Patients with diabetes often develop a complication characterized by damage to the walls of blood vessels. Affected as large veins and arteries, and very small capillaries. Diabetic angiopathy also manifests itself in the violation of hemostasis, more specific signs of pathology depend on its type, duration and degree of damage to the blood vessels.
Symptoms and varieties of diabetic angiopathy
The described problem is classified into 2 large groups - macro- and microangiopathies. In turn, each of them contains its own types of disease.
Macroangiopathy is a damage to large blood vessels. As a rule, the lower limbs and heart are affected.
Microangiopathy is characterized by a disruption of the functions of small vessels and capillaries. In this case, the target organs are the eyes (retina), the kidneys and the brain.
Diabetic angiopathy of the lower limbs is accompanied by the following specific symptoms:
- pain and cramps in the legs;
- sensation of creeping "goosebumps", numbness, tingling;
- dystrophic changes in the structure of the skin;
- intermittent claudication;
- permanent freezing of limbs;
- trophic ulcers;
- necrosis (in the last stages).
When lesions of the heart vessels, macroangiopathy manifests itself as follows:
- arrhythmia;
- dyspnea;
- tachycardia;
- heart cough;
- fainting;
- bradycardia;
- reduction of stroke volume of the heart;
- extrasystole;
- dizziness;
- painful sensations.
Now consider the signs of damage to the capillaries and small blood vessels.
Diabetic angiopathy of the retina is characterized by such clinical manifestations:
- decreased clarity and visual acuity;
- Blurred objects, as if they were covered with a shroud;
- flashing of sparks, spots, flashes before the eyes;
- in the late stages - blindness.
The defeat of the kidney vessels, nephropathy, is accompanied by the following symptoms:
- drowsiness and weakness;
- severe swelling;
- nausea;
- high blood pressure;
- frequent urination.
Diabetic encephalopathy or impaired capillary function of the brain has such signs:
- memory disorders;
- deterioration of convergence;
- violation of coordination of movements;
- presence of pathological reflexes;
- unsteadiness of gait;
- anisocoria;
- rigidity of thinking;
- inability to concentrate.
Treatment of diabetic angiopathy
Therapy of the described complication of diabetes is the constant control of the concentration of glucose in the blood, as the main cause of the damage to the blood vessels. For this purpose a number of special preparations are used:
- Diabeton;
- Reclild;
- Maninil;
- Siofor;
- Glicon;
- Metogamma;
- Diastabol;
- Amaryl.
Additionally, medicines from several medicinal groups are prescribed:
1. Reducing the amount of cholesterol:
- Lovasterol;
- Vazilip;
- Cardiostatin;
- Zocor;
- Atherostat;
- Holletar;
- Liptonorm;
- Torquard.
2. Reduction of blood pressure:
- Diroton;
- Finoptin;
- Corinfar;
- Isoptin;
- Cordipine;
- Non-ticket;
- Equator;
- Binelol.
3. Removal of excess fluid:
- Diakarb;
- Spironol;
- Lasix;
- Veroshpiron;
- Urakton.
4. Increased resistance of vascular walls, improvement of blood circulation:
- Niacin;
- Venoruton;
- Troxevasin;
- Rutin;
- Agapurgin;
- Memoplant;
- Trental;
- Ginkgo biloba;
- Vitrum Memori.
5. Preventing the formation of thrombi:
- Wobenzym;
- Angioflux;
- Vessel Due F;
- Detraleks;
- Aspirin.
6. Improvement of metabolic processes:
- Pyridoxine;
- Solcoseryl;
- vitamin C;
- Trifosadenine;
- Tocopherol.
With ineffectiveness of drug therapy or severe stages of pathology, more radical measures are applied.
So, treatment of neglected diabetic angiopathy of the lower extremities consists in amputation of the foot. To combat severe nephropathy, regular hemodialysis is prescribed, and in the case of progressive retinopathy, laser photocoagulation is prescribed.