Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is the disease related to blood vessels positioned in the outer area of the brain and heart.
PAD occurs due to the accumulation of fatty deposits in your arteries. PAD is also termed as peripheral arterial disease or peripheral vascular disease (it includes arteries and veins)PAD makes the blood vessels narrow due to which the blood flow to kidneys, arms, stomach and mainly to legs is restricted.
Peripheral artery disease leads to the risk of heart attack. Peripheral vascular disease is common in smokers.
Painful calf & thighs which you experience while climbing stairs
According to medical experts, nearly 50% of PAD patients have no clue of suffering from this condition. The reason being many people do not show up any symptoms. Some of the main peripheral artery disease symptoms are:
- Intermittent claudication – you may experience pain in thigh/calf while walking/climbing stairs. Some people may also experience pain in hips
- Hair loss on legs and feet.
- Weakness in legs
- The cold sensation may occur in the lower leg or foot
- Toenails become brittle
- Numbness in legs.
- Slow growth of toenails.
- The skin on your legs turns bluish, pale or even becomes shiny
- The problem in searching for a pulse in foot or leg
- Leg and feet sores/ulcers which take time to heal or even doesn’t heal.
- Erectile dysfunction
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The main cause of PAD is atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is a slow process wherein the fatty fluid accumulates in the arteries.Some of the less common causes of PAD are
- Limb injury
- Blood clots in arteries
- Abnormal anatomy of muscles & ligaments.
Risk factors that result in PAD are
- Smoking
- Diabetes
- Obesity
- High blood pressure
- Age factor
- High Cholesterol
- Heart disease in family history
- Increased C-reactive protein/homocysteine levels
There are different methods to diagnose PAD and in case it is detected, your doctor will first check your legs.
Ultrasound scan, blood tests and angiography The doctors can ask you to get these tests done to examine your C-protein, cholesterol and homocysteine levels.
Ankle-brachial pressure index This the main screening test to diagnose PAD. In this test, the blood pressure in your ankle is compared with the blood pressure in your arm.
Doppler & ultrasound (Duplex) imaging It is a non-surgical way to examine the artery using sound waves and it checks the blood circulation in an artery to know the existence of a blockage.
Computed tomographic angiography (CT) It is also a non-surgical test that observes the arteries of the patient’s legs, arms pelvis and abdomen. This method is helpful in patients having stents or pacemakers.
Magnetic Resonance Angiography (MRA) It yields the same information like CT scan but here X-rays aren’t required.
Angiography This test is performed in combination with the vascular treatment process. Thus this process is reserved to be performed with vascular treatment. While carrying out an angiogram, a different agent is gently injected to the patient’s artery and X-rays are also taken to check the blood flow and identify if any blockages exist. In cases, where PAD is not diagnosed or not treated, it can turn out to be dangerous. It can further lead to painful symptoms, loss of your leg, coronary artery disease risk and also carotid atherosclerosis. As people suffering from PAD are at a higher risk of heart stroke or heart attack, and doctors educate their patients on the risk of PAD and diagnose PAD followed by proper treatment.
PAD is normally treated by managing the major risk factors associated with PAD by making changes in medication and lifestyle. It includes help patient to quit smoking, help them control blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes and reduce weight. Also, the patients are asked to follow an exercise program daily and consistently to see the improvement in peripheral artery disease symptoms in many cases. In case PAD is showing up some serious symptoms then doctors would suggest further treatments like stent placement, balloon angioplasty and bypass (surgical) which proves to be effective in enabling proper blood flow to the problematic leg.
This is certainly the most helpful peripheral artery disease treatment wherein the doctor would suggest an exercise program to be performed under the supervision of experts. The patient are advised to begin slowly with the exercise program which includes leg exercises, treadmill exercises, simple walking at least thrice a week and the patient can find reduced symptoms in 4-8 weeks.
Changes in diet PAD patients have increased cholesterol levels. Thus a diet with low Trans fat, saturated fat and cholesterol is recommended. The diet should include a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables that brings down blood cholesterol levels.
Quit Smoking Tobacco smoke increases risk of PAD, heart stroke and heart attack. Hence, smokers are 4 times higher at the risk of PAD than those who do not smoke. Quitting smoking completely will let individuals reduce the progressing PAD and also other heart diseases.
Medications The doctor can prescribe antihypertensive drugs or statins to reduce cholesterol levels. The patients may be recommended to take Cilostazol & pentoxifylline with intermittent claudication.
In case the above peripheral artery disease treatments do not help you, your doctor may recommend angioplasty which is a surgical process of repairing or unblocking a blood vessel
To prevent the risks associated with peripheral artery disease, you can take the precautions as given below
- In case you have periphery artery disease in your family, make sure you tell your doctor about it.
- Try to follow a healthy meal plan which has low saturated fat, Trans fat, sodium and cholesterol. Eating plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables and cutting down on low-fat dairy products can be helpful. In case you are obese then consult your doctor to get a weight loss plan that works for you.
- As smoking is directly responsible for the development of heart disease, make sure you quit smoking. Some programs/products can help you quit smoking so speak to your doctor about how to quit smoking.
- Make sure you care for your feet. Sometimes even a small cut on your feet may not heal and lead to problems. So, keep a close check on your feet
- Keep a check on the top, bottom and in between your toes regularly and if you find even small problems like blisters, cuts, scratches or nails that aren’t growing, speak to your doctor.
So, making changes to your lifestyle can help you prevent PAD which comes with a lot of other health risks. In case you notice any symptom of PAD make sure you consult your doctor immediately to avoid further risks. The peripheral artery disease treatments certainly work but it is better to be alert and take steps towards peripheral artery disease prevention the disease.