Living With Peripheral Arterial Disease
Ongoing Health Care Needs
Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) can be treated and
controlled.
If you are experiencing pain in calf or thigh
muscles after walking (intermittent claudication), try to take a break and
allow the pain to ease before walking again. Over time, this should increase
the distance that you can walk without pain.
Check your feet and toes regularly for sores or any
possible infection. Wear comfortable shoes that fit well. Maintain good foot
hygiene and have professional medical treatment for corns, bunions, or
calluses.
Be sure to keep your
blood
pressure,
cholesterol,
and blood sugar (if
diabetic) within normal ranges. Continue to carefully check
your feet daily for any sores or infections.
Treatment should decrease pain when walking and
allow you to walk longer distances without discomfort. There should be less
painful cramping of leg muscles. There may be improvement in the skin's
appearance and improvement in ulcers on your legs and feet.
Support Groups
The
Peripheral Arterial Disease Coalition is an alliance of
leading health organizations, vascular health professional organizations, and
Government agencies that have united to raise public and health professional
awareness about lower extremity PAD. The coalitions Patient Education
Workgroup is developing patient education tools.
The
Amputee Coalition of America and
National Limb Loss Information Center provide support for
people with limb loss.
Long-Term Care
For severe cases of chronic clinical limb ischemia
(CLI), a patient may be bed-bound and need total supportive care. CLI is a
severe blockage of the arteries that seriously decreases blood flow to the
hands, legs, and feet. People with severe CLI may experience burning pain in
the affected limb, and they can suffer from wounds that do not heal or from
tissue death (gangrene).
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