Foods That Cause Constricted Veins. Did you know that some of your favorite foods might actually be detrimental to your vascular health?
Now you know why! Skipping foods such as canned soup, frozen dinners, pizza and fast food is one way to reduce how much sodium you consume. Read food labels because many processed foods, such as bread, crackers, snack foods, breakfast cereal and condiments, can also be high in sodium. Foods that contain saturated and trans fat raise your levels of bad cholesterol while also lowering your levels of good cholesterol.
These foods also don't promote healthy blood vessels. This doesn't mean, however, that you can't have any fat. Choosing the right kinds of fat will help reduce vasoconstriction. Vasodilation refers to the widening of the arteries and large blood vessels.
It is a natural process that occurs in response to low oxygen levels or increases in body temperature. It increases blood flow and oxygen delivery to areas of the body that require it most. A doctor may sometimes induce vasodilation as a treatment for high blood pressure , also known as hypertension , and its related conditions. Examples of such conditions include:. A doctor may also induce vasodilation to improve the effects of a drug or radiation therapy.
Vasodilation seems to be beneficial for this purpose because it increases the delivery of drugs or oxygen to the tissues that these treatments are designed to target. Vasoconstriction is the opposite of vasodilation.
Vasoconstriction refers to the narrowing of the arteries and blood vessels. During vasoconstriction, the heart needs to pump harder to get blood through the constricted veins and arteries. This can lead to higher blood pressure.
The widening of blood vessels during vasodilation promotes blood flow. This has the effect of reducing blood pressure within the walls of the blood vessels.
Some people experience abnormally low blood pressure, or hypotension. In some cases, this may lead to symptoms including:. Vasodilation also plays an important role in inflammation. Inflammation is a process that helps defend the body against harmful pathogens and repair damage caused by injury or disease.
Vasodilation assists inflammation by increasing blood flow to damaged cells and body tissues. This enables more effective delivery of the immune cells necessary for defense and repair. However, chronic inflammation can cause damage to healthy cells and tissues.
This can result in DNA damage, tissue death, and scarring. There are several factors that can affect vasodilation. Some of the more common examples are outlined below. When the environment becomes too warm, the thermoreceptors trigger vasodilation.
The AHA recommends that most people limit the amount of sugar in their diet to 25 grams about 6 teaspoons a day for women and 36 grams about 9 teaspoons a day for men. Caffeine may not be as obvious as salt and sugar, but it, too, can lead to constricted blood vessels in some people, according to the Mayo Clinic. Debbie Petitpain, RDN , a spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, says that some people may be more sensitive to caffeine than others.
You can check whether caffeine affects you by checking your blood pressure before and 30 minutes to 2 hours after drinking a cup of coffee, keeping in mind that the specific brand and how you brew it also can affect the amount of caffeine in your coffee, according to Mayo Clinic. In addition to coffee, common sources of caffeine include tea, sodas, energy drinks and chocolate, Mayo Clinic notes.
On the flip side, caffeine can sometimes come to your aid if you're dealing with a headache. Blood vessels tend to enlarge before you have a headache or migraine. Because caffeine can cause the blood vessels to narrow, it may aid in headache relief, according to the National Headache Foundation. But striking the right balance is key, as too much caffeine over time can actually cause headaches.
0コメント