The circulatory system is the engine that fuels and drives our bodily functions.
It is responsible for delivering the essential nutrients to all the parts of our body along with the various other compounds and hormones that need to be regulated inside our body for sustaining our lives.
For this purpose of transporting vital substances throughout our body, it uses certain components (blood vessels) and mechanisms (blood pressure regulation).
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Blood Pressure And Blood Vessels
The circulatory system is the engine that fuels and drives our bodily functions. It is responsible for delivering the essential nutrients to all the parts of our body along with the various other compounds and hormones that need to be regulated inside our body for sustaining our lives.
For this purpose of transporting vital substances throughout our body, it uses certain components (blood vessels) and mechanisms (blood pressure regulation).
Blood Pressure:
Blood pressure is the pressure or force at which the blood is being pumped through the circulatory system. This pressure is normally regulated by the heart pumping blood through the circulatory system.
Blood pressure is one of the vital signs along with the respiratory rate, heart rate, oxygen saturation, and body temperature, that medical workers use to evaluate the health of a person.
Blood pressure can change throughout the day normally due to physical activities, emotional situations, arterial stiffness due to aging, etc, and abnormally due to certain health conditions.
Blood pressure levels that are consistently too high could be a medical condition known as ‘hypertension’, which is a risk factor for many diseases, including heart disease, stroke, and kidney failure in the long run.
Blood pressure levels can also be consistently low and are known as ‘hypotension’. Hypotension is also dangerous and can cause dizziness and fainting or indicate serious heart, endocrine, or neurological disorders.
Blood Vessels:
Blood vessels are also known as the components of the circulatory system. Blood cells, nutrients, oxygen, and other hormones are all transported to different tissues of all parts of the body through these blood vessels.
There are 5 types of blood vessels in the body:
- Arteries:
Arteries carry blood away from the heart to various parts of the body. Arteries are known to have blood pressure higher than other parts of the circulatory system.
- Arteriole:
Arterioles are small blood vessels that branch out from the arteries and lead to capillaries. They are small-diameter vessels that have muscular walls that include one or two layers of smooth muscle cells.
- Capillaries:
These are the smallest type of blood vessels in the body and the most numerous bunch that forms the connection between the vessels that carry blood away from the heart (arteries) and the vessels that return the blood to the heart (veins).
Capillaries form a wide network of branched out blood vessels that stretch out through the tissues and aid in the exchange of materials between the blood and the tissue cells.
- Venules:
Venules are small blood vessels that allow the deoxygenated blood to retune from the capillary beds to larger blood vessels called veins. They come in direct contact with the capillaries and are similar in structure to arterioles.
- Veins:
Veins are the blood vessels that carry blood toward the heart.
They hold about 70 % of the total blood volume of our body at any given time.
Which blood vessel experiences the steepest drop in blood pressure?
Arterioles:
The transition from arteries to arterioles experiences the greatest drop in blood pressure. This is due to the very small diameter of the arterioles (<0.5 mm thick). This drop in blood pressure is very essential to protect the network of capillaries that the arterioles are diverting the blood flow into.
The primary function of arterioles is to regulate the blood pressure so that it remains steady and is less prone to fluctuations. This helps to avoid pulsing flows in the capillaries and maintain a steady and efficient exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide molecules.
Arteriole Disorders:
Certain conditions may impede the performance of arterioles and create improper blood pressure levels inside the circulatory system.
Some of the most common conditions are:
- Arteriosclerosis:
It is the thickening, hardening, and loss of elasticity of the walls of the arteries. This is a gradual process that restricts the blood flow to the organs and tissues and can lead to severe health risks.
This condition can develop due to smoking, bad diets, or some genetic factors as well.
Sudden weakness, facial or lower limb numbness, confusion, difficulty understanding speech and problems are all common signs and symptoms of this disease.
- Atherosclerosis:
It is a specific form of arteriosclerosis that is caused due to build-up of fatty plaques, cholesterol, and some other substances in and on the artery walls.
There are generally begin through middle age and have no direct symptoms. Severe stages of this disease can result in coronary artery disease, stroke, peripheral artery disease, or kidney problems, depending on which arteries are affected.
- Arteritis:
Arteritis is a complex disorder and is still not entirely understood. It is the inflammation of the walls of the arteries and is usually the result of an infection or an autoimmune response.
The inflammation damages the blood vessel walls and reduces blood flow to the organs.
There are several types of arteritis such as ‘Giant cell arteritis’, ‘Temporal arteritis’, and ‘Takayasu arteritis’ etc. and the symptoms and medications can be varied according to such specific condition.
Common signs and symptoms include inflammation, fever, increased production of red blood cells, limping, reduced pulse, etc.
Tips to maintain healthy blood pressure levels:
- Drink plenty of water. Fluids can increase blood volume and prevent dehydration. Healthy blood volume will help avoid hypotension or low blood pressure levels.
- Exercise regularly. Exercising routinely can reduce blood pressure levels and relaxes your body. It can also boost your blood circulation and helps to manage weight.
- Eat healthily. Include whole grains, vegetables, and fruits in your daily diet. Cut out as much saturated fat and bad cholesterol as you can and switch to lean sources of meat and low-fat dairy.
- Maintain a healthy body weight. Overweight and obese conditions can stress out your circulatory system and result in high blood pressure levels in the body.
- Include more salt in your diet. If you have low blood pressure levels, you will gain greatly by including more sodium in your diet as they are found to increase blood pressure levels.
However, excess sodium can lead to heart failure, especially in older adults so it is important to check with your doctor before increasing the salt in your diet. Also, if you have hypertension, it is better to keep the salt content to the minimum.
- Stop stressing. Practice effective coping mechanisms and therapy if required. Exercising daily can also reduce stress.
- Limit alcohol and tobacco. It is recommended to quit tobacco altogether if you have blood pressure problems.