Peripheral Arterial Disease

Outpatient Procedures

Unfortunately, PAD symptoms can be very painful. Some patients experience discomfort, but many experience pain that doesn’t go away in their legs and feet. Others experience even more serious conditions like impotence and extreme pain.

The most common symptoms are tired or achy legs. The signs can grow slowly causing many people ignore the warning signs, dismissing aches and pains as part of the aging process.

Typically, this pain develops in the legs, hips, thighs, or calves when walking or exercising heavily. The pain is usually intermittent and is caused from one or more of the leg’s arteries narrowing, constricting blood flow to the legs. When you are walking, your legs require more blood and oxygen, and since the restricted arteries can’t supply the demand –the pain comes on more rapidly.

If left without treatment, further symptoms may include:

• Impotence

• Pain and cramps at night

• Burning sensation in leg and feet muscles

• Numbness in the legs while sitting

• Pain when walking

• Dark, bruise-like, colors on your legs and feet

• Painful and persistent sores on your legs and feet

• Leg pain that continues after exercising

• Foot wounds that don’t heal

While many cases of PAD are hereditary, or caused by circumstances beyond our control, such as age, gender, and ethnicity; there are still important steps that can be taken to lower the risk of PAD.

Your chances of PAD also increase if you are:

• Over the age of 50

• Smoking

• Having poor diet

• Male

• Have diabetes

• African American

• Having high blood pressure

People who smoke, and/or have diabetes are especially at risk for PAD. If you have risk factors for PAD, contact your healthcare professional to get screened for PAD, even if you have not noticed any symptoms.