One of the best things about living in Arizona is the warm weather year round. Our sandals are always out and never hid in the back of the closet for winter. Perhaps this is not the case for you though. In fact, maybe you feel like you always have to wear socks because your feet are always cold. One contributing factor to consistently cold feet is peripheral arterial disease (PAD).
PAD is a decrease of blood flow to the feet due to narrowing or blocking of the arteries in your legs. This is essentially a fancy way to say “poor circulation” to your feet. PAD is caused from a number of factors. Some of these factors may include diabetes, obesity, smoking, hypertension (high blood pressure), and high cholesterol.
Symptoms of PAD
- Foot pain at rest
- Slow healing foot wounds
- Pain in your legs with activity and relief with rest
- Cold legs and feet
- Loss of hair on legs and feet
To gather diagnostic criteria of PAD, your podiatrist may perform an ankle-brachial index. Depending on the results, your podiatrist can refer you to vascular specialists if necessary. If you are diagnosed with PAD there are ways to help reduce PAD symptoms. Reducing your blood pressure, cholesterol, weight, smoking cessation programs, increasing exercise and a healthy diet are all ways to help reduce the symptoms of PAD. Additionally, medications may be prescribed to help prevent blood clots. If PAD is severe, your vascular specialists may recommend that you get surgery to help restore lost blood flow to your lower extremity.
Your podiatrist may discoverer the symptoms and complications of PAD during his clinical exam. It is important see a doctor right way if PAD is a concern. If you notice any changes in your foot health please consider making an appointment with Dr. Jay C. Larson at Sole Foot and Ankle Specialists in Glendale, Arizona.