Your legs are important for everyday activities, whether you’re walking to your car or going for a run. The everyday importance of your legs is the reason you should keep an eye on your vascular health and know how to spot warning signs of problems like a blocked artery. Your arteries can heavily affect the feeling of your legs and can create problems if you don’t properly care for them.
To ensure you catch the warning signs early, let’s break down the potential causes, symptoms to look out for, the severity of blocked arteries, and treatment options.
Causes of Blocked Arteries
There are a few different ways your arteries can become blocked in your legs. If you are concerned about potentially developing a blocked artery in your legs, make sure to talk to your doctor, and they can help determine if you are at risk.
Lifestyle Risk Factors
Aspects of your life might be affecting your health and causing plaque buildup in your arteries. When evaluating your risk of a blocked artery in your leg, your doctor will ask about risk factors such as:
- Smoking
- Cholesterol levels
- Weight
- Diabetes
- High blood pressure
Risk factors like these can change the chemical composition of your blood or contribute to inactivity. Changes in your blood or lack of circulation can leave your muscles without proper nutrients needed to function throughout your daily life.
Atherosclerosis
Atherosclerosis is a condition that occurs when plaque builds up along the walls of your arteries. As this fatty material builds up, it causes the blood flow to be reduced or blocked in more severe cases.
For plaque to build up, there has to be an existing injury to the artery wall. In the case of artery injuries, we don’t mean the same type of injury as a cut or bruise on your skin. Vascular wall injuries are typically from gradual wearing on the artery wall, from other health conditions such as:
- High Blood Pressure
- Diabetes
- High Cholesterol
- Inflammatory Immune Responses
- Infection
Atherosclerosis gradually occurs over time, and in many cases you do not experience symptoms until your artery has gotten very narrow or completely blocked. Atherosclerosis is a condition that commonly leads to other vascular conditions involving reduced blood flow.
Peripheral Artery Disease
Peripheral Artery Disease, commonly abbreviated PAD, is when you have plaque buildup specifically in your leg arteries. PAD is developed from atherosclerosis, and blood flow is restricted to your legs and feet. Reduced blood flow means that your muscles cannot get the oxygen they need to function effectively. As PAD progresses, the effects of reduced blood flow worsen.
Warning Sign Symptoms of Blocked Arteries
Warning signs of blocked arteries gradually occur, which can make it hard for you to determine when you are experiencing them. This is because plaque build up is a gradual process over the course of several years. The appearance of your symptoms is also gradual, and in many cases symptoms don’t appear until after your arteries have become narrow or completely blocked. It is also possible to have PAD and not experience any symptoms.
Watch out for these symptoms as warning signs of PAD:
- Claudication
- Cold feet
- Pale legs when raised
- Foot sores
- Impotence in men
- Sensations while walking (pain, burning, or tiredness)
- Leg pain at night
- Numb legs or feet when resting
If you notice that you are displaying any of these symptoms, reach out to your doctor to get an official diagnosis and develop a treatment plan.
Claudication
The most common symptom of PAD is claudication, which is pain that occurs in your calf, thigh, or buttocks as a result of reduced blood flow to your legs. The level of pain correlates with the severity of your case of PAD. It starts as pain when walking that eases with rest, but the pain gradually increases and makes it harder to walk longer distances. Claudication can occur when you are active because your muscles cannot get the oxygen they need to keep up with your activity.
If you notice that your pain begins to occur even when you are resting, it can be a sign that your artery blockages have gotten worse. Make sure to talk to your healthcare provider if your symptoms get worse to determine how to continue treatments.
How Serious is a Blocked Artery?
Blocked arteries are an incredibly serious condition. Without treatment, blocked arteries can lead to blood clots, gangrene, pain, and increased risk of having a heart attack or stroke. The longer your artery is blocked, you will experience worsening symptoms that will affect your quality of life and mobility.
Treatment
To treat artery blockages, your doctor may recommend lifestyle changes, medications, procedures, or surgery. Keep in mind that your treatment will depend heavily on the severity of your case and the symptoms you present with.
Lifestyle Changes
As with a variety of conditions, your lifestyle can have choices that greatly impact your health. As part of your treatment plan, your doctor may suggest changing aspects of your life, such as:
- Quitting smoking: Smoking introduces chemicals to your bloodstream that harm your blood cells and vessels.
- Reducing your cholesterol levels: You can reduce your cholesterol through diet changes, such as more fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins.
- Losing weight: Many vascular issues are exacerbated by obesity, so regular exercise can help you lose weight and circulate your blood more efficiently.
- Managing diabetes: Diabetes can cause artery blockages if left unmanaged, but it can be controlled through glucose monitoring, insulin injections, and weight loss.
- Lowering your blood pressure: Blood pressure is heavily related to your stress levels, so your doctor may recommend meditation, yoga, or more sleep.
Medication
There are a variety of medications that can be used to help treat artery blockages. In cases that are not candidates for surgery, doctors may prescribe a medication to dilate your arteries. You can also expect medicine for pain management to be suggested.
Medicines like aspirin can help prevent your blood from clotting, which can help your blood flow easier through your arteries. If you have high cholesterol, you might be prescribed medication, like statins, to help lower it. You can also expect to be prescribed medication to help lower your blood pressure if you present with high blood pressure.
Surgeries and Procedures
If you have a severe case that is affecting your daily life, your doctor may suggest a surgery or procedure as your best option to improve your quality of life. Severe cases can present as hindering your work ability, non healing wounds on your legs and feet, or persistent pain even when resting.
The Procedure or surgery you get will depend on the severity of your case, but options may include:
- Angioplasty: A small balloon is used to expand your artery by flattening the plaque buildup.
- Atherectomy: A catheter with a blade or laser on the end is inserted into your artery to cut away at the plaque in your arteries.
- Stent Placement: A mesh wire frame is placed in your artery to open it and improve blood flow. This may be done after an angioplasty or atherectomy to reduce the chances of your artery narrowing again.
- Peripheral Artery Bypass Surgery: A graft made of plastic or from part of another artery in your body may be used to create an alternate route of blood flow around a blockage.
- Amputation: Only in the most severe cases will your doctor bring up amputation.
Surgical options are only reserved for severe cases that cannot be relieved through medications or a procedure like a stent placement.
Treatment at Michigan Vascular
At Michigan Vascular Center, we’re committed to providing the highest quality care and support for our patients based on sound principles of vascular disease treatment. If you believe you have a blocked artery, let us help determine the cause and develop a treatment plan for you.
Contact us today to learn more about our services and how we can help you treat your blocked arteries.
