Peripheral Artery Disease: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment

Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) is a condition that causes the narrowing of the arteries outside of the heart. This narrowing limits blood flow to extremities and can cause leg pain when walking or exercising. PAD is often caused by atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, and is more common in older adults. People with PAD are also at increased risk for heart attack and stroke.

People with PAD often experience cramping, aching, or burning in the legs or feet. This pain typically gets worse with activity and improves with rest. In severe cases, people with PAD may have trouble walking or even standing. PAD is diagnosed through a series of tests, including a physical exam, an ultrasound, and a CT scan.

Atherosclerosis causes peripheral artery diseases.

Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is a condition in which the arteries that supply blood to your limbs narrow, making it difficult for enough blood to reach your extremities. PAD most commonly affects the legs but can also affect the arms and other parts of the body. Atherosclerosis or the hardening of the arteries causes narrowing of the arteries. Atherosclerosis occurs when plaque builds up in your arteries. This plaque is made up of cholesterol, fat, calcium, and other substances found in your blood.

Peripheral artery disease increases the risk of heart attack and stroke.

Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is a condition in which the arteries that carry blood to the arms and legs become narrowed and blocked. PAD affects about 8 to 12 million people in the United States. It most often occurs in people who are older than 50 years of age and who have other risk factors for heart disease, such as smoking, high blood pressure, or diabetes.

People with PAD are also at increased risk for heart attack and stroke, according to a study by researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. The findings suggest that PAD is a significant risk factor for vascular diseases. Since a healthy diet can help reduce the chances of PAD and cardiovascular diseases, here are the best heart-healthy recipes for people.

Symptoms of PAD

While many people with peripheral artery disease have mild or no symptoms, some people have leg pain when walking (claudication). Claudication symptoms may include muscle pain or cramping in your legs or arms and physical activity, such as walking, triggers the symptoms but disappears after a few minutes of rest. The pain may depend on the location of the clogged or narrowed artery. Calf pain is the most common location. The severity of claudication may vary widely, from mild discomfort to debilitating pain. Severe claudication can make it difficult for you to walk or do other types of physical ukraynalı escort bayan | İstanbul Escort Bayan activity.

PAD signs and symptoms include:

• Leg pain or cramping with physical activity. Claudication pain occurs in your thigh, calf, or hip and goes away with rest. The discomfort is usually achy, cramps, or fatigue in your legs during activity.
• Coldness and numbness in your lower leg or foot, especially when walking. Poor blood flow to your extremities can cause- Raynaud’s phenomenon, in which your skin turns white or blue, then red from decreased blood flow.
• Sores on toes, feet, or legs that won’t heal. Poor blood flow to your extremities also can cause — although this is more common among people who have diabetic peripheral neuropathy — nerve damage that causes you not to feel a wound on your foot. These wounds are called ulcers and often occur on the side of the big toe.
• Gangrene. This is a rare complication of peripheral artery disease. It occurs when tissues die because of inadequate blood supply. Gangrene usually affects fingers and toes but can occur anywhere in the body where there are damaged arteries.
• No pulse or a weak pulse in your legs or feet. If you have a weak pulse in your legs or feet, it could be a sign of peripheral artery disease (PAD). A physician can check for PAD by taking your pulse and measuring the blood pressure in your legs. A weak pulse or low blood pressure in your legs could be a sign that your arteries are blocked and you have reduced blood flow.
• Poor nail and hair growth. If you have PAD, you may notice changes in your lower legs and feet, such as slow hair and nail growth or shiny, discolored skin.

Treatment options for PAD

There are a number of treatments available for peripheral artery disease (PAD), depending on the severity of the condition. Some lifestyle changes, such as quitting smoking and eating a healthy diet, can help to improve the symptoms of PAD. More serious cases may require medication or surgery to improve blood flow to the affected areas. A vascular specialist treats the vascular diseases with minimally invasive techniques or surgery.

The following are treatments for Peripheral Artery Disease:

Regular physical activity

PAD symptoms can be decreased in as little as 4-8 weeks with simple walking regimens, leg exercises, and treadmill exercise programs done three times a week. Regular physical activity is the most effective treatment for PAD. Your PAD specialist may recommend a supervised exercise training program that you start off slowly.

Diet changes and adjustments

Making dietary changes and adjustments can help lower blood cholesterol levels for individuals with PAD. A diet low in saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol, as well as plenty of fruit and vegetables, can help improve cholesterol levels.

Smoking cessation

The risks of smoking tobacco are well-documented, and include an increased risk of peripheral artery disease, heart attack, and stroke. In fact, smokers may have four times the risk of developing PAD than nonsmokers. However, quitting smoking can help to slow the progression of PAD and other heart-related diseases. So if you’re looking to improve your heart health, quitting smoking is a great place to start.

Some medications

A Pad specialist may recommend antihypertensive drugs and statins to lower cholesterol levels and improve vascular health. A PAD specialist may recommend Cilostazol and pentoxifylline for patients with intermittent claudication, or pain and cramping in the legs that are caused by poor blood circulation.

Diabetes Control

If you have poorly controlled diabetes, it can make your PAD symptoms worse and increase your chances of developing other forms of CVD. Taking steps to manage your diabetes, like making changes to your diet and taking medication to lower your blood sugar levels, can help improve PAD symptoms and lower your risks.

Surgery and procedures

In some cases, a procedure to restore blood flow through the arteries in your legs may be recommended. This procedure is revascularization. Your PAD specialist may recommend you revascularization if your leg pain is severe enough to prevent you from doing everyday activities, or if your symptoms haven’t improved after trying other treatments.

The two primary revascularization treatments for PAD are:

• Angioplasty involves widening a blocked or narrowed section of the artery by inflating a tiny balloon inside the vessel.
• Artery bypass graft involves using blood vessels from another part of the body to bypass the blockage in an artery.

What can I expect if I have this condition?

There is no one answer to this question because the progression of PAD can vary depending on the individual and the severity of the condition. However, in general, if the peripheral vascular disease is caught early, treatment may involve lifestyle changes such as quitting smoking, eating a healthier diet, and exercising regularly. More severe cases may require medications or surgery.