What is Peripheral Vascular Disease?
Peripheral vascular disease (PVD) is a slow, progressive circulation disease that affects the blood vessels outside of your heart and brain. Arteries allow oxygenated blood to flow from your heart to your feet. Veins are responsible for returning deoxygenated blood to your heart. Together, the system creates your peripheral vascular system. Narrowing, blockage, and spasms decrease flow to and from your heart of It can cause them to narrow, block, or spasm. When the blood flow to or from an organ is decreased, it can cause many types of problems which commonly affect your legs and feet.
Types of PVD.
The two main types of PVD are functional and organic.
Functional PVD
Functional PVD is when there is no physical damage to the structure of your blood vessels. The reason they narrow or widen is a response to things like brain signals or temperature changes.
Organic PVD
Organic PVD is when there are changes to the structure of blood vessels including inflammation, plaques, and tissue damage.
Causes
The causes of PVD depend on whether it is functional or organic.
Functional PVD
- An exaggeration of your blood vessels’ natural response to widen and narrow due to the environment
- Caused by emotional stress, cold temperatures, operating vibrating machinery, and prescription or recreational drugs.
Organic PVD
- Plaque buildup from arteriosclerosis.
- Plaque reduces the blood flow to the limbs and decreases the oxygen and nutrient supply to the tissue.
- Smoking
- High blood pressure
- Diabetes
- High cholesterol
- Extreme injuries
- Blood vessel inflammation
- Infection
Risk Factors for Developing PVD
There are many risk factors that can make you more at risk for developing PVD. They include:
- Age—patients over the age of 50
- Obesity and diet
- Heart disease
- Diabetes
- Family history of high cholesterol, high blood pressure, or PVD
- Kidney disease
Symptoms
About half of the patients diagnosed with PVD are symptom-free. For those that do show symptoms, the first signs start slowly and irregularly. Symptoms include:
- Painful leg cramping in one or both legs when walking short distances and gets better with rest
Many of the other symptoms of PVD look like other conditions, which is why you should see your doctor for diagnosis. These other symptoms include:
- Changes in the skin such as decreased skin temperature or thin, fragile, shiny skin on the legs and feet
- Hair loss on the legs or feet
- Weak or no pulses in the legs and feet
- Thickened, opaque toenails
- Numbness, weakness, or heaviness in muscles
- Pain, often described as burning or aching, while at rest. The pain commonly occurs in the toes and at night while you are lying flat.
- Paleness of the legs when they are elevated relieved by putting legs on the ground
- Restricted mobility due to pain in legs
- Reddish-blue discoloration of the extremities
- Gangrene (dead tissue due to the lack of blood flow)
Diagnosis
As with many other conditions, early diagnosis is key to successful treatment of PVD and preventing life-threatening complications.
Your doctor will start by learning about your medical history and performing a physical exam. The physical exam will likely include measuring the pulses in your legs and feet. However, other more specific tests may also be used. Non-invasive studies are available to check the blood flow in your legs and feet. An angiogram is an X-ray of the arteries and veins that can detect blockage or narrowing. The treadmill exercise test or stress test is when you walk on a treadmill while your doctor monitors blood circulation during exercise.
Non-Surgical Treatment
The goals of PVD are stopping the disease from progressing and managing your pain and symptoms. Treatment will also reduce your risk for serious complications.
Initial treatment usually begins with lifestyle modifications. Your doctor might recommend the following:
- A regular exercise program will increase collateral circulation
- A low fat diet
- Losing weight
- Smoking cessation
- Smoking directly reduces blood flow in the blood vessels. It can also make PVD worse and make you more likely to have a heart attack and/or stroke.
- Controlling conditions such as diabetes and heart disease.
If these lifestyle changes aren’t enough by themselves, your doctor may prescribe medications. There are many different medications available depending on your symptoms and the underlying cause of your PVD. It is important to treat the existing conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure that may worsen PVD. Medications that work to improve blood flow and relax blood vessel walls might also be used.
Surgical Treatment of Peripheral Vascular Disease
If you have significant artery blockages, surgery might be necessary. Vascular surgery and angioplasty are the two options available. Vascular surgery is when a bypass graft is placed in the area of the blocked or narrowed artery to reroute the blood flow. Angioplasty is when your doctor inserts a catheter to create a larger opening for the blood to flow through.
If you think you might have peripheral vascular disease, it is important to contact a doctor. In Chicago, Keir Foot and Ankle should be your first choice. Our patients trust us to provide them with the personalized care they need to get the best outcome.
Treat Peripheral Vascular Disease at Keir Foot & Ankle
If you think you might have peripheral vascular disease, it is important to contact a doctor. In Chicago, Keir Foot and Ankle should be your first choice. Our patients trust us to provide them with the personalized care they need to get the best outcome.