Poor Blood Circulation

[carmine]

Any tips to improve blood circulation. Obviously exercise i know but how about dietry improvements. I'm currently getting quite poor circulation to my feet in particular and have just had a nasty episode with gout. I'm also wondering if its all linked.

[Mario2008]

Doing regular excersice is one of the best things. Also, if you work after a desk a lot, have a good chair and adjust its height duringt he day, so your blood flow also changes. As does leaving your desk for a few minutes on regular intervals. They key is not to be too stationary.

[FBN]

The management depends on what you feel is "poor circulation".. Cold feet? Numbness/pins & needles? Loss of skin thickness/discolouration or peeling/dryness? Any other underlying conditions such as diabetes etc?. Gout does not primarily affect the blood circulation to the extremities in the same way diabetes does.

Also there is a difference between blood supply (arterial narrowing) and backflow (venous) causes and management is different for each of these; primarily aimed at treating the underlying condition such as varicous veins or artheromas etc.

All the leg exercises they show on aircraft to prevent "economy class" syndrome are good. Vit C and Niacin has beneficial effects as well as general measures..

[moe666]

The amino acid arginne is a vaso--dialator. 5 grams a day at bed time on empty stomach That is one heaping tablespoon also can be taken during the day as well. Google is your friend. How is your thyroid low levels can cause poor circulation.

[bkkjames]

The management depends on what you feel is "poor circulation".. Cold feet? Numbness/pins & needles? Loss of skin thickness/discolouration or peeling/dryness? Any other underlying conditions such as diabetes etc?. Gout does not primarily affect the blood circulation to the extremities in the same way diabetes does.

Also there is a difference between blood supply (arterial narrowing) and backflow (venous) causes and management is different for each of these; primarily aimed at treating the underlying condition such as varicous veins or artheromas etc.

All the leg exercises they show on aircraft to prevent "economy class" syndrome are good. Vit C and Niacin has beneficial effects as well as general measures..

Not sure about cold feet, but have had on and off bouts of tingly feet and hands over the last few days - you mention skin thickness / discoulouration, were you referring to areas that tingle or general? Cheers

[smokie36]

Drink less and give up the fags carmine. Get down the Smile House for an hour every day as well.

[FBN]

Not sure about cold feet, but have had on and off bouts of tingly feet and hands over the last few days - you mention skin thickness / discoulouration, were you referring to areas that tingle or general? Cheers

Tingly hands and feet may also be due to a peripheral neuritis that can be caused from anything from excessive alcohol, Vit B deficiencies, medications etc. This may be independent of blood circulation. If this is associated with thinning and dryness of the skin in roughly the same areas and discolouration or not, it may be due to underlying blood circulation problems. Usually the venous kind that is associated with varicous veins.

[bkkjames]

FBN:

Thanks, cant be the booze as I have cut that out for months, recently cut back on the sugar as well. Maybe a trip to the doc to check about Diabetes is order - vision changes, lethargy (although i work out regularly), some weight loss (could be the no beer / sweets etc + exercise).

[fullwhenempty]

FBN:

Thanks, cant be the booze as I have cut that out for months, recently cut back on the sugar as well. Maybe a trip to the doc to check about Diabetes is order - vision changes, lethargy (although i work out regularly), some weight loss (could be the no beer / sweets etc + exercise).

It may not apply to you but here's my experience..

In the UK my hands and feet were always cold. I thought it was normal. Eventually, joint pain caused me to trot off to an Ayurvedic Clinic in India where I received 44 consecutive days of Ayurvedic massage with liberal applications of Sesame Oil. After that my circulation was perfect and my toes like toast. Now you don't have to go trotting off to India but you could try a series of massages here with the more qualified masseurs. Get them to concentrate on your lower limbs. They tend to anyway. If you add hydrotherapy in the form of 'contrast bathing', to your program (hot and cold foot baths) and add 'Neem' (good for circulation), you might find that your circulation improves. The massage alone may be sufficient. It was for me.

Edited July 28, 2011 by fullwhenempty

[wabear]

I've recently learned that my heart was not pumping a normal amount of blood, even though my blood pressure and cholesterol levels were good. I'm on meds now, feeling better already. You might check with a heart doctor as well.

[Anyse]

Yes, check for diabetes. It is a disease that you can have for a very long time before it raises its ugly head!

[bkkjames]

Yes, check for diabetes. It is a disease that you can have for a very long time before it raises its ugly head!

well I went to BNH for a sugar / cholesterol test: they took some blood and found:

Sugar a tiny bit high. Bad cholesterol a little bit high, Good cholesterol a bit low. Triglycerides very good (low).

Taking some B vitamins and omega 3.

Just surprised they didnt check the urine for the diabetes? To see if kidneys are functioning properly?

[FBN]

Yes, check for diabetes. It is a disease that you can have for a very long time before it raises its ugly head!

well I went to BNH for a sugar / cholesterol test: they took some blood and found:

Sugar a tiny bit high. Bad cholesterol a little bit high, Good cholesterol a bit low. Triglycerides very good (low).

Taking some B vitamins and omega 3.

Just surprised they didnt check the urine for the diabetes? To see if kidneys are functioning properly?

Urine glucose is not the most accurate assessment of diabetes. Fasting blood glucose levels or an Hb1AC test is the "gold standard"; the latter test is also predictive of risk to some extent.