What is PAD?
PAD stands for peripheral arterial disease, it is common in people who are diabetic but can often go unnoticed. Blood vessels in the legs can be blocked by fatty deposits leading to decreased blood flow. People who have PAD- face a higher chance of stroke, heart attack, or death.
One out of three people develop this condition over the age of 50. If undetected this condition can lead to amputation and an increased risk of heart attack, stroke, and death within five years, Taking care of your health can reduce the chance of heart attack/stroke.
There are several risk factors that can increase the chance of developing PAD including smoking, advanced age, obesity, high blood pressure, and high blood cholesterol. Our doctors in Katy TX can test for PAD using a non-invasive in-office ankle-brachial index (ABI) test. The ABI index looks at the relationship between your ankle and arm blood pressure. Early detection and treatment of PAD can slow the progression and decrease the chance of stroke and/or a heart attack. As widely believed individuals with PAD do not always experience leg pain, cramping, claudication, or fatigue.
PAD Symptoms:
- When walking you feel tiredness and pain in legs, thighs and buttock
- At rest your foot or toes hurt and this can prevent you from sleeping
- Skin wounds and ulcers heal slowly(between 8-12 weeks)
- Leg pain should not be ignored and should be reported and evaluated immediately
Treatment options for PAD Katy TX:
Our doctors use the VasamedSensilase PAD-IQ technology to provide non-invasive on-site arterial testing which provides reliable data to allow for the early detection and treatment of PAD, when leg pain is indicated. The diagnosis of PAD is based on a quantitative evaluation of microcirculatory perfusion in the skin.