What to Do If You Have Poor Circulation?

• Early signs of poor blood circulation
• Poor circulation symptoms include cold feet
• Tips on how to improve poor circulation

Poor circulation is an increasingly common problem which a growing number of people are suffering from, particularly the elderly. Early signs of poor circulation problems including cold feet might not seem serious, however symptoms like that can be a precursor for more serious complications. If you do not improve poor circulation, there is a possibility that life threatening conditions can develop.

Here are a few simple steps you can take to improve poor circulation:

Be More Active

Regular physical activity is a good way to improve poor circulation. Exercise such as swimming, walking or running are ideal to improve cardiovascular health and fitness. Talk to your doctor about the right activity for you and start off with an easy intensity. You can increase the length or pace of your workout as you become fitter. Regular exercise will get your blood pumping and will begin to open up your smaller blood vessels around your body and into your extremities.

Improve Your Diet

Try to eat a healthier diet. By reducing the amount of fat you ingest your circulation will improve as there will a reduction of fat in your bloodstream. Less fat in the blood stream means that your blood will be less viscous, which means it will flow more readily through to supply your small blood vessels. An increase in dietary fiber will also help by removing fat from your system.

Stop Smoking

Smoking has the effect of increasing cholesterol within the blood vessels. It also has the effect of hardening your arteries and can make some blood vessels constrict. All these effects cause blood flow to be restricted. Stopping smoking is an essential part of any plan to improve poor circulation.

Reduce Your Level of Stress

When you are under stress, your body tends to reduce blood supply to your extremities in order to supply your major organs with adequate blood. The consequence is that blood circulation is restricted. Methods that you can try to reduce stress include yoga, deep breathing exercises or meditation.

Raise Your Feet

If you have poor circulation, it can cause your feet to swell. If this is the case, try changing your foot position regularly. For example, lie on the floor and put your feet up on the sofa. Try this for a short time and it should help the fluid to drain from your feet. When you stand up, it should then be easier for blood to flow into each foot.

Soak Your Feet in Warm Water

Soaking your feet in warm water can help improve the flow of blood to your feet. Taking a warm bath can have a similar effect in improving circulation. Try this method regularly to help circulation to the extremities, however, it is not a long term solution for poor circulation.

Supplements

There are natural foods and supplements available that can help improve poor circulation, for example, ginger or garlic. Poor circulation may require prescription medication, so speak to your doctor for advice on the best solution and poor circulation treatment.

The information supplied in this article is not to be considered as medical advice and is for educational purposes only.