Peripheral artery disease (PAD) - Symptoms and causes (2024)

FAQs

Peripheral artery disease (PAD) - Symptoms and causes? ›

When you develop PAD, your extremities — usually your legs — don't receive enough blood flow to keep up with demand. This causes symptoms, most notably leg pain when walking. Peripheral artery disease is also likely to be a sign of a more widespread accumulation of fatty deposits in your arteries (atherosclerosis).

The most common symptom of lower-extremity peripheral artery disease, or PAD, is painful muscle cramping in the hips, thighs or calves when walking, climbing stairs or exercising. The pain of PAD often goes away when you stop exercising, although this may take a few minutes.

Persistent or intermittent leg pain (claudication) or cramping when walking. Numbness or loss of sensation in the affected limb. Sores that heal slowly or fail to heal. Differences between limbs in relation to color and/or warmth.

Symptoms of PAD can vary, but there are a few common ones. Pain, aching, heaviness, or cramping in your legs that comes when walking or climbing stairs and goes away after rest is called intermittent claudication. It is the most common PAD symptom.

Exercise is the best way to reduce PAD symptoms naturally; exercise can also reduce the risk of developing another cardiovascular disease like heart disease, stroke, or heart attack.

But drinking water--at least 8 glasses per day--can further reduce your risk. How? Staying well hydrated is a great way to lower your blood pressure. And lowering blood pressure to a healthy range reduces your risk for all forms of CVD, including PAD.

Connective tissue disorders: The most well-recognized connective tissue disorders associated with lower extremity vascular complications that may mimic peripheral arterial disease are Ehlers-Danlos syndrome type IV (EDS IV), Marfan syndrome, and Loeys-Dietz syndrome (LDS).

However, reports suggest that sleeping on your back does assist those who suffer from PAD. So why is this? Essentially, sleeping on your back helps distribute any weight evenly, and this, in turn, reduces pressure on any affected blood vessels.

What do legs look like with peripheral artery disease? ›

Discoloration: People with PAD may notice that the skin on their legs or feet is blue or purple in color. This occurs when the skin doesn't receive enough oxygen-rich blood. Dry, itchy, or scaly skin: Without enough blood, skin cells can't renew as quickly. This can lead to skin-related symptoms.

Other symptoms of peripheral arterial disease may include: changes in the skin, including decreased skin temperature, or thin, brittle shiny skin on the legs and feet. diminished pulses in the legs and the feet. gangrene (dead tissue due to lack of blood flow)

Leg-elevation test

Lie on your back on a bed and raise your legs 60 degrees, bend and extend your knees for about 30 seconds to 1 minute. The foot with poor blood flow may become pale or feel painful.

Many people with peripheral artery disease have mild or no symptoms. Some people have leg pain when walking (claudication). Claudication symptoms include muscle pain or cramping in the legs or arms that begins during exercise and ends with rest. The pain is most commonly felt in the calf.

Stage 1: Asymptomatic PAD

This first stage would be considered catching PAD early and gives us the greatest opportunity to slow or stop the condition's progression through risk reduction factors such as improved diet and exercise, quitting smoking, and other lifestyle improvements.

There's no cure for peripheral arterial disease (PAD), but lifestyle changes and medicine can help reduce the symptoms. These treatments can also help reduce your risk of developing other types of cardiovascular disease (CVD), such as: coronary heart disease. stroke.

In most cases, lifestyle changes, exercise and claudication medications are enough to slow the progression or even reverse the symptoms of PAD.

One of the best exercises for PAD is walking. This low-impact activity elevates your heart rate and — once you get through the initial challenges — can help improve mobility over time. You'll likely have some discomfort when you start, but it will go away as you continue walking.

It's best to skip compression socks. They don't help with PAD and can actually cause more harm. If you wear them to prevent swelling or blood clots, check with your doctor to see whether they're still a good idea.