A Comparison Between Arterial and Venous Insufficiency

A Comparison Between Arterial and Venous Insufficiency
Your name
Subject and Section
Professor’s name
Date
Abstract
Arterial and venous insufficiency are blood vessel diseases that present differently secondary to their structure and function. The former is usually due to blockage via a plaque formation, which reduces blood flow to the cells, while the latter is secondary to valve incompetence (Dugdale, 2020; Patel & Surowiec, 2017). Nursing education is the highlight of its prevention and to curb the progression of the disease. Its focus is to reduce the pain, swelling, and further injury and improve patients’ quality of life.
Arterial Versus Venous Insufficiency
Insufficiency is secondary to inadequate blood circulation, and the term applies to both vessels (Rojas, 2020). Arterial insufficiency transpires when there is an obstruction in the arteries, reducing the cells' supply, resulting in inadequate oxygenation and nutrient exchange. Most commonly, it is secondary to atherosclerosis, where cholesterol plaque accumulates inside its lumen, reducing its size (Dugdale, 2019).
Blocked arteries at the cardiac area may present as angina pectoris, and when the blood supply is significantly reduced, it may lead to ischemia or infarction, resulting in the death of the cardiac cells. If the arteries affected supply the central nervous system, especially the brain, it might result in an ischemic stroke. The symptoms vary, and sometimes, these present transiently if there is still adequate oxygenation, like in transient ischemic attack (TIA), or it may lead to total regression, leading to the death of the brain cells (Dugdale, 2019). If the affected arteries supply the gastrointestinal area, particularly the intestines, it may result in a mesenteric vascular disease, leading to abdominal pain when eating, nausea, vomiting, and changes in bowel movement (Frankel Cardiovascular Center, n.d.). Lastly, if the arteries affected supply the extremities, it results in peripheral arterial disease (PAD). Initially, the extremities can be adequately perfused despite the blockage in the significant arterial supply. This is because of the collateral circulation. During this time, mild PAD may be present, which only presents mild pain without limitation in activities. Moderate to severe PAD presents with pain or claudication in the lower extremities, especially in the most distal areas. It can be worsened when one walks, particularly for long distances, and reduced by resting or dangling the legs. The pain is frequently characterized as aching, cramping, heavy, or feeling of being fatigued. There is also a noticeable pallor or cyanosis, coolness on palpation, and reduced pulses due to the insufficient blood supply, and because of inadequate nutrient delivery, the extremities begin to atrophy, and the hair stops growing. Sometimes, a bruit may be detectable on auscultation (Azarbeh...