Peripheral artery disease occurs when your arteries have hardened and become narrow because of plaque buildup. The plaque consists of fats and other substances found in your bloodstream, and PAD mainly affects the highways that transport blood to the arms and legs.
When someone has peripheral artery disease, they go through many challenges since the condition makes it harder for their head, legs, arm, and other organs to get enough blood flow.
The fact that all these body parts cannot access enough blood means a likelihood of eventualities like tissue damage and, finally, tissue death. The worst-case scenario is that if this disease does not get the proper treatment, a patient may get a stroke, amputation, heart attack, and kidney disease. Eventually, the patient might die. Again, there is no cure for PAD.
That said, you don’t need to worry. Being diagnosed with PAD is not the end of the road. You don’t have to die, and you also don’t have to suffer from stroke and all the above conditions.
The good thing is that peripheral artery disease can is manageable, and the symptoms can be reversible. It is best to manage the symptoms with modifications in your lifestyle. Alternatively, you can opt for minimally invasive endovascular procedures if the lifestyle changes are not working.
What Lifestyle Changes Can You Make to Treat PAD?
Changing your lifestyle is the easiest way to manage your PAD symptoms; this is a great way to stop the disease from progressing. Here is what you can do:
· Quit Smoking
Tobacco use is dangerous and a significant risk factor for PAD. Smocking tobacco compresses and damages your arteries. If you have been smoking, it’s high time you considered quitting. When you stop, you will reduce the probability of your symptoms developing further and, simultaneously, lower your odds of cardiovascular disease.
· Healthy Diet and Weight
Many people suffering from PAD already have underlying conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol. Embracing a heart-healthy diet is very important in this case because it reduces your risk, and you will have taken care of the other conditions.
Eat a diet low in sugar, avoid processed food, and reduce salt, red meat, and added sugars. Focus on meals with vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. Your diet should have low-fat products, poultry, nuts, seeds, and non-tropical vegetables.
Avoid Certain Over-the-Counter Medicine
Always consult a doctor when you are sick. That is because some medicine could worsen your symptoms instead of curing your diseases. Some contain pseudoephedrine, for example, Advil for cold & sinus and Aleve D Sinus & Cold; those drugs shrink your blood vessels.
Stop or Reduce Alcohol Intake
Have you ever heard of alcoholic cardiomyopathy3? You might want to stop consuming much alcohol. Cardiomyopathy3 is a condition caused by too much alcohol consumption, especially when it is long-term. A lot of alcohol will enlarge your heart, and that is irreversible. It will make your heart muscles weak, making the heart stop pumping as it should. Limit your alcohol intake, and your symptoms will not get worse.
Exercise
Exercise is a critical strategy in PAD reversal. Regular physical exercise results in fewer and less severe symptoms. It is possible to assess the success of the PAD treatment by watching the distance in which a patient walks without feeling pain.
Engage in routine walks also. That will help to improve your self-esteem, mood, energy, and sleep. Also, exercising reduces your risk of cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack, stroke, and heart disease.
Take Care of Your Feet
People with PAD may also have diabetes and wounds on the lower part of their legs. That is why foot care is essential for them. Most of these wounds and injuries do not heal. The cause of them not healing is poor blood flow. Such wounds could give you infections.
That is how you take care of your feet:
- Wash your feet daily and ensure they are dry
- Moisturize your feet
- Put on thick dry socks
- Wear a shoe that fits properly
- Treat all fungal infections properly
- Exercise caution when cutting nails
- Inspect your feet daily to see if there are injuries
- Have a foot doctor that can treat bunions or calluses
Final Thoughts
When you get diagnosed with PAD, the first thing your doctor will want to do is to control the symptoms you have. They will also want to stop the plaque from building up in your arteries. Lifestyle changes are good enough to meet those goals at times. When that is not enough, the doctor will advise you accordingly.