Like coronary artery disease, the peripheral arterial disease is the narrowing of the peripheral arteries that carry oxygenated blood and nutrients from the heart to the rest of the body. When the arteries in the legs narrow and become blocked due to cholesterol deposits, the tissues do not receive enough blood to function normally. In this case, peripheral obstructive arterial disease occurs, and the most common cause of arterial thickening is atherosclerosis.
As the arteries narrow, the symptoms of the peripheral arterial disease vary depending on each patient and the severity of the condition. During walking or physical exertion that puts pressure on the lower limbs, the patient may feel muscle pain because the need for oxygen for the normal functioning of the muscles is diminished. This factor leads to the most common symptom in the case of peripheral arterial disease – intermittent claudication. Although the pain is severe, it goes away with rest.
If the disease progresses, the arteries will no longer carry enough blood, so the pain will become persistent, setting in the fingers and toes and increasing intensity. The patient may become unable to sleep properly because of it.
In the severe stage of the disease, wounds appear in the lower limbs; the tissues begin to die, and gangrene sets in. Know that there is Peripheral Artery Disease treatment Denver doctors offer than can help restore your health.
