Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is a serious, potentially life-threatening cardiovascular condition that affects 7-12 million women and men in the United States and 200 million around the globe. Symptoms are so mild at first that many more may have PAD and not know it. About 1 in 5 people with PAD have no symptoms at all.
Though PAD can be classified as one of the “silent” diseases (such as high blood pressure) with mild or unnoticeable symptoms at first, it can lead to serious consequences if untreated. As your arteries narrow more and more (usually due to plaque accumulation), you may have:
Unfortunately, once you experience symptoms, your PAD may already have progressed to a dangerous degree. Your arteries may narrow by about 60% before you even feel a twinge of discomfort.
At Texas Heart and Vein Multispecialty Group, our board-certified and expert cardiovascular surgeon Jon-Cecil Walkes, MD, wants you to recognize and treat PAD before it progresses to a stage that could cause complications. If you suspect you have PAD, or if it runs in your family, we evaluate your arterial health at our Houston, Texas-area offices.
What are the subtle symptoms of PAD that you shouldn’t ignore? Following are three of them.
You may think you’re just experiencing muscle pain or fatigue due to your workout if your legs ache or hurt when you walk, run, or exercise. However, that pain could instead be a condition called “claudication,” which is a common symptom of PAD. You may feel pain, cramping, or burning in your:
Claudication is pain that occurs due to the fact that your arteries are too narrow to pump sufficient oxygen to your leg muscles when you exercise. Symptoms of claudication are usually mild at first. That’s why it’s easy to miss. Without treatment, the pain gets worse. Then it persists, even when you rest, and progresses to more severe disease.
Due to the fact that it cuts off oxygen to your legs, PAD may alter the way your legs and feet look or feel. You may notice odd changes, such as:
You may also notice that sores on your legs or feet take a long time to heal or don’t heal at all. If you have non-healing leg sores or ulcers, be sure to see us right away – especially if you have diabetes. Untreated PAD with ulceration can lead to gangrene and amputation.
You may have developed severe claudication if pain, numbness, or tingling in your legs persists after you’ve stopped your daily activities. The pain may be so intense that it wakes you up at night. Nighttime leg pain could be a sign of severe PAD.
As of now, PAD has no cure. However, you can halt its development and manage your symptoms, depending on what stage of disease you have. Lifestyle changes that help you manage PAD include:
We also recommend that you check in with us regularly to monitor your PAD. This is especially important if you have diabetes. You could develop a sore or ulcer on your foot that could become infected and result in amputation.
Our goal is to keep your legs healthy and strong, despite your PAD. We may recommend medications to improve blood flow and lower cholesterol. In severe cases, we may advise femoropopliteal bypass (Fem-Pop Bypass), in which we bypass a blocked portion of a main artery with a graft from a healthy blood vessel.
Do you suspect you have PAD, or worry that you might, due to your family history? Please phone us at the office nearest you or schedule an appointment online for a peripheral artery evaluation today.
We service Greater Heights, Pearland Market, League City, Lake Jackson, Manvel, Rosharen, Alvin, Fresno, Missouri City, Arcola, Friendswood, South Houston, Kingwood Market, Humble, New Chaney, Atasciacita, and Northeast Houston, Texas.
