What Are Symptoms of a Leg Disease?

Peripheral artery disease (PAD) or leg artery disease, occurs when oxygen and blood cannot reach the legs, due to blocked arteries. They are several symptoms associated with the disease.

What is Leg Disease?

• Leg disease occurs when the arteries that transport blood and oxygen from the heart becomes blocked and unable to transport it to the legs. This condition leads to pain in the hips, buttocks, thighs, knees, shin and feet, making it difficult to walk.

Causes

• Some of the causes includes individuals with atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol or triglycerides levels or being more that 30 percent above normal body weight. As the individual becomes older (usually older than 50 ), the risk of acquiring the disease increases.

Symptoms

• An early symptom of leg disease is intermittent claudication (IC). This occurs with pain and discomfort in the legs while walking that cease when the the individual rests. This could also cause the legs to feel tight, heavy, crampy or weak. IC can also occur while walking uphill or up a stairway and, in time, occurs over shorter distances. According to VascularWeb, only 50 percent of those with leg artery disease experience severe blockages to cause IC.

Advanced Symptoms

• Critical limb ischemia occurs at the advanced stage of the leg disease because the leg does not get sufficient oxygen while resting. This can also cause pain in the feet or in the toes even when resting.

Severe Symptoms

• In severe cases, leg artery disease may cause painful toe or foot sores. Lack of proper blood circulation in the legs can cause these sores, which start as dry, gray or black sores and turn to dead tissue (gangrene).

Warnings

• In extreme cases, if the gangrene develops to the extent that it cannot be cured, the surgeon may recommend that the leg or foot be amputated or a portion of the foot or toes, depending on the severity.