subject: How to Determine Clogged Arteries In The Legs? [print this page] How to Determine Clogged Arteries In The Legs?
There is really something to be concerned about when you have clogged arteries in the legs. What this means is that there is insufficiency in the supply of oxygenated blood to the legs because of a clog in the leg arteries, and oxygen as you very well know is very vital to human life. Along with oxygen, blood also carries nutrients that are essential in the normal functioning of the cells. Not enough blood means less oxygen and less nutrients to a particular part of the body, and this can end up in cellular death.
Medically known as Peripheral Arterial Disease or PAD, clogged arteries in the legs usually manifest by leg pain that can be so severe it causes sleep disturbances or one that grows more intense when walking. There, too, may be claudication or that feeling of fatigue or cramping in the thigh, calf or buttocks when doing something that involves the legs, but this sensation ceases when you stop to rest. Leg sores that take long to heal, changes in skin color of the feet, and coldness on the affected leg are also signs and symptoms that accompany PAD. The thing is, these symptoms may not be felt during the early stage of the disease, and even if they are, one would easily dismiss them as nothing really unusual especially when you are ageing. So PAD goes on undiagnosed until much later when the disease has already progressed, in which case, reversing the problem becomes more difficult.
Clogged arteries are the result of plaque building up within the walls of the arteries, thus curtailing blood flow. Why plaque builds up in the first place is due to an inflammation that may have several other causes, among them smoking, too many unhealthy fats in the diet, and inactivity. These factors also cause hypertension, high cholesterol levels, and diabetes. On the other hand, if you have always been living a healthy lifestyle as far as you know, then probably the cause of clogged arteries in your case may be just a part of the ageing process.
Anyhow, when you have every reason to suspect that you have PAD, lose no time to see your doctor. Your doctor will most likely ask you about your medical history. What he would like to know in particular is if you have diabetes or hypertension or a family history of either disease. He will also ask about your eating habits and whether you are a smoker or not. After taking your medical history, your doctor will get your Anke-Brachial Index or ABI. ABI seeks to compare the blood pressure reading in your ankle against that in your arm. However, while ABI can confirm the suspicion that you have PAD it cannot tell you which particular artery is blocked. So your doctor may ask you to undergo a Doppler ultrasound test.
If the clogged arteries in the legs are not so severe, they can be managed by modifying one's lifestyle, eating foods or taking supplements that can unclog arteries.
