Negosentro | How To Manage Peripheral Artery Disease | When your arteries become clogged with plaque, this can lead to poor blood circulation in your lower extremities and other parts of your body. Poor circulation can cause intense pain in your legs and arms. Fortunately, your Plano peripheral artery disease specialists at Prime Heart and Vascular can help if you are struggling with the disease.
What are the symptoms of peripheral artery disease?
When you suffer from peripheral artery disease, you may experience the following symptoms:
- You will have a feeling of numbness in your leg or leg weakness.
- Your leg skin color changes and it appears glossy.
- Sudden contractions on your hip, leg, or calf muscles when walking or climbing stairs.
- Your lower foot or leg may have a cold feeling.
- You will have sores on your legs, toes, or feet that do not heal.
- Losing hair on your legs and weak pulse in either your foot or leg.
Who is at risk of getting peripheral artery disease?
You are at risk of contracting peripheral artery disease if you are a smoker, have a diabetes condition, and are overweight. If you are over fifty years old, have a hypertension condition, high cholesterol, and a family history of stroke or heart disease, your chances of contracting the disease are high.
Diagnosis of peripheral artery disease
Some peripheral artery disease symptoms are mild and you may tend to mistake them for other diseases. It is therefore advisable you go for a diagnosis to rule out such issues.
Your doctor will review your family and medical history during your diagnosis and perform a physical examination to check the presence of unhealed wounds caused by poor blood circulation, weak pulse below your blocked artery, and hissing sound over your arteries.
Your doctor may recommend other tests such as:
Ultrasound scan
Your doctor will use a Doppler ultrasound to examine your blood flow through blood vessels and check if you have any narrowed arteries or blocked arteries.
Ankle-brachial index
Your doctor will recommend this type of test to determine if you have peripheral artery disease by comparing your ankle’s blood pressure with your arm’s blood pressure.
Angiography
Your doctor will examine any presence of plaque by injecting a dye into your blood vessels and looking at your blood flow through your arteries.
Blood test
To check for your blood sugar, cholesterol, and triglycerides, which are some risk factors of peripheral artery disease, your doctor may recommend a blood test.
Peripheral artery disease treatment
After a successful diagnosis, your doctor may recommend the following treatment for you.
Medication
Your doctor may prescribe some medication to lower your cholesterol, blood pressure, prevent blood clots, and relieve pain and symptoms.
Supervised walking therapy
Your doctor will recommend this therapy to help to improve your symptoms like muscle cramping, aching, and relieve pain experienced when walking.
Change of lifestyle
Your doctor will recommend you eat a healthy diet and do regular exercises. If you are a smoker, your doctor will advise you to quit smoking.
Physical rehabilitation
Through physical rehabilitation, you will improve your functional capacity, help reduce cardiovascular events, and reduce limb symptoms.
For more detailed information on managing peripheral artery disease, call or book an appointment online with Prime Heart and Vascular.
