Symptoms
There are two types of mesenteric artery ischemia: acute and chronic.
You may experience an acute Mesenteric artery suddenly. Its symptoms are serious. In most cases, the acute form of this condition is caused by blood clots in the artery.
Unlike the acute type, chronic ischemia occurs gradually and is mainly caused by the accumulation of fat deposits (Atherosclerosis).
The symptoms of acute Ischemia are:
- Diarrhoea [1] (which may contain blood)
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Fever
- Dizziness
- Fainting
- Serious abdominal pain
Symptoms of chronic ischemia are:
- Persistent pain after eating meals
- Bloating [2]
- Unintentional weight loss
- Malnutrition
- Nausea
In some cases, you may feel a sudden urge to experience regular bowel movements when you have acute artery ischemia. You may commonly experience blood in your stool; this is a common symptom of the condition.
In addition, pain after eating is a major symptom of chronic Ischemia. To prevent the pain, you may start to reduce the amount of food you eat leading to unprecedented weight loss.
Early diagnosis is imperative if you want to get proper treatment for mesenteric artery ischemia. Your doctor may Collect your medical history and do a physical test to detect the condition. Your health care provider may use Imaging tools to detect the clogging of any Mesenteric arteries. Examples of imaging tools used are:
- CT scans: your doctor utilizes these scans to create cross-sectional images of your body tissues and organs.
- Ultrasound: This tool works by using sound waves with high frequency to create images of body structures and organs.
- MRA: Magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) is an MRI test for your blood vessels.
- Arteriogram: This is an invasive procedure that utilizes X-rays and a certain dye to observe the interiors of the blood vessels.