What is Claudication?
Claudication is pain that you experience in your calf or thigh muscle that occurs after you have walked a certain distance. The pain stops after you rest for a while. Each time the pain occurs, it takes about the same amount of time for the pain to go away after you stop walking. It's due to inadequate blood flow to the muscles. The pain usually causes you to limp. Claudication occurs because there is no blood flow to a muscle.
What is PAD?
Peripheral artery disease can cause the artery that normally supplies blood to the muscle to get narrow so that less blood can flow through the artery. When you walk, the working muscle needs more blood. The narrowed artery may not let enough through.
Health Screening
The test for checking the blood flow in your legs is called a Doppler study or Ankle-Brachial Index (ABI). The test is painless
A good portion of people who have peripheral artery disease do not have symptom, that is why screening is so important. Check out HealthYes! for more information on
Showing posts with label peripheral artery disease. Show all posts
Showing posts with label peripheral artery disease. Show all posts
Monday, June 22, 2009
Friday, March 6, 2009
Peripheral Artery Disease Symptoms: Things To Think About
PERIPHERAL ARTERY DISEASE (PAD)
Many people don't have serious symptoms. I asked my doctor and he says that some people only notice pain in their legs. However, in reality, only half the people who are eventually diagnosed have symptoms, others do not.
The Legs
The most common symptom is leg cramps. But you can also have tingling and stinging in the legs and experience weakness. If I had a sore on my leg or foot that didn't heal, my first thought would be diabetes. But this also a potential symptom for PAD. The pain can also travel up and you can feel discomfort in your buttocks.
Other Important Body Part
I did not know impotence was a potential side effect. I hadn't thought about this but it makes sense. The disease effects blood vessels that supply blood flow to the lower extremities.
Peripheral Artery disease screening is one way to help with early detection. But you can also start by investigating your own family history of illnesses and health problems.
Many people don't have serious symptoms. I asked my doctor and he says that some people only notice pain in their legs. However, in reality, only half the people who are eventually diagnosed have symptoms, others do not.
The Legs
The most common symptom is leg cramps. But you can also have tingling and stinging in the legs and experience weakness. If I had a sore on my leg or foot that didn't heal, my first thought would be diabetes. But this also a potential symptom for PAD. The pain can also travel up and you can feel discomfort in your buttocks.
Other Important Body Part
I did not know impotence was a potential side effect. I hadn't thought about this but it makes sense. The disease effects blood vessels that supply blood flow to the lower extremities.
Peripheral Artery disease screening is one way to help with early detection. But you can also start by investigating your own family history of illnesses and health problems.
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