About Vascular Foot Problems

Peripheral vascular (relating to vessels or ducts transporting blood, lymph or sap) disease refers to a group of concerns that can result in circulatory complications affecting the legs and feet. Arthrosclerosis is a gradual thickening and hardening of artery walls. Arteries carry blood from the heart to the rest of the body. The blood brings with it oxygen and other elements needed for overall health and repair. Blood vessels of any size can be damaged from this and are referred to as such: macro vascular disease reaches large blood cells, while micro vascular disease affects small ones.

Causes

• Diabetes is the leading cause of vascular foot problems because it affects circulation. High cholesterol or blood pressure, smoking and inactivity can cause these problems as well.

Symptoms

• Symptoms of affected circulation can be numbness in the foot or toes, skin breakdowns (wherein the healing of sores and infection are impeded) and claudication, a dull pain the calf muscle. Altered color and temperature of the skin can be an indicator if it becomes cool, pale or discolored.

Assesment

• If any of these symptoms occur, a medical professional should prepare a full assessment and explain the risks involved with the bad circulation. A measurement known as the Ankle-Brachial index is performed with a Doppler machine to measure blood pressure in the ankle to evaluate it against blood pressure in the arm. This will determine if the foot is suffering from lack of blood. Future meetings to reevaluate should be scheduled.

Treatment

• There are a number of treatment options, depending on the severity of the circulation problem. All patients suffering from peripheral vascular disease should take measures to reduce the risks caused by inactivity and smoking and attempt to reduce their blood pressure and cholesterol. Proper footwear that is well fitted and avoids pressure areas can prevent further trauma. Professionals should be consulted for regular maintenance, such as cutting toenails, and in the instance of corns or calluses. This is because any minor accidents could become major ones and untreated calluses can harm skin and invite sores that cannot be healed. For those with diabetes, blood glucose levels should be monitored. Antiplatelet agents and anticoagulants are drugs that can be prescribed to ward off blood clotting

Surgical Treatment

• If the damage is more severe, angioplasty is an option. Angioplasty repairs blood vessels by using a balloon-tipped catheter for unclogging or replacing damaged vessel parts with a prosthetic device or the person`s tissue. Vascular surgeons can bypass a blocked artery with a vein from another part of the patient`s vein.