Treatment
It is important to get early treatment to prevent any health complications, such as tissue death (necrosis). Your doctor may recommend surgery to remove a scar, blood clots, and any dead part of the intestine if the Mesenteric artery ischemia is acute. You can also use blood-thinning drugs to avoid future blood clots.
In addition, your doctor may also recommend angioplasty to treat clogged blood vessels. Your doctor will insert a mesh tube known as a stent into the narrow artery to open it. If the vessel is completely blocked, your doctor may recommend a total bypass. You may also undergo surgery to treat chronic mesenteric ischemia. It would help to know that surgery is only recommended when the condition progresses quickly. You can change your Lifestyle to treat atherosclerosis [3].
Do you want to treat mesenteric artery ischemia naturally? Make the following lifestyle changes:
- Consuming a low-fat and low-sodium diet to control cholesterol [4] levels and blood pressure
- Daily work out reduce cholesterol, controls blood pressure, and boosts heart health
- Stop smoking, if you smoke.
Your doctor may prescribe the following drugs to treat mesenteric artery ischemia:
- If the blocked artery is caused by an infection.
- Blood thinners to avoid blood clots, like warfarin or heparin
- Vasodilator drugs, which include nitroglycerin or hydralazine to avoid spasms in your blood vessels
You must follow these steps if you receive warfarin:
- You must have regular blood tests, called the PT-INR, to determine the potency of the drug. Ensure you keep records of all lab appointments so you can be monitored properly. Your doctor may change your drugs if necessary.
- You need to wear a medical identification bracelet so you can get adequate medical care in an emergency.
- You may bleed or bruise easily when you are injured. It would help to contact your doctor if you have abnormal bleeding or bruising.
- The effects of some nonprescription (over-the-counter) drugs on the function of anticoagulants [5] can be severe. You should take only drugs prescribed by your doctor.
- Talk to your healthcare provider about the foods you cannot eat. For example, foods with high levels of vitamin K [6] such as broccoli, spinach, and Brussel sprouts may affect the potency of warfarin.
- Do not use warfarin if you are pregnant.
If you don’t receive treatment early, several medical complications may occur. Complications for acute ischemia include:
- Sepsis: This problem happens when the body sends chemicals into the body to kill infections. After a while, the body begins to react to the chemicals, causing problems that can result in organ failure.
- Irreversible bowel damage: when the bowels are deprived of sufficient blood supply, they begin to have problems.
- Death: The two complications stated above can cause death.
Complications for chronic mesenteric ischemia are:
- Lack of appetite/ fear of eating: the pain you feel anytime you eat can reduce your appetite or make you fear eating.
- Unintended weight loss: This is mostly caused by the fear of eating.
- Acute-on-chronic mesenteric ischemia: This occurs when the symptoms of chronic mesenteric ischemia exacerbate, resulting in the acute form of the condition.