What to do with plaques in the vessels. Folk remedies for cholesterol plaques

The formation of excessive deposits of cholesterol, or so-called plaques, on the walls of blood vessels always accompanies a disease such as atherosclerosis. Over time, these plaques increase in size, deform and clog the vessels, preventing the free flow of blood through them. The development of atherosclerosis of the vessels can cause coronary heart disease in a person. That is why information on how to remove cholesterol plaques by various means, including folk remedies, and thereby improve the condition of your body, is very important for all patients.

Factors affecting the occurrence of cholesterol plaques

Blockage of blood vessels with cholesterol plaques does not threaten everyone. However, most of humanity in developed countries suffers from this disease or may be among the patients diagnosed with atherosclerosis. In order not to suddenly get on the list of these people, it is important to understand the reasons why plaques form on the walls of blood vessels.

Some of these reasons cannot be eliminated. This should include, first of all, a genetic predisposition to high cholesterol in the blood. This may be evidenced by the presence of heart attacks and strokes in loved ones, as well as unexpected deaths of male relatives under 55 years old, and female relatives - up to 65 years old. Older people are also at risk: women who have early menopause and whose age is over 50, as well as men who are over 45 years old.

At the same time, there are many factors that a person can change and thereby improve the quality of their health. The first is lifestyle. Permanent sedentary work, a small amount of any physical activity and a diet consisting mainly of fatty and heavy foods can lead to the fact that the body's ability to release its own hormones into the blood, especially testosterone and growth hormone, begins to decrease. Cholesterol plaques can also threaten their appearance in people suffering from diabetes and obesity.

The process of formation of cholesterol plaques

With insufficient production of hormones, the division of cells located in the walls of blood vessels is disrupted. The blood flowing through the vessels can tear off obsolete cells, and holes form in their place, which are immediately filled with platelets. Since there is a violation of the integrity of the walls, droplets of fats in the protein shell - low density lipoproteins - begin to penetrate platelets. The so-called "bad" cholesterol is formed precisely from these droplets of fat.

Formations from cholesterol and platelets gradually destroy neighboring vascular cells and accumulate calcium in themselves. Increasing in size, cholesterol plaques interfere with the free movement of blood through the vessels. Large formations begin to hold poorly, and after a while, a rapid blood flow tears the plaques from cholesterol entirely or tears off particles from them and carries them through the vessels to narrower places. There they can get stuck and clog the vessel, leaving any organ in the human body without food. An atherosclerotic formation stuck in the brain can cause a stroke, stuck in the heart - a heart attack. Therefore, the probability of death of a person is very high.

Methods of dealing with cholesterol plaques

The fight against cholesterol plaques is very important for those people who suffer from atherosclerosis. At the same time, healthy patients should also pay attention to the listed tips, because the prevention of these formations will help to avoid serious diseases of the body. You can remove plaques and excess cholesterol from the blood with the help of a proper lifestyle, medical intervention and with the help of folk remedies.

First of all, you need to start monitoring your diet. To destroy cholesterol plaques will help the exclusion from your diet of fatty meat and fatty dairy products, offal, pastries and all kinds of sweets containing a lot of sugar. There is a special low-cholesterol diet that helps to reduce the level of bad cholesterol in the blood. By adhering to it, it is easy to reduce the number of harmful formations in the vessels and the risk of developing terrible diseases. Giving up bad habits and regular exercise will also contribute to the production of the necessary hormones and their entry into the bloodstream, which will improve the condition of the body.

If the disease has reached a very serious stage, then the attending physician may turn to special treatment. However, before his appointment, it is necessary to conduct a complete diagnosis of the body, including x-rays, ultrasound and MRI. One of the procedures that contributes to the removal of atherosclerotic plaques is cryoapheresis. In extremely severe cases, they resort to surgical intervention, but this does not destroy the very cause of the problem. With the help of a doctor, you can also choose special medications that have a beneficial effect on the walls of blood vessels and reduce cholesterol plaques.

The destruction of cholesterol plaques folk remedies

In the fight against cholesterol plaques, you can also use folk remedies. Some suggest preparing decoctions of horse chestnut and hops, lying in baths with nettles, applying compresses of whey and wormwood.

Particularly popular folk remedies for removing atherosclerotic plaques from the body are garlic and lemon. With the help of garlic, you can perfectly clean the vessels and break down atherosclerotic formations. In combination with lemon and honey, vascular cleaning will be much more effective, because these products contain substances that can cleanse the affected vessels of cholesterol and improve the elasticity of their walls.

Traditional medicine advises the use of various herbs and their decoctions, which allow you to remove cholesterol plaques. For example, a mixture of St. John's wort, chamomile, immortelle and birch buds can help. Powders prepared from linden flowers or dandelion roots, when consumed daily before meals, can not only remove excess cholesterol from the body and blood, but in some cases even contribute to weight loss.

Walnuts also occupy one of the places of honor in the list of folk remedies to combat cholesterol plaques. In this case, you can use both the core of a mature nut and its green shell.

If you find yourself developing atherosclerosis, do not rush to resort to self-medication. Serious treatment should take place only on prescription and under the supervision of the attending physician. However, you can prevent the formation of harmful deposits in the vessels on your own if you eat right and lead an active lifestyle.

Now only the lazy have not heard about “bad” cholesterol. Everyone knows that he can be deposited on the walls of blood vessels and lead to various diseases, that because of cholesterol, a stroke or heart attack can occur. Therefore, upon reaching a conscious adult age, many people are wondering how to clear the vessels of atherosclerotic plaques in order to avoid these consequences. Let's talk about this from the point of view of not folk, but official medicine.

What are cholesterol plaques

Each human organ receives nutrition from blood vessels, of which there is a huge and extended network in the body. The blood flowing through the vessels is not a solution, but a suspension, when a suspension of cells, which are called formed elements, floats in the liquid. The liquid part of the blood does not at all resemble water, which is explained by the molecules dissolved in it, mainly of a protein nature. But also in the blood "float" and various products of fat metabolism, in particular, cholesterol, triglycerides, lipoproteins.

According to the laws of physics, blood moves through the vessels in such a way that a “stream” flows in the center, practically free of cells, and most of the shaped elements “go” along the edges, representing a kind of “rapid response department”: in response to damage to the vessels, they immediately descend from here platelets, "closing" the gap.

The liquid part of the blood also comes into contact with the vascular walls. In it, as we remember, the products of fat metabolism are dissolved. There are several different ones, cholesterol is only one of the components. This system is arranged as follows: normally, “bad” fats are in balance with their antagonists, “good” fats (“good” cholesterol). When this balance is disturbed - either the number of "bad" ones increases, or the volume of "good" ones decreases - fatty tubercles - plaques begin to be deposited on the walls of arterial vessels. The risk of deposition of such plaques is judged by the ratio of good fats (they are called "high-density lipoproteins" - HDL) and the sum of low-density lipoproteins (LDL) and very low (VLDL) density. This can be done by analyzing blood from a vein, which is called a lipid profile.

Such a plaque is dangerous for the following:

It can break off and, having passed with the blood flow to a vessel “suitable” in diameter, clogs it, thereby depriving the area of \u200b\u200bwhich feeds from here some organ of nutrition. The smaller the vessel, the smaller the area dies, the less the functioning of this organ and the organism as a whole is disturbed (there is a “duplication” inside the tissue of each organ, due to which each “piece” receives food from several vessels of small diameter at once).
The blood is forced to bypass the plaque, as a result of which, instead of a uniform flow, "vortices" are created in the vessel, when parts of the blood flowing near the wall covered with plaque have to come back. The turbulence of the blood flow impairs the nutrition of the blood-supplying organ. Here the dependence is the same as in the paragraph above: the larger the diameter of the artery damaged by the plaque, the more the organ suffers.
If the composition of the blood does not change, and the amount of HDL and enzymes that should “chop off” the plaque does not increase in it, the body tries to delimit it. To do this, he sends immune cells to the place of plaque deposition, the task of which is to “bite off” pieces of the plaque and digest them. But the cells are unable to do this: instead of being digested, the immune cells are damaged by cholesterol and fats, and are left "lying" around the cholesterol. Then the body decides to cover this formation with connective tissue, and the plaque increases in size even more, now worsening the blood supply to the organ not only due to turbulence, but due to a decrease in the lumen of the vessel.
Covering with connective tissue is good for the plaque and bad for the vessel. Now, if something damages the plaque, it will “call” platelets to itself, which will form a blood clot on its surface. Such a phenomenon, firstly, will further reduce the diameter of the vessel, and secondly, it will increase the risk (especially in vessels with “active” blood flow) of a thrombus detachment and blockage of a smaller vessel.
Long-existing plaque is covered with calcium salts. Such a parietal formation is already stable, it will not come off without intervention. But it tends to grow and reduce the lumen of the vessel.

The rate of plaque formation is affected by:

the use of animal fats;
smoking;
diabetes;
excess weight;
hypodynamia;
high blood pressure;
binge eating;
eating large amounts of simple carbohydrates.

The localization of plaque deposition is unpredictable: it can be both the arteries that feed the brain, and the arteries of the kidneys, limbs or other organs. Depending on this, they can call:

ischemic stroke;
angina;
myocardial infarction;
gangrene of the intestine;
aortic aneurysm;
dyscirculatory encephalopathy, which is manifested by memory impairment, headaches, a decrease in the ability to analyze what is happening;
deterioration of the blood supply to a larger or smaller part of the limb, up to its gangrene;
if the plaque blocks the aorta in the area of large vessels from it to each of the lower extremities, both legs will suffer only from ischemia or from gangrene.

How to determine if there are cholesterol plaques

Before cleaning the vessels from cholesterol plaques and blood clots, you need to find out if they are there or not. If the lipidogram shows the risk of plaque formation, the coagulogram shows the risk of thrombosis, then instrumental studies will help to detect direct "congestion" in the vessels:

A special type of ultrasound - color duplex scanning. In this way it is very convenient to examine the arterial and venous vessels of the upper and lower extremities, the aorta, the vessels going to the brain and those that feed the retina;
Triplex scanning - another option for ultrasound. It is used to examine the vessels of the brain and the arteries that feed it - those that are located outside the cranial cavity;
The most accurate method of research is angiography. It is used to clarify the location of plaques/thrombi in the vessels of the extremities that were detected during duplex or triplex scanning, as well as to identify blood clots/plaques in those organs that cannot be seen during ultrasound examination.

When to clean vessels

Vessels need to be cleared of cholesterol when:

according to instrumental methods, atherosclerotic plaques or
when there is already a violation of the internal organs, against which a high atherogenic index is detected (according to the lipid profile). It:
- cholesterol above 6.19 mmol/l;
- LDL - more than 4.12 mmol / l;
- HDL: below 1.04 for men, below 1.29 mmol/l for women.

In the following cases, it is necessary to carry out the prevention of cholesterol deposition on the walls of blood vessels by all means:

men over 40;
women over 55;
in the presence of bad habits;
if a person consumes a lot of smoked, fried, salty foods, meat;
if relatives have atherosclerosis, ischemic or hypertension;
suffering from diabetes;
noting the presence of excess weight;
who have suffered such a complication of streptococcal infections as rheumatism;
if at least once there was numbness of one limb or half of the body, which did not follow their compression, but arose “by itself”;
if at least once there was a visual impairment in one eye, which then disappeared;
when there was an attack of sharp general weakness;
if there are causeless pains in the navel, accompanied by flatulence and constipation;
when memory worsens, and the desire to rest causes less and less mental stress;
if it becomes more and more difficult to walk, the legs hurt with less and less load;
when there is retrosternal or cardiac pain that is not relieved by nitroglycerin;
if hair falls out on the legs, and the legs themselves turn pale and freeze;
if some sores, redness, swelling began to appear on the lower extremities.

What you need to do before you start cleaning the vessels from plaques

In order not to face the fact that cleaning blood vessels at home will result in a separation from the walls of blood clots or plaques with the corresponding consequences, you need to be examined before it:

pass a coagulogram so that in the laboratory they determine not only standard indicators, but also the INR index;
pass a lipidogram;
be sure to perform an electrocardiogram.

How to clean the vessels from atherosclerotic plaques

The program for cleaning vessels from cholesterol deposits on their walls should be left by a doctor based on the results of laboratory and instrumental studies. It must include:

lifestyle changes, if it led to the formation of plaques;
compliance with such a diet, which will lead to the normalization of the digestive organs, so that “good” cholesterol is best absorbed;
a diet that will prevent the appearance of blood clots.

According to indications can be assigned:

medicines that lower blood cholesterol levels;
drugs that reduce blood viscosity;
folk remedies aimed at normalizing blood viscosity or lowering cholesterol levels.

Step 1. Do not let "bad" cholesterol increase

Without this action, all further measures - whether folk recipes, whether drugs - will not have the desired effect, since the person will continue to saturate the body with cholesterol.

This can only be done through diet:

when dishes are cooked by baking or boiling;
there is a sufficient amount of cereals;
with lots of vegetables and fruits;
with products containing polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids;
when there is enough seafood;
dairy products are low fat.

You need to exclude:

Step 2. Diet to stop blood clots

To prevent atherosclerotic plaques from accumulating blood clots, which are dangerous because they can come off at any time, follow the following diet (it is almost identical to the one that limits the flow of cholesterol:

Step 3. Lifestyle change

Without such measures, the following steps are ineffective. Otherwise, blood will stagnate in the vessels, which is very fond of blood clots and atherosclerotic plaques. As measures to "clean" the vessels, you need:

sleep enough time, as dictated by the endocrine and nervous systems. When the organs that make up them come into balance, they will also try to ensure a normal balance between the coagulation and anticoagulation, atherosclerotic and antiatherosclerotic systems;
move more, eliminating blood stasis;
more often to be in the fresh air, providing a sufficient supply of oxygen;
prevent the formation of excess weight;
control the level of glucose in the blood, whose elevated level damages blood vessels;
prevent the long-term existence of arterial hypertension, which also deforms the vascular wall;
follow the principles of the diet described above.

Step 4. Preparations for cleansing blood vessels from blood clots

To prevent the appearance of blood clots, tablets are used that prevent the deposition of platelets on the walls of blood vessels. These are Trombo-Ass, CardioMagnil, Plavix, Clopidogrel, Aspecard, Curantil and others.

With a low INR, according to the coagulogram, anticoagulant drugs are prescribed and at the same time there are atherosclerotic plaques or blood clots, not only the aspirin-based antiplatelet agents mentioned above are prescribed, but also drugs that affect the blood coagulation system. These are injectable drugs Clexane, Fragmin, Fraxiparin, in the worst case, injectable Heparin. You can also use the drug "Warfarin". The dosage is selected by the doctor. After the start of taking such drugs, it is imperative to control the INR by adjusting the dose of the drug, otherwise bleeding may begin.

Step 5. Hirudotherapy

Treatment with bites of medical leeches prevents the formation of blood clots in the vessels. This is due to the fact that this worm, sucking, releases various enzymes into the blood. They should serve to ensure that while the leech is drinking blood, it does not curl up. As a result, hirudin and other enzymes enter the systemic circulation, dissolving existing small blood clots and preventing further thrombosis.

Hirudotherapy can be performed not for everyone, but only in the absence of:

blood clotting disorders;
exhaustion;
pregnancy;
caesarean section or other operation performed within 4 months ago;
hypersensitivity to one of the components of the "saliva" of a leech;
persistent low blood pressure.

Before you clean the vessels with folk remedies, consult with your treating cardiologist or therapist about whether you can take this or that decoction.

mountain ash;
white willow bark;
tansy;
nettle;
strawberry leaves;

For the same purpose, you can purchase certified dietary supplements in Phytopharmacies: hawthorn and rosehip syrup, "Beets with celery", "Hawthorn Premium". If you do not like the taste of garlic, buy the dietary supplement "Garlic in powder" from Solgar. Very well dilutes the blood of ginkgo biloba, produced in the form of dietary supplements.

Common folk recipes

Here are 2 of the most common recipes.

You need garlic and lemon. You need to take them by weight in equal quantities, grind them in a meat grinder. Now add as much honey here as this mixture turned out, mix. Infuse for a week in a sealed container, stirring occasionally. Drink the mixture once a day, 4 teaspoons.
Take 5 tbsp. pine needles, 3 tbsp. rose hips, 1 tbsp. onion peel. Pour this mixture with 1 liter of cold water, then bring the infusion to a boil, boil for 10 minutes. Then turn off the heat, cover the pot and insist all night. Strain the mixture in the morning and drink it daily, in small portions.

Possible step - drugs to dissolve cholesterol plaques

In some cases, with a high atherogenic index (determined by a blood test for lipids), it is advisable to prescribe drugs that will dissolve atherosclerotic plaques. Only a cardiologist or therapist makes such an appointment, since only he is able to assess the ratio of the risk of side effects and the potential benefits of these drugs.

There are 2 main types of cholesterol-lowering drugs. These are statins ("Atorvacard", "Simvastatin", "Lovastatin" and others) and fibrates ("Clofibrate", "Tycolor", "Esklip").

Statins

Statins are drugs that lower cholesterol levels by blocking the enzyme pathway by which it is synthesized. Although these drugs are included in the mandatory atherosclerosis treatment plan prescribed by the Ministry of Health, due to the large number of side effects, the doctor will think whether it is worth prescribing them, or treatment can be carried out without their use. They are mandatory for the following categories of persons:

during the acute period of myocardial infarction;
who have had a heart attack or stroke;
before and after heart operations;
severe coronary heart disease, when the level of myocardial infarction is high.

With a low risk of developing a heart attack, in the presence of diabetes, as well as in women before menopause, the use of such drugs can cause side effects from any of the body's systems. If you try to treat only high cholesterol levels with statins when a person’s heart, kidneys and liver are healthy, it’s quite risky, especially since the harmful effects here develop gradually, gradually. But if it was already decided to clean the vessels in this way, it is necessary to monitor the biochemical parameters of the blood every month, especially the one called “liver tests”. It is also not worth reducing or increasing the dosage on your own.

Fibrates

These are drugs that reduce the production of cholesterol: Clofibrate, Gemfibrozil, Tycolor and others. They aren't as good at lowering cholesterol as statins, but they aren't as toxic either. These 2 groups of drugs are most often combined to reduce the number of side effects.

Other drug groups

In some cases, effective means that are aimed at reducing the intake of cholesterol in the body. These are Orlistat, Xenical, Ezetrol. Their effectiveness is not as high as that of statins or fibrates, since most of the "bad" lipoproteins are still produced by one's own body, and are not absorbed from food.

In the absence of indications for taking statins, but in the presence of diabetes mellitus, hypertension, chronic cholecystitis or cholelithiasis, such a bad habit as smoking, dietary supplements can be used. Such drugs, which are available in capsules or tablets and are not considered "real" medicines, sometimes clear vessels of plaques no less effectively without causing a huge number of unpleasant side effects. These are Tykveol, Lipoic Acid, Omega Forte, Doppelgerz Omega 3, CardioActive Hawthorn, Golden Shilajit.

Possible step is surgery

When an atherosclerotic plaque is “overgrown” with calcium salts so that not a single drug or folk remedy reaches its cholesterol core. At the same time, it does not allow the nutrition of some organ or threatens the development of a stroke or gangrene. In this case, the only way out is an operation to remove plaques from the vessels. At the same time, a “bypass” is created for the blood supply to the suffering organ, for example, coronary artery bypass grafting, when an additional “path” is created from the overlying area to the vessel that goes directly to the tissue in need. Thus, the blood goes past the “clogged” part of the vessel. Sometimes a stenting operation is performed, when a “tube” (stent) is placed in the area of the narrowed artery, returning the vessel to its original lumen diameter.

After such interventions, long-term use of drugs that reduce blood clots together with drugs that will maintain normal cholesterol levels is necessary to prevent the recurrence of plaques.

Thus, if you want to protect your vessels from the possible deposition of plaques, you need to correct your own lifestyle, drink a course, after consulting with a therapist, decoctions or infusions prepared according to a folk recipe. The same applies to people who do not complain of heart problems and have discovered high cholesterol levels in their blood. If, however, while walking, exercising, or getting out of bed behind the sternum or on the left side of the chest, pain or discomfort appears, if you suffer from high blood pressure or a heart defect has been previously detected, you should consult your doctor about the advisability of taking cholesterol-lowering drugs. .

Remember: do not get too carried away with lowering cholesterol. This element is needed for the membranes of each of our cells, with a small amount of it, the risk of developing cancer, diseases of the nervous system, including stroke, as well as a condition in which there is a low content of hemoglobin in the blood - anemia is noted.

If fat-containing proteins, as well as cholesterol, begin to be deposited on the inner walls and membranes of blood vessels, then they say that a person develops atherosclerosis with the formation of atherosclerotic plaques. The process itself is as follows.

First, a lipid stain appears on the vessel wall. Of course, it appears for a reason, but in the presence of microdamage to the walls of the vessel, their swelling and loosening. The duration of this process can be different and the first stage of atherosclerosis and plaque formation is noticeable only when examined under a microscope.
Over time, where lipids are deposited, the proliferation of connective tissue begins to occur, and the process of liposclerosis begins. An atherosclerotic plaque is formed from the connective fiber and fats. At this stage, the plaque still has a liquid structure and is easy to dissolve. But therein lies the main danger. The weak lid of the plaque can easily rupture and ulcerate, and detachment of fragments leads to the fact that they enter the lumen of the arteries and clog them. In addition, under such a plaque there is a degeneration of the vessel wall, it becomes brittle, cracks easily, which leads to the formation of blood clots, which are called blood clots and also pose a significant danger.
The next stage is the hardening of the plaque due to the deposition of calcium ions here. This stage is the final one. In the future, the plaques no longer change, but only slowly grow, worsening and worsening the blood supply to the organ.

It is clear that the deterioration of blood supply, and even more so, its complete cessation leads to serious problems in the work of the affected organ, and, regardless of where exactly the plaques on the vessels formed.

Treatment of atherosclerotic plaques

Treatment should be started as early as possible, so as soon as you suspect that you are developing atherosclerosis, immediately consult a doctor in order to go for an examination. If the diagnosis is confirmed, you will need to significantly reconsider your attitude to life, since the treatment of atherosclerosis and the removal of plaques from the walls of blood vessels is unthinkable without the appropriate optimization of your habits.

First of all, you will need to significantly change the diet, since atherosclerosis is indicated by a strict diet that excludes many foods. You will have to give up fried and fatty foods, from white flour baking. Conversely, you need to eat more vegetables and fruits, especially fresh ones. As well as those products that contain B vitamins, since it is these vitamins that prevent lipids from settling on the walls of blood vessels.

Modern medicine has accumulated rich experience in the treatment of atherosclerosis and the removal of sclerotic plaques from the walls of blood vessels, including with the help of stem cells. However, you must remember that atherosclerosis is a chronic disease, which means that you will need to monitor your diet and lifestyle for the rest of your life.

Of course, the treatment of plaques should take place under the strict supervision of a doctor, but you can also help him and try to clean the walls of your vessels with folk remedies, of course, after the doctor gives you permission to do so.

We want to bring to your attention several recipes.

Folk remedies for cleaning vessels

Collect spruce and pine needles in equal quantities, grind it well. Mix the resulting raw materials with onion peel and chopped rose hips in a ratio of 5:2:2. Pour 10 tablespoons of this mixture into 1 liter of water, bring to a boil and boil for about 15 minutes.

Wrap the pan with a blanket to create the effect of a thermos and leave to infuse for 12 hours. 1 liter of the resulting infusion should be drunk during the day. Take daily for 30 days.

Perfectly cleans blood vessels from plaques and shells of green walnuts. But if you can't get green shells, just replace them with peeled kernels, which you will need 1.5 kg. Just twist everything in a meat grinder or blender and mix with the same amount of honey. Add to the resulting mass 4 peeled and minced oranges. Mix everything well, close tightly and refrigerate. Take 1 tablespoon before meals, daily for 2 months.

How to treat cholesterol plaques?

Cholesterol plaques do not need to be treated - they need to be removed and prevented from appearing. Drugs such as statins help remove plaque, but they are expensive and should never be taken without indications!

How to treat atherosclerosis

One of the dangerous and intractable diseases is atherosclerosis. When it affects the large blood vessels of the human body.

What and how to treat atherosclerosis will tell you a qualified specialist.

Unfortunately, this disease is not subject to self-treatment, which can only provoke a number of complications.

The reasons

Atherosclerosis is characterized by the formation of atherosclerotic plaques on the walls of blood vessels, which interfere with normal blood flow. As a result, there is a violation of the flow of blood to the vital organs. In the absence of timely adequate treatment, the disease can be fatal. Given the fact that atherosclerosis is an age-related disease, people over 45 years of age are at risk, and the vast majority of them are men. However, before treating atherosclerosis, it is necessary to understand the causes of its occurrence. Physicians distinguish a number of the following factors:

Unbalanced nutrition. An excess of fatty and fried foods in the diet leads to a sharp increase in blood cholesterol. Subsequently, it is deposited in the form of plaques on the vascular walls;
Unhealthy Lifestyle. Bad habits, malnutrition and lack of physical activity by the onset of maturity can create a lot of health problems and contribute to the appearance of atherosclerosis;
Low physical activity. A sedentary lifestyle leads to weight gain and poor blood circulation. Moderate exercise is an excellent prevention of atherosclerosis;
Age. Unfortunately, age-related changes in the body, combined with an unhealthy lifestyle, greatly increase the risk of developing the disease;
Floor. Atherosclerosis often affects men, because the male body contains a small amount of the female hormone estrogen, under the influence of which cholesterol is best absorbed.

Often, doctors observe a picture of the development of atherosclerosis against the background of diabetes mellitus. In this regard, patients with such a diagnosis should carefully monitor their own health and consult a doctor if the first alarming symptoms occur.

stages

Atherosclerotic changes can be observed in various parts of the body - the arteries of the limbs, heart and brain, as well as the aorta. Depending on the location of the lesion, certain symptoms of atherosclerosis appear. The disease proceeds in several stages, during which the effect of sclerotic changes on the vessels increases. In the early stages of atherosclerosis, lipid deposits form on the inner lining of the arteries.

At the next stage, this process continues, in addition, rounded formations (atheromas or atherosclerotic plaques) appear, narrowing the lumen of the blood vessels. As a result, necrosis develops in the thickness of individual or merged plaques. This leads to the destruction of the plaque, accompanied by hemorrhages in the thickness. As a result of necrosis and subsequent destruction of atheromas, blood clots and dense scars form in the areas of ulceration. Thus, the walls of the arteries become inelastic, thinned and weakened, losing the ability to maintain normal blood pressure.

Atherosclerosis of the lower extremities

In some cases, atherosclerosis can affect the blood vessels in the legs. This problem has a number of characteristic symptoms:

Pain in the calves of the legs, which are aggravated by cooling and walking;
Consolidation and tortuosity on the lower extremities;
Increasing the hardness of the pulse.

If you do not turn to a specialist in time with the question of how to treat atherosclerosis in the lower extremities, there is a risk of formation of a trophic ulcer, which can be complicated by gangrene of the fingers or foot, followed by amputation.

Treatment

The sooner treatment of atherosclerosis is started, the sooner you will be able to get rid of this disease and avoid dangerous complications. Deep atherosclerotic changes are not amenable to treatment, therefore, in such cases, the goal is to prevent further progression of the process and improve tissue blood supply. How to treat atherosclerosis offer modern doctors? The main focus remains drug therapy.

Traditionally, drugs are prescribed that reduce the amount of lipids in the blood and increase the elasticity of the walls of blood vessels. However, it is worth noting that drugs for the treatment of atherosclerosis quickly become obsolete and are replaced by more advanced ones. Therefore, with the question of how to treat atherosclerosis, you should definitely consult a doctor who will select the most effective medicine.

According to statistics, cardiovascular pathology ranks first among the causes of death in the world. Increasingly, doctors associate the development of coronary heart disease with atherosclerosis, and with the development of such formidable complications as myocardial infarction and stroke, they diagnose a lot of cholesterol plaques in the arterial wall.

The question of how to get rid of plaques in the vessels often arises in patients. In fact, this is a long and stubborn process, but it is quite feasible. Methods of official and traditional medicine come to the rescue, but the most important thing is a change in lifestyle and diet. Read more about ways to treat atherosclerosis and how to get rid of atherosclerotic plaques, read below.

What does the diagnosis of atherosclerosis mean?

Atherosclerosis is a multifactorial disease. The appearance and growth of cholesterol plaques is influenced by both internal (chronic diseases of the liver and bile excretion organs, metabolic disorders) and external factors (diet errors, smoking, frequent stress). For a long time, the disease is asymptomatic and does not manifest itself. At this time, there is a process of deposition of atherogenic forms of cholesterol on the inner surface of the vessels, their germination by connective tissue and fibrinogen. This is how a mature cholesterol plaque is formed, which can significantly narrow the lumen of the vessel and disrupt the blood supply to organs and tissues.

Circulatory disorders do not go unnoticed, and the patient has the first symptoms of atherosclerosis: pain behind the sternum or in the region of the heart, shortness of breath, decreased exercise tolerance, headaches, absent-mindedness, forgetfulness. Chronic oxygen starvation of all organs, especially the heart and brain, leads to ischemic diseases: angina pectoris, discirculatory encephalopathy.

The danger of cholesterol plaques in the vessels is that with a significant increase in their number, an acute shortage of oxygen and nutrients and necrosis (irreversible death) of a part of the organ can occur. Most often, atherosclerosis develops myocardial infarction and stroke. Therefore, knowledge of how to get rid of cholesterol plaques will help to avoid these complications and maintain health for a long time.

So, laboratory tests showed an increase in the level of cholesterol and its dangerous fractions (LDL, VLDL, TG) above the norm, instrumental studies confirmed the presence of cholesterol and the brain, and the patient was given a disappointing diagnosis of atherosclerosis.

To get rid of plaques in the arteries, you need to consult a therapist. First of all, the doctor will give general recommendations on nutrition and lifestyle. Do not neglect them: when the problem of atherosclerosis was just being studied, American doctors found that a rational diet and giving up bad habits significantly reduces the number of cholesterol plaques and reduces the risk of developing a heart attack by half, and a stroke by a third.

Nutrition rules for getting rid of plaques in the vessels

With food comes up to 30% of the cholesterol that circulates in the blood. The problem is that the diet of an average person is literally "crammed" with animal fat, and every day a huge amount of harmful cholesterol is absorbed into the intestinal vessels, which does not have time to be absorbed by the liver and is actively deposited on the walls of the arteries.

The daily intake of cholesterol by a person who wants to get rid of atherosclerotic plaques should not exceed 200 mg. In terms of the usual food for us, this is:

one medium lean beef chop;
100 grams of pork;
a little less than half a chicken egg.

Hard cheeses (Kostroma, Russian) -1000-1500 mg of cholesterol per 100 g;
Offal (brains, kidneys) - up to 2000 mg / 100 g.

Although oily sea fish contains a large amount of cholesterol (100-300 mg / 100 g), due to the content of useful omega-3, 6 polyunsaturated fatty acids, this product literally “cleans” blood vessels and helps get rid of atherosclerotic plaques on the walls of arteries. Therefore, doctors allow patients with atherosclerosis to eat fish, but in small portions and not more than 2 times a week.

Thus, a list of foods that can and cannot be eaten in order to get rid of plaque in the vessels is presented in the table below.

Can be eaten in unlimited quantities	You can eat 2-3 times a week	It is better to limit consumption as much as possible
Sunflower oil	Butter	Lard
Corn oil	Milk	Lamb fat
Olive oil	Sour cream	beef fat
Vegetable salad dressed with oil	Ryazhenka	Brain
Buckwheat	Kefir	Liver
Oatmeal	Sea fish (salmon, salmon, chum salmon, herring)	kidneys
Fruit	Walnuts	egg yolks
Lean fish		Caviar
vegetable soups		Cheese
Lean meat		Sugar
Low-fat cottage cheese		Honey
		jam syrups

Lifestyle Correction

From what our days are busy, in the future, health is formed. In order to get rid of cholesterol plaques, you should:

stop smoking and drinking alcohol;
engage in a doctor-approved sport. It can be swimming, trekking, Pilates, yoga elements;
every day for at least 1.5-2 hours to walk in the fresh air.

These methods not only help to get rid of existing plaques, but also prevent the appearance of new ones.

Medical therapy

If general recommendations do not bring the desired effect and it is not possible to get rid of plaques in the vessels, doctors prescribe drug therapy. It includes prescribing medications. The most popular today are drugs from the group of statins. They act at the biochemical level, blocking one of the enzymes that converts the precursor substance into mature cholesterol. Statins, which are most often prescribed in clinics, in order to get rid of atherosclerotic plaques, include:

preparations based on Atorvastatin (III generation): Atoris, Torvacard, Tulip, Liprimar;
drugs based on Rosuvostatin (IV generation): Rosulip, Crestor, Mertenil.

Taking statins regularly will help get rid of small, large and mature cholesterol deposits that are difficult to destroy. Due to the negative effect on the liver, drugs are contraindicated in patients with chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis and cytolytic syndrome. In general, statins are well tolerated by patients with plaque buildup and rarely cause side effects. The disadvantages of use include a long duration of treatment, high cost.

In addition to statins, the following drugs are used to treat atherosclerosis:

Fibrates are drugs that destroy plaque in blood vessels by activating the enzyme lipoprotein lipase. The utilization of fats in the liver is increased and the arteries are cleared. Fibrates are indicated in patients with an isolated increase in TG with a slight increase in total cholesterol. In addition, drugs help reduce excess weight in obese patients.
Nicotinic acid and derivatives are agents that reduce the concentration of atherogenic LDL, VLDL and increase useful HDL. Due to this, the vessels are cleared of plaques, and the disturbed blood circulation of organs and tissues is restored. Enduracin is a new promising drug based on nicotinic acid with a minimal risk of side effects.
Bile acid sequestrants are the drugs most often prescribed for statin intolerance. These drugs slow down the absorption of fat and cholesterol in the intestines and help to get rid of atherosclerotic plaques.

Recent advances in medicine

Cardiac surgeons offer to get rid of cholesterol plaques quickly and safely. Modern medicine allows you to clean the arteries from fatty deposits using minimally invasive methods, recovery after which is painless and with a minimum of side effects.

Operative methods of treatment that will help get rid of plaques in the vessels of the heart, brain and other organs include:

Extracorporeal hemocorrection is a method of cleaning blood vessels, with the help of which the patient's own blood is used, dividing it in a special centrifuge into a liquid part - plasma and formed elements. In plasma, there are many biological components in suspension, including cholesterol. During hemocorrection, the liquid part of the blood is passed through a special filter and purified from atherogenic fat fractions. Existing cholesterol plaques dissolve and become significantly smaller. In addition, during the return of the plasma to the bloodstream, it is supplied under slight pressure. Due to this, cholesterol plaques are literally broken, and the vessels are cleansed. For the best effect, hemocorrection is carried out several times. The disadvantages of the procedure include the short duration of the therapeutic effect: if the patient does not change his lifestyle and diet, plaques in the vessels will appear again and again.
Stenting. When a violation of the blood supply to the heart or brain becomes critical, doctors resort to stenting surgery. It consists in installing a special solid frame along the narrowed vessel - a stent, which restores blood flow and prevents the deposition of new cholesterol plaques. The most successful operations are stenting of coronary vessels: after puncture of the peripheral artery, the stent in the folded state is delivered to the site of narrowing. The doctor, using a special balloon, into which air is injected, straightens the structure. It resembles a small-mesh metal tube that occupies the entire cavity of the artery and prevents it from collapsing. The prognosis of stenting is usually favorable: the entire procedure takes 30-40 minutes and does not cause complications. In 10-15% of cases, however, re-formation of a cholesterol plaque in a stented vessel is possible - in this case, they speak of the failure of the operation.
Shunting is a method of restoring blood flow, in which a vessel clogged with plaque is bypassed by creating artificial collaterals. In this case, the critically narrowed vessel is "turned off" from the blood circulation. The body is supplied with oxygen and nutrients through artificially created arteries. The method is used in cases where the artery is narrowed so much that it is not possible to restore its patency.

All operations are performed using modern endoscopic technologies through 2-3 small incisions on the skin.

Is it possible to get rid of plaques in the vessels with folk methods?

In alternative medicine, there are many methods for the treatment of atherosclerosis. You can “cleanse” the vessels and get rid of cholesterol plaques with the help of such familiar foods as carrots, pumpkin, garlic and lemon, as well as decoctions of medicinal herbs. According to reviews, these funds really help to improve well-being in atherosclerosis, but only if the disease has not gone far, and the degree of narrowing of the arteries is not critical.

fruit salad to lower cholesterol. Ingredients: fresh carrots - 1, grapefruit - 1, walnuts - 1-2 tablespoons, honey - 15 ml, fat-free kefir - 100 ml. Grate the carrots, peel the grapefruit and cut into small pieces, leaving a white film. Add chopped nuts to the salad, season with kefir and honey. Such a delicious dish lowers blood cholesterol levels and cleans blood vessels. It is better to eat it for breakfast, 2-3 times a week.
Pumpkin juice. Pumpkin juice is an excellent tool that is successfully used to. Freshly squeezed juice should be mixed with cool boiled water in equal proportions and taken 0.5 cups in the morning and evening 10-15 minutes before meals. Raw pumpkin juice is contraindicated in gastritis, gastric and duodenal ulcers, poorly controlled diabetes mellitus.
Vitamin decoction. Ingredients: wild rose berries (fresh or dry) - 50 g, hawthorn berries - 25 g. Pour the berries with a liter of boiling water, boil in a water bath for 5 minutes. Then insist 7-8 hours (it is better to prepare a decoction in the evening before going to bed). Take 1 glass at 9.00, 15.00 and 21.00 hours.
Honey onion mix. To prepare the mixture you will need: onion juice - 100 ml, honey - 100 g. Mix the ingredients (the amount can be any, most importantly, equal proportions). Take 1 teaspoon 3 times a day.
Red clover tincture. Ingredients: red (meadow) clover flowers -40 g. Pour vodka over the flowers, leave for at least 14 days. Strain the resulting tincture. Take 20 ml before going to bed. The course of treatment is 3 months.
Garlic oil with lemon. To prepare the oil, you need: garlic - 1 head, vegetable oil (olive, pumpkin seeds, sesame) - 1 cup. Grind garlic cloves to a paste. Pour oil (optional) and leave in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Take 1 teaspoon of the product, mixing with 10 ml of lemon juice. This remedy cleans the vessels well from plaques, but can irritate the mucous membrane of the esophagus and stomach, so it is not recommended to use it for esophagitis, gastritis and ulcers.
Tincture of garlic. Ingredients: garlic cloves - 250 g, vodka - 0.5 l. Chop the garlic and pour over the vodka. Place the mixture in a dark glass bottle, carefully close the neck and fill it with wax or paraffin. Insist 2 weeks in a cool dark place, shaking twice a day. Then strain and take 20 drops three times a day before the main meals.
Compotes from irgi. Irga is a dark purple wild berry with a sweet, slightly astringent taste. Decoctions, compotes and infusions prepared from it help to get rid of the heart, strengthen the arteries and prevent the formation of new deposits.

Consult your doctor before using any of these prescriptions. Perhaps the development of hypersensitivity reactions and individual intolerance.

Cholesterol plaques in the vessels are dangerous neighbors. To get rid of them and gain health and longevity, it is not enough to choose and adhere to only one method. Atherosclerosis can be defeated only by complex treatment, which includes not only modern scientific achievements, but also nutrition correction and restoration of metabolism.