A patient comes in with a hot inflamed toe, how does the circulatory system contribute to this process
A person generally get hot inflamed toe when the uric acid level is too high in the blood. Generally, in a human body uric acid is metabolized by liver and kidney throws it out in the form of urine. But sometimes amount of uric acid that is being formed in body can be too high and the level of uric acid that is being eliminated is not sufficient. Thus chemicals and inflammatory mediators released from damaged tissues result in hot inflamed toe. Redness (rubor), heat (calor), swelling (tumor) pain (dolor) and loss of function are some classic and clinical symptoms of hot inflamed toe (Dobson, 1999).
The patient presents with a hot inflamed toe and the circulatory system contributes to this process in the following way. “Inflammation helps to remove the harmful agent and by doing so encourages subsequent healing. The inflammatory response is a collection of overlapping events. These are increased blood flow, accumulation of tissue fluid, migration of leucocytes, increased core temperature, pain and in some cases, suppuration” (Emmerson, 1996).
The circulatory system plays an important part of this process because whenever an injury occurs there is redness and heat which results from large amount of blood which gets accumulated in the severely damaged or injured area (Wu, Muzny, Lee & Casker 1992). Therefore the circulatory system contributes to this process by allowing more blood flow to the area until the process of healing begins.
Hot inflamed toe initiated the inflammatory process by swelling and expanding the toe and they are around it. The process of inflammation activates the circulatory system which is why the white cells and the blood starts collecting around the injured or irritated toe are. This process of inflammation is circulatory systems reaction towards the injury through symptoms like swelling, pain, redness and heat. The tissue reaction of the injury whether it is direct or indirect is seen in the form of hot inflamed toe through the reaction of circulatory system and this is the internal response of the system. That is why it has been noticed that burning and aching in the toes might occur because it has been found that it is due to the response of circulatory system of pour body (Henderson).
“Arterioles supplying the damaged area and the local capillaries dilate which cause an increase in the blood flow to the site. This is because a number of chemical mediators from the damaged are released locally. This increased blood flow to the area of tissue damage provides more oxygen nutrients for increased cellular activity that accompanies inflammation. It is this increased blood flow which causes a rise in temperature and reddening of the inflamed area and also contributes to the swelling and oedema associates with inflammation” (Steele, 1992).
The patient will very likely be suffering pain. This is caused by “pressure on nerve endings from the interstitial fluid and the effect of some inflammatory mediators such as substance P and prostaglandins that cause pain” (Dobson, 1999).
In conclusion, the circulatory system contributes to the hot inflamed toe by releasing an increase in the blood flow to the affected area, by accumulation of tissue fluid and the migration of leucocytes, until the process of healing can begin.
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