subject: The Causes And Symptoms Of Peripheral Vascular Disease [print this page] Peripheral Vascular Disease (PVD) is disorder in which small arteries become obstructed from various causes. PVD, a nearly pandemic condition, can potentially lead to high blood pressure, stoke, hypertension, limb disorders and even amputation. This article will provide an overview of the various causes of PVD.
One of the leading causes of PVD is Peripheral Artery Disease, which is caused by atherosclerosis, a process where fatty material accumulates inside one's arteries. As the fatty materials build up it mixes with calcium, fibrotic tissues, among other substances, and thus becomes hard and creates plagues of arteriosclerosis. When this occurs the vessel walls of the arteries can become narrow or weaken and blood flow can be limited or even blocked.
Other causes include blood clots, diabetes, inflammation of the arteries, infections such as salmonellosis and syphilis or other bacterial infections which arise from poor vascular blood flow. Another cause are injuries which affect the body's blood vessels, such as a serious fall or a car accident.
In addition to the causes stated above, there exist certain risk factors which could increase the chances of PVD. These include, but not limited to, having a family history of heart disease, heart attacks or strokes, being overweight or obese, being inactive or having a sedentary lifestyle without any physical exercise, smoking, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, high cholesterol and high blood pressure.
While there are a variety of symptoms which could indicate the presence of PVD, one of the most common ones is experiencing of intermittent pain in the calves, thighs or hips, which can occur when climbing stairs or walking and commences when you stop. It may be a cramping like pain accompanied by tightness or tiredness in the leg muscles. Other symptoms might include pain in the buttock region of the body, the feeling of numbness or weakness in the legs, the appearance of a festering sore that will not heal, the feeling coldness in one or both legs and the changing of skin color (dark red) on one or both legs. Most of these symptoms occur primarily because the arteries are partially or fully blocked, and thus, blood is unable to flow into various areas of the body, especially the legs.
If you or someone you know is experiencing any of these symptoms and has any of the risk factors associated with Peripheral Vascular Disease then it is best to immediately consult your primary care physician. Your doctor will determine if you indeed have PVD and what steps will need to be taken.
