Peripheral Arterial Disease Specialist

Vein Clinics of Lake County, and Wound Care Center

Vascular, Vein and Wound Specialist located in Concord, Madison, & Middlefield, OH

If your legs become painful when you walk but get better when you stop, you may have claudication — the suggestive symptom of peripheral arterial disease (PAD). To find out for sure, visit Razieh Mohseni, MD, at Vein Clinics of Lake County, Wound Care Center. Dr. Mohseni and her expert team can assess your legs for PAD and refer you for specialist treatment when necessary. To find out more, call the Concord, Madison, or Middlefield, Ohio, office today or book an appointment using the online form.

Peripheral Arterial Disease

What is peripheral arterial disease?

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is a condition that affects the arteries carrying freshly oxygenated blood into your legs and feet.

It develops when deposits of a fatty substance called plaque collect on the walls inside your arteries. Plaque causes the arteries to narrow, meaning blood can't flow as freely to your legs. The reduced circulation can affect the health of your legs and cause symptoms such as:

Numbness or weakness
Cold lower legs
Sores that don't heal
Skin discoloration
Hair loss or slower hair growth
Slow toenail growth
Shiny skin
Erectile dysfunction

The primary symptom of PAD is claudication, which causes pain in your legs when you walk but eases off when you rest. Some people have PAD without experiencing any symptoms.

What causes PAD?

The plaque that builds up and causes PAD could be due to:

High cholesterol levels
High blood pressure
Obesity
Smoking
Diabetes
Cardiovascular disease
Family history of PAD or atherosclerosis

Without timely, expert treatment, the plaque could form clots that block the artery completely. This can lead to critical limb ischemia (CLI), which causes severe leg pain.

If you develop CLI, you need immediate treatment to restore your circulation. Without urgent attention, the tissues in your leg can start to develop gangrene from lack of oxygen, potentially resulting in amputation.

What treatments are there for peripheral arterial disease?

Lifestyle changes form an important part of your PAD treatment plan. Changes you might need to make include:

Quitting smoking
Eating a healthy diet
Exercising your legs regularly
Losing weight

You might need to take medications to widen your arteries or blood-thinning drugs to prevent clots. It's also vital to manage underlying conditions like high blood pressure or diabetes properly.

If your condition is severe or isn't improving using noninvasive treatments, you might need to undergo further procedures. Options include balloon angioplasty with stenting and atherectomy, which are minimally invasive cardiac catheterization procedures.

Vein Clinics of Lake County, and Wound Care Center can perform an assessment of your legs for peripheral arterial disease but doesn't specifically treat the arteries. If necessary, your provider can refer you to an arterial specialist.

To find out more about PAD and how to keep your legs healthy, call Vein Clinics of Lake County, and Wound Care Center today or book an appointment online.

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