PAD is a disease that causes restricted blood flow to your peripheral arteries—including your arms, legs and feet. Often caused by atherosclerosis, or hardening and narrowing of the arteries, PAD can be worsened by things like smoking, poor diet, lack of exercise, age, genetics, diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

Having PAD increases your risk of cardiovascular complications such as a heart attack, stroke and coronary heart disease. If left untreated, the advancement of PAD may result in amputation. That’s why it is important to seek treatment and commit to living a healthy lifestyle.

What Plaque Buildup Looks Like

The first step in loving your limbs is learning about them. Blood vessels supply oxygen and nutrition to every part of your body, including your legs. When this flow is interrupted due to any number of causes, similar to a clogged pipeline, PAD can occur.

PAD causes arteries to become narrowed or clogged with deposits of plaque. The buildup of plaque causes the arteries to harden, which is called atherosclerosis. When leg arteries are clogged, blood flow to the feet is reduced. Total loss of circulation can cause serious symptoms, including gangrene that can lead to potential amputation.

Plaque buildup can progress over time, increasing the amount of blockage in the artery. Plaque can also trigger the formation of blood clots. A blood clot can further narrow an artery or clog it completely. If a blockage remains in the arteries, it can cause symptoms such as pain, ulcers and difficulty walking.

Could I Have PAD?

Symptom Checker

While many people with PAD are asymptomatic, there are several common symptoms. Since every case is different, you may have a few or none of these symptoms. Common PAD symptoms may include:

Leg cramping
Cramping can occur in your hips, buttocks, thighs or calf muscles during exercise or other activities.

Painful leg cramping

Numbness
Numbness and weakness in the legs may make it more difficult to walk.

Numbness, weakness or heaviness

Aching legs
Pain in your legs or feet that occurs during the day or at night while resting

Resting leg pain

Cooling of the skin
This can be one or several patches of skin, specifically on the feet or legs, that feel cooler to the touch and do not warm up.

Cold feet or toes

Your foot may appear blue or discolored.

Dry or discolored skin

While this can be caused by nerve pain in diabetics, it can also be the result of restricted blood flow from PAD.

Aching of feet and toes

Loss of hair
Reduced blood flow could result in hair loss or slowed hair growth on your feet and legs.

Leg Hair loss

chronic sores
PAD can be associated with sores, or ulcers, that recur often or do not heal.

Chronic sores

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