Did You Know Your Leg May Indicate Your Heart and Lung Health?

Your legs are essential for movement and allow you to assume an upright posture. And of course, if you love to dance, you know the importance of legs. Still, your legs may inform you about the health status of your heart and circulatory system to know when it is time to visit Dr. Vinod Kumar.

Below are some prevalent vascular leg diseases and their causes.

Peripheral artery disease

This disease attacks the arteries, vital vessels for transporting oxygenated blood from your heart to other body parts, including the limbs. The condition is triggered when there is an excessive accumulation of fat or cholesterol on the walls of arteries.

As a result, the arteries suffer from blocking or narrowing, yielding different health issues, like changes in skin color, pain, and even cramps. Eventually, the blocking of the arterial walls causes the blood supply to your legs to diminish. Thus, you may face walking difficulties and be increasingly susceptible to a stroke or heart attack.

Symptoms of PAD

•     Change in color of the feet
•     Bad nail and or hair growth
•     Leg pains experienced when resting

Deep vein thrombosis

This condition attacks veins, the vessels tasked with carrying deoxygenated blood (blood with little or no oxygen), from your legs and other body parts to the circulatory system.

When the blood reaches your heart and lungs, it is enriched with oxygen before being re-circulated again to the rest of the body.

The disease often means the legs and even arms have blood clots. Deep vein thrombosis can be dangerous to your health and life since a clot can get to your lungs and or heart. That may lead to a life-threatening issue known as pulmonary embolism since the circulatory system deals with blockage of blood flow.

Some of the potential risk factors of deep vein thrombosis may include leg surgery, overweight, smoking, and chronic inflammatory issues.

Chronic venous insufficiency

This vascular leg condition may be a result of varying issues. Some of the potential causes include vein compression, injury, a poorly functioning calf muscle pump, and deep vein thrombosis.

Your legs may show degradation or loss of vein valves by swelling and discoloration.

Potential treatment options for the leg condition are compression leg wraps, exercising for calf muscle strengthening, or thermal ablation. For instance, thermal ablation involves using heat to destroy and remove tissues or inhibit the normal functioning of tissues.

When treating leg vascular diseases, the treatment options are numerous. Some medications, such as blood thinners, may come in handy to reverse arterial or venous damage. However, in some instances, you may need surgery.

The most important thing is to ensure you eat healthily and exercise regularly. Moreover, avoid engaging in bad health habits such as smoking and consuming lots of sugars and fats. If attempts to prevent any of the conditions are not enough, seek early vascular treatment at Heart Vascular and Leg Center. That will help you not to deal with damage beyond repair.