What are the Signs and Symptoms of Poor Circulation?

Poor circulation can result from a range of reasons. It could be due to diseases which cause circulating blood volume, or may be due to problems of the heart, infections or due to hormonal problems.

The reasons for poor circulation can be listed as

• Loss of fluid and blood from the body either due to internal bleeding or due to external bleeding, burns, excessive diarrhea and vomiting
• Damage to the heart muscle from a heart attack, infections of the heart, failure of the heart or some other diseases affecting the heart can result in poor contractility of the heart. If the heart does not pump effectively that can result in poor circulation
• Severe infections (sepsis) of the body some bacteria like Escherichia Coli and Klebsiella Pneumoniae can result in extensive dilatation of the blood vessels resulting in decreased circulating blood volume and poor circulation
• It can happen also due to our exposure to some allergens like some food items (to which the person is allergic) or some drugs. Sudden severe anaphylactic reactions to these allergens can also lead to wide spread dilatation of blood vessels and poor circulation
• Poor circulation can also result from injury to the spinal cord when there is extensive dilatation of blood vessels below the level of injury.
• Conditions like Cardiac tamponade, Tension pneumothorax, Massive pulmonary embolism , Aortic stenosis, Pericarditis which compress the heart from outside will result in an obstruction to the flow of blood and poor circulation
• There are some hormonal imbalances which cause poor circulation. For example hypo or hyperthyroidism in its severe stage can lead to poor circulation
• Diseases affecting the blood vessels of the hands and legs also can result in poor circulation. For example, chronic smokers can develop blocks in the blood vessels of their legs. In extreme conditions, it can even lead to gangrene of the affected parts.

A healthy skin is smooth, glossy and warm to touch. The warmth and color of the skin is obtained from good blood circulation. The colour and temperature of the skin change with poor circulation.

If the person is anemic, the skin and mucous membrane become pale. Pallor is a very important indication of poor circulation. In some diseases poor circulation will be so severe that there will be bluish discoloration of the skin (cyanosis).

The skin will be warm to touch if there is good circulation. If the skin feels cold to touch that indicates poor circulation. If you have ever touched a dead body you can very easily understand this.

Wounds heal very slowly if there is poor circulation. So a person with poor circulation might be having a lot of rashes or sores on the skin.

There can be abdominal pain or nausea due to poor circulation of the intestines. Digestive process may be delayed or impaired which may lead to a feeling of bloating.

Poor circulation to the kidneys will be reflected as a decrease in urine output.

The person may appear as sick or ill. He/she may not be alert and may have an altered mental status in severe cases. Brain cannot tolerate poor circulation for a long time. So if the condition persists or if it is very severe the person may become unconscious and may develop other complications.

In the heart poor circulation or blood supply may lead to a decrease in its pumping ability and as a result there can be the development of complications like heart attack or other abnormalities in the rhythm of the heart. Blood pressure may be low and the heart rate may be very high.

In the lungs again poor circulation may lead to a decreased functioning of the lung primarily an alteration in the ventilation perfusion. It will be reflected as a decreased oxygen concentration of the blood. Poor circulation also can lead to infections of the lung which may not heal easily.

Poor circulation is a relative term and the causes are very many. It can be due to a localized problem in any part of the body or may due to a systemic reason. Since the reasons for poor circulation are varied so are the treatment options.