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Blood vessels circulate blood throughout your body. They help deliver oxygen to vital organs and tissues, and also remove waste products. Blood vessels include veins, arteries and capillaries.
Vascular disease (vasculopathy) affects the blood vessels that carry oxygen and nutrients throughout your body and remove waste from your tissues. Common vascular problems happen because plaque (made of fat and cholesterol) slows down or blocks blood flow inside your arteries or veins.
Your cardiovascular system functions with the help of blood vessels. Some blood vessels (veins) return blood to your heart, while others (arteries) carry blood away from your heart. Your blood vessels work with your heart and lungs to continuously move blood through your body. Here’s how:
Vasodilation is the medical term for when blood vessels in your body widen, allowing more blood to flow through them and lowering your blood pressure. This is a normal process that happens in your body without you even realizing it.
Thrombosis is the formation of a blood clot (thrombus) inside one of your blood vessels or a chamber of your heart. Clots can block blood flow in your blood vessels or break free and travel elsewhere in your body.
Hemangiomas are a type of growth that appear as red or purple lumps on your skin. They’re made of rapidly dividing cells of blood vessel walls (endothelial cells). They may be present at birth, or become noticeable during infancy. Although hemangiomas are most common in infants and children, adults can develop them too.
Vascular malformations, or abnormal blood vessel changes, include venous malformations and arteriovenous malformations (AVMs). They may look like birthmarks that develop during infancy. AVMs can form in the brain or spine, causing life-threatening problems.
Vasculitis is an autoimmune disease that causes inflammation in your blood vessels. The swelling makes it hard for blood to flow through your affected vessels, which can cause organ and tissue damage. Most people can manage their symptoms with medication.
Arteries, part of your circulatory (cardiovascular) system, are the blood vessels that bring oxygen-rich blood from your heart to all of your body’s cells. They play a crucial role in distributing oxygen, nutrients and hormones throughout your body.
The great vessels of the heart are major blood vessels that connect directly to your heart. These arteries and veins circulate blood between your heart and lungs, and between your heart and the rest of your body.