Can you reverse peripheral arterial disease?

What is PAD, and can you reverse Peripheral Arterial Disease? This condition develops when you experience hardening in your leg or arm arteries. A progressive condition, PAD symptoms will worsen with time. But, while we can't completely reverse PAD, we can provide treatment to relieve symptoms and reduce your risk for serious complications.

Understanding PAD risk

Knowing your PAD risk can help you get an early diagnosis. The following factors can increase your risk for developing this condition

• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Diabetes
• Smoking

Can you reverse Peripheral Arterial Disease?

PAD progresses in stages, and while you may be able to reverse some symptoms, you can not fully cure your arteries once they've hardened.

Early on, symptoms include the cramping and muscle fatigue of claudication. While the cramps improve with rest, they come back when you start moving, because limited blood flow means your legs don't have enough oxygen to support activity. As the disease progresses, the pain may manifest in your toes and the tops of your feet, feeling worst when you lie down and improving when you walk or let your feet hang down.

From there, ulcers (open wounds that don't heal for weeks) may develop. Then, if left untreated, the wounds may develop infection. At that point, you're at risk for gangrene, an infection that kills your tissue.

Slowing PAD progression

In order to reverse symptoms of peripheral arterial disease, you'll also need to deal with the underlying disease causes. You may find relief with regular exercise, and by controlling your diabetes, and blood pressure. If you smoke, quit as soon as possible. And, if you don't find relief from these measures, seek more permanent PAD treatment.

Can you reverse Peripheral Arterial Disease with treatment Options

At Georgia Endovascular, our interventional radiologists use minimally invasive treatments and state-of-the-art equipment to relieve peripheral arterial disease. Treatment options include:

• Angioplasty
• Stenting
• Atherectomy

Each treatment avoids invasive surgery, meaning you won't need an overnight hospital stay. Then, following your recovery period, improved blood flow should dramatically reduce your symptoms.

Ready to find PAD relief? Click here to request an appointment with our peripheral arterial disease specialists in Georgia!