Peripheral Arterial Disease

What is your Circulation?
Normal:
Blood flows down to your legs and feet through your arteries (Red arrows)
Blood flows up to your heart through your veins (Blue arrows)

Peripheral Arterial disease (PAD)
PAD is reduced blood flow down to your legs and feet due to a build-up in fatty deposits in your arteries causing narrowing or a blockage.

Risk factors:
• Diabetes
• Heart Disease
• Smoking
• High levels of fat in the blood.
• High Blood pressure
• Overweight
• Age
• Kidney Disease
• Poor Diet
• Lack of exercise

Signs and Symptoms
• Pain in the back of the leg when walking which is often worst when going uphill - this is called Intermittent Claudication.
• Pain when in bed or when legs are elevated that is often eased by lowering the foot to the floor or hanging the foot out of bed
• Non healing wounds
• Changes in colour, texture and temperature of the feet.

Not everybody will suffer from all of these symptoms and may affect one or both of your legs and feet.

How is it diagnosed
Your health care professional will:
• Take a detailed history
• Check the pulses in your feet
• Ask about any pains or symptoms you may be suffering from
• Check your feet for any open wounds or skin changes.

What happens next?
Following your assessment your you will be told if you have mild, moderate or severe changes to the blood flow to your feet
• Mild PAD changes— without symptoms, this will require no current treatment.
• Moderate PAD changes— Further tests may be needed which will be arranged.
• Severe PAD changes— Referral to a Vascular team.

What can I do to help myself?
• Stop smoking
• Balanced diet
• Exercise — a brisk walk (or the best you can do) 3x per week for 30 minutes.
• Walk through the pain, where you can, to help improve the blood flow.
• GP can check your medication.
• Check your feet every day.
• Wear good fitting shoes