Tips to Have Better Blood Circulation in Legs at Older Age

What Is Circulation?

Blood is a vital element of the human body that supplies nutrients and oxygen to the cells, tissues, and organs to perform their function. Blood circulation is a quintessential function of the body. The process of circulation begins in the heart. The arteries carry pure blood from the heart to the brain and other parts of the body, and impure blood is carried to the heart by the veins. Pure blood supplies oxygen, nutrients, hormones, etc., to all the body parts. The respective body parts utilize the supplied nutrients for function. For example, the blood gets utilized in the heart by the veins. Proper circulation plays an important role in maintaining health. Improper circulation often affects the hands, legs, feet, fingers, and toes.

What Are the Changes in Circulation at Older Age?

Effective circulation happens when the circulatory system (heart and blood vessels) is stable. Younger individuals have thin blood vessels, so blood flows freely inside the vessels to reach the other organs. Normal aging thickens the wall of the blood vessels making the passage narrow. The blood viscosity increases in older people, so circulation happens slower. Older adults complain of cold hands and feet, numbness, swelling, and mild pain.

What Are the Factors That Contribute to Poor Circulation?

Though older adults maintain good health, factors like blood sugar, blood pressure, and a sedentary lifestyle can harm circulation.

• Blood Sugar: The pancreas maintains the sugar level in the blood with the help of insulin. Defects in the pancreatic cell, failure of insulin production, or decreased glucose utilization by the cells result in diabetes. In addition, aging causes an increase in blood sugar levels. Uncontrolled blood sugar harms body parts in many ways. Elevated glucose levels destroy the immune system, higher the chance of getting infections, and damage the nerve (neuropathy), loss of vision, kidney dysfunction, stroke, and thickening of the walls of the blood vessels (atherosclerosis), leading to poor circulation in the hands and feet. The physical signs are numbness and tingling in the hands and feet, burning sensation in the feet, ulcers or sores in the back and the foot, and mouth dryness. In addition, monitor the glucose levels in the blood for further management.

• Blood Pressure: The circulating blood exerts pressure against the walls of the blood vessels. Normally, the amount of pressure is measured using the sphygmomanometer, and the normal values are 120/80 mmHg. In older people, the blood pressure is slightly higher than the normal level. The increase in blood pressure may be due to the thickening of the vessel wall, narrowing of the passage, or increased blood viscosity. As age increases, the water content in the blood reduces, making it dense to flow through the vessels resulting in hypertension. Usually, no physical signs are exerted by hypertension. The ill effects of untreated hypertension are stroke and heart disease.

• Obesity: A small amount of fat is necessary to produce certain vitamins and hormones. The accumulation of abnormal fat tissues is called obesity. Obesity is a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. In obese individuals, the capillaries get blocked, limiting the blood flow to the tissues. As a result, the individual experiences tiredness, fatigue, and depression.

• Atherosclerosis: Atherosclerosis is a medical term that refers to hardening blood vessels. As a result, the passage of the blood vessels gets thin, limiting blood flow. Reduced blood flow also results in the formation of a blood clot.

• Varicose Veins: Veins carry the blood toward the heart and work against gravity. Muscle contractions in the lower leg help the veins to carry impure blood to the heart. Varicose veins are commonly seen in the legs beneath the skin. During old age, they become swollen, purplish-blue wavy, and torturous. The presence of these veins makes the leg appear swollen and heavy. Women are more susceptible to this venous change, mainly during pregnancy and post-partum. The veins appear bulged over the skin. In extreme cases, it causes itching and ulceration (venous ulcer).

• Reynaud’s Disease: Reynaud’s disease causes the vessels in the extremities to constrict during the cold. As a result, the tips of the finger in the hand and feet turn grayish-blue. Sometimes it affects the lips and ears, also.

What Are the Possible Symptoms of Poor Circulation?

The symptoms could vary from person to person. The possible symptoms of poor circulation include:

• Discoloration of the skin.

• Cold, clammy skin.

• Numbness or pain.

• Tingling or burning sensation.

• Dryness of the skin.

• Itching.

• Muscle cramps.

• Swollen limbs and heaviness in the legs.

• Delayed wound healing.

How to Prevent Poor Circulation During Old Age?

• Walking: Walking helps to open up the collaterals and boosts blood circulation. Some amount of physical activity paves the way for circulation in older people.

• Massage Therapy: Massaging the legs before sleep aids in circulation.

• Dry Brushing: Brushing the skin using body brushes and stone rollers improve circulation.

• Calf Raises: Sitting for long periods can impair circulation. So moving the legs, feet, and fingers prevents poor circulation. Conversely, altering the sitting position promotes circulation in the lower limbs.

• Hydration: Hydrate as much as possible to maintain circulation.

• Use Compression Clothing: For people entailing long sitting hours during work, try wearing compression stockings that are easily available and boost circulation in the lower legs.

• Hot Water Bath: A hot bath before sleep helps relax the muscles and improves circulation.

• Use Fitness Gadgets: Many applications and gadgets are available as technology develops. Certain applications remind one to move around if a person is sitting for a long time or lacking physical activity.

• Lifestyle Modifications: Maintaining body weight. Avoid smoking and alcohol. Elevate the legs using a pillow during sleep (Trendlenburg position). Monitor blood sugar and pressure levels.

• Foods: Some foods like beetroots, pomegranates, grapes, citrus fruits, spinach, and green tea also aid circulation.

What Are the Complications of Poor Circulation?

Poor circulation should not be considered trivial. If the signs and symptoms are encountered, one should take the necessary steps to cure it. If left untreated, certain complications could occur.

• Ulcers.

• Numbness and burning sensation.

• Loss of sensation.

• Infections.

• Blood clot.

• Thrombophlebitis (formation of a blood clot in the veins causing inflammation of the veins).

Conclusion:

Self-care is an essential part of life. In this modern era, taking care of one’s health has become easy with the development of technology. Many fitness applications and gadgets are readily available to monitor human vitals. So preventing poor circulation is made easy for the elderly. If human brains forget to move for hours, gadgets remind them about physical activity. So keep moving, stay hydrated, eat healthily, and spare time for self-care. Prevention is always better than cure.