Vascular spasm

Definition

A vascular spasm is a sudden, brief tightening of a blood vessel.

Causes

Vascular spasms (and heart attacks) may be caused by the use of cocaine.

Symptoms

Vascular spasms temporary limit blood flow to tissue supplied by that vessel. The most common symptom is pain. Other symptoms are caused by lack of proper circulation and will vary depending on the specific organ affected:

• When the spasm affects circulation in a limb, there may be pallor and a sensation of cold in that arm or leg. Limb function and movement will be impaired.
• When the spasm affects circulation in the heart, there may be symptoms similar to a heart attack and irregular heartbeats. Other names for chest pain resulting from vascular spasm are Prinzmetal's angina and variant angina.

Exams and Tests

These vary depending on the affected organ.

Treatment

Symptoms can sometimes be relieved by the use of medications that help relax the blood vessels.