My Foot Wound Won’t Heal! What Should I Do?
If you have an open sore on your foot that just won’t repair itself, monitor it. If you’ve seen no improvement after a couple of weeks, you need to see a doctor.
Your Guide to PAD Screening in the Houston area
Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is a condition in which the arteries in your leg become narrowed due to the accumulation of cholesterol that hardens into plaque. Narrowed arteries can’t efficiently circulate blood to your limbs, leading to leg pain and other complications.
Worldwide, more than 200 million women and men suffer from PAD. Up to 15% of those over age 50 have it. Without treatment, PAD can lead to:
- Disability
- Limb loss
- Osteomyelitis, a bone infection
- Cardiovascular event
- Stroke
- Early death
The sooner you know that you have PAD, the sooner our expert cardiologist, Jon-Cecil Walkes, MD, and the rest of our medical team can customize a treatment plant to keep you safe. At Texas Heart and Vein Multispecialty Group, we offer PAD screenings throughout the Greater Houston metro and Pearland areas.
Should you be screened for PAD if you are in Pearland or any of the other areas we cover? This guide will help you decide.
Do your legs hurt when walking, but not at rest?
One of the main symptoms of PAD is called claudication. Claudication is leg pain that occurs because your narrowed arteries can’t supply your muscles with sufficient blood. Blood contains oxygen and other nutrients that allow your muscles to contract fully and healthfully.
Another key sign that you have PAD is that your legs no longer hurt when you stop walking. Just a rest of 10 minutes or so, and you feel back to “normal” — but you’re not. You should be screened for PAD.
Are you 50-64 with diabetes or other risk factors?
Diabetes mellitus is one of the main risk factors for PAD. Too much glucose in your blood wears down your blood vessel walls, making them more susceptible to plaque accumulation.
In addition to PAD, you may also develop neuropathy, which makes it difficult to feel anything in your feet or other parts of your extremities. This lack of sensation can be so dramatic that you wouldn’t even notice if you stepped on a tack. Infected wounds are compounded by the slowed circulation with PAD, which can lead to gangrene and limb amputation.
Other conditions and habits that raise your risk for PAD include:
- Hypertension (high blood pressure)
- Hyperlipidemia (high cholesterol)
- Chronic kidney disease
- Polyvascular atherosclerotic disease
Even if you don’t feel any leg pain, you should be screened for PAD if you have diabetes or any other risk factor. By the time you feel symptoms, your arteries are already struggling
Are you a smoker?
If you smoke and are over age 50, you should be screened for PAD. Smoking degenerates and dehydrates your body’s tissues, including your arteries. Smoking puts you at high risk for all cardiovascular disease, including PAD.
Are you under 50 with diabetes?
Even if you’re under age 50, if you have diabetes and one other risk factor, you should start screening now. So, for example, if you’re 35 with diabetes and you smoke, it’s time to screen.
Are you over age 65?
Even if you feel like you’re in perfect health and don’t have leg pain, it’s wise to get screened for PAD as you age. “Normal” aging results in issues such as tissue degradation and accumulation of plaque, which raise the risk of PAD.
We make PAD screening easy
Our medical experts rely on a number of evaluations and tests to diagnose PAD. In addition to your personal and family medical histories, we conduct a physical examination. Depending on your history and current symptoms, we may administer one or more of following tests:
- Ankle-brachial index (ABI): Compares blood pressure between lower legs and arms
- Duplex ultrasonography: Uses sound waves to check arterial blood flow
- Computed tomographic (CT) angiography: X-rays create detailed images of arteries.
- Magnetic resonance angiography (MRA): Allows us to look inside arteries
- Angiography: X-rays that show blood flow in leg arteries
If you have PAD, our expert team then customizes a treatment plan, which could include lifestyle changes and medications. In some cases, you may need surgery, such as femoropopliteal bypass, which circumvents the blockage in an artery by rerouting your blood through a healthy vein.
If you’re at risk for PAD due to age, diabetes, smoking, or other conditions, call our nearest office or book an appointment online for PAD screening today. Our three Houston, Texas, offices 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.
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