MEMPHIS — Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is a buildup of plaque inside the arteries, which carry fresh blood and oxygen to your organs, limbs and all tissues in the body. The plaque buildup causes the artery to narrow over time, which decreases blood flow to your limbs and tissue. If unrecognized or left untreated, this can lead to complete blockage of the arteries, resulting in painful ulcers, non-healing wounds, gangrene, and eventually amputation. The dedicated staff at 901 Vascular in Memphis can help treat this problem.
Symptoms of PAD Include:
- Pain, weakness, or numbness in the legs (buttocks, thighs or calves) with walking or activity. This leg pain with walking is known as claudication and typically improves when a person stops walking but will reoccur once walking is resumed.
- Claudication can also occur in the arms and may present during repetitive movements of the arm.
- As the blood flow diminishes, the pain may progress to unrelenting aching pain in the feet or toes at night or when at rest. This pain is known as rest pain and often causes a person to hang a foot over the side of the bed to provide a bit of relief.
- Non-healing wounds or ulcerations
- Darkening of the skin
- If left untreated, rest pain will undoubtedly progress to ulceration and gangrene. Gangrene refers to dead tissue which cannot be salvaged.
Risk factors for PAD include:
- History of smoking and tobacco use
- Diabetes
- High cholesterol
- Obesity
- High blood pressure
- Family history
- People with PAD are three times more likely to die of heart attacks or strokes than those without PAD.
Peripheral arterial disease is not curable but with early treatment and lifestyle changes we can prevent amputation.
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, you should contact 901 Vascular for evaluation. We will schedule an office visit to evaluate your circulation with examination and ultrasound, performed by one of our experienced clinicians. After that evaluation, they can recommend treatment and lifestyle options.
At 901 Vascular we are committed to providing excellent patient care and preventing amputation.