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Signs & Symptoms of Leg Artery Disease

Sometimes called periphery arterial disease, leg artery disease is a condition where deposits of fat clog the blood vessels that carry blood to your legs or feet, resulting in poor circulation. Approximately 8 million people suffer from leg artery disease, but many do not recognize the signs and symptoms of the condition, reports the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

  1. Types of Symptoms

    • Symptoms of leg artery disease include leg numbness or weakness, coldness in your lower leg or foot, sores on your feet or lower legs that do not heal, change in leg color, loss of hair on your legs and changes in the color or thickness of your toenails.

    Features

    • Approximately 1 in every 10 people with leg artery disease suffer from intermittent claudication, leg pain that develops while walking or climbing stairs, but disappears with rest, according to the Mayo Clinic.

    Time Frame

    • The symptoms of leg artery disease develop slowly over time as the circulation worsens due to the build-up of arterial plaque. When the condition first begins, it is possible that you will not have any noticeable symptoms, cautions the Mayo Clinic.

    Signs

    • With a physical examination, doctors observe only a faint or weak pulse in the ankles if you have leg artery disease. Also, a blood pressure level measured at your ankle is typically less than 90 percent of the blood pressure level measure at your arm, explains the American Heart Association.

    Complications

    • Untreated, the symptoms of leg artery disease have the potential to develop into ischemic rest pain, where muscle pain and cramps in your legs persist even with rest.

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