The Two Types of Hyperemia

Hyperemia is a medical condition wherein the blood congests in a specific area of the body. Sometimes, it is also defined as the redness on the skin as caused by the congestion of the capillaries. The condition is usually due to any obstruction or inflammation that prevents the blood from flowing normally. Hyperemia has two known types, the active hyperemia and the reactive hyperemia.

Active Hyperemia
Active hyperemia is the same as what is called as exercise hyperemia or functional hyperemia. This type of hyperemia occurs while the muscles contracts. It may be caused by an increase in a person’s gastrointestinal, cardiac, or mental activity. It is a given fact that when the body’s metabolism increases, blood flow increases as well. And for a person with hyperemia, most of that blood will build up in a certain organ near the infection.

Active hyperemia may occur due to a combination of the hypoxia tissue and the production of vasodilator metabolites. Tissue hypoxia is the condition wherein the blood vessel tissues receive a reduced supply of oxygen in the blood. And because of that, they tend to demand for more oxygen, causing vasodilation.

Vasodialtion, on the other hand, is the process of the widening of the blood vessels, which is attained through the process of relaxing the smooth muscles found inside the vessel walls. Substances called the vasodilators can trigger this process. The common examples of vasodilators are potassium ion, nitric oxide, carbon dioxide, and adenosine.

Reactive Hyperemia
Reactive hyperemia, on the other hand, is also called as the passive hyperemia. If a person has it, the blood collects in a certain organ of the body as a response to the veins being blocked causing the blood not to freely move about. Most of the time, reactive hyperemia occurs right after a person had an episode of ischemia, like in an arterial conclusion. And because of this condition, the oxygen content in the blood is reduced and the presence of metabolic waste in the body is increased, which may also build up in an organ and cause some veins to be blocked.

Reactive hyperemia is the result when a tourniquet, or a tight band placed around the arm or leg used to stop bleeding, is removed. It may also occur during surgery. When doctors perform any type of surgical operation on a patient, they put some arterial clamps around the area of operation so that blood won’t interfere with the procedure. And when the surgeon removes these clamps, reactive hyperemia is expected to occur.

And also, reactive hyperemia usually follows coronary vasospasm. Coronary vasospasm is characterized by chest pains and it is also caused by oxygen imbalance in the blood. Though this disease may be caused by a lot of factors, reactive hyperemia is almost always associated with it.

Treatment of Hyperemia
Hyperemia is a highly curable disease. But it needs proper medical attention so that it will be treated accordingly. The treatment for hyperemia depends upon its type. Experts would need to monitor the patient’s condition so that the right medicines, coupled with the proper medical produces, are performed.

Ignoring hyperemia and its symptoms is not going to help at all. Not all diseases heal on its own. Hyperemia is not an exception. Disregarding the disease won’t make it go away. Instead, doing so could even make the situation worse.

And so when this disease is diagnosed, regular consultation with the doctor is necessary. Along with that, everything they prescribe and instruct has to be carried out. Specialists know the cure of this disease, and they are all willing to help. And for any question about the disease, don’t hesitate to ask your doctor, no matter how stupid you think your inquiry is. Always remember that as a patient, you have the right to know everything about your disease and how it can affect you.