 5 times a day.
There is also another exercise, which is to sit on his knees and arms, lower his head down, and make the arms opposite each other, then raise his shoulders up while keeping his hands on the ground, and thus arches the back, raises his head up and then lowers it repeatedly, for a period of time. minutes, and repeat it 5 times daily.
Frequently asked questions about aortic disease
There is a set of frequently asked questions about aortic disease, such as:
What is the aorta?
It is the body’s largest artery, and it has the task of distributing oxygenated blood to all parts of the body through the circulatory system.
What are the symptoms of aortic disease?
Its most common symptoms are pain between the shoulders, pain and numbness in the arm, cramps in the lower neck, shortness of breath, chest pain, and may reach facial paralysis and difficulty speaking.
What types of aortic disease?
There are many types of aortic disease, including aortic dissection, aortic stenosis, and aortic insufficiency.
What are the causes of aortic disease?
All revolve around the idea of atherosclerosis, including genetic factors, as well as old age, infections, exposure to a sudden injury in the abdomen or chest, and high blood pressure.
What is the best ways to treat aortic disease?
It varies according to the type of disease, there is treatment with surgical intervention, and there is treatment with the idea of natural remedies and exercises.