Recognizing the Warning Signs of PVD

Roughly 45 million Americans suffer from peripheral vascular disease (PVD), a chronic condition that can become progressively worse without proper medical management. 

While PVD includes diseases affecting both the veins and the arteries, peripheral artery disease (PAD) is by far the most common type of PVD. 

At Florida Heart, Vein, and Vascular Institute, our team uses advanced diagnostic technology to identify PVD as early as possible, along with patient-centered therapies designed to minimize its risks. 

In recognition of PAD Awareness Month, we’re dedicating this post to helping patients recognize the early signs of PVD so they can schedule an evaluation before serious complications occur.

The ABCs of PVD

Peripheral vascular disease refers to diseases that interrupt normal blood flow in the arteries or veins in your limbs and organs (not including the heart and brain). 

Arteries are the vessels that carry oxygen-rich blood away from your heart to the rest of your body, while veins are the vessels that carry blood back to the heart and lungs, where it’s replenished with oxygen. 

As noted earlier, PVD can be divided into two types — peripheral artery disease or PAD and peripheral venous disease (confusingly, peripheral venous disease is sometimes also referred to as PVD). 

Not only do peripheral artery disease and peripheral venous disease affect different types of blood vessels, but the way they occur differs, too.

PAD

PAD usually happens when fatty deposits or plaques build up inside artery walls, narrowing the arteries and making it harder for blood to pass. This is a condition called atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), and it’s a leading cause of heart disease and other serious and life-threatening complications.

Peripheral venous disease

Peripheral venous disease typically happens when tiny valves inside your veins stop working the way they’re supposed to. 

These valves open and close rapidly to keep blood moving back to your heart. If they weaken or slow down, blood flow slows down, too, sometimes causing clogs or clots that make it harder for blood to return to your heart.

Because your tissues and organs depend on steady blood flow to stay healthy, it’s no surprise that both PAD and peripheral venous disease can have significant effects on your health and wellness. Fortunately, we can treat both, and knowing the signs and symptoms of each type of disease can help you get that treatment as early as possible.

Symptoms and risk factors

Both types of PVD cause a variety of symptoms that can be extremely subtle — so subtle, they’re frequently mistaken for other issues, like muscle fatigue or joint pain. But even subtle symptoms can be a sign that circulation is being compromised, and that’s why early recognition is so important. 

Learning to spot PVD early depends on knowing the symptoms of PVD, including: 

• Leg pain or cramping, especially during walking or exercise (a condition called claudication)
• Numbness or tingling sensations in your arms or legs
• Weakness or fatigue in your limbs
• Coldness in one leg compared with the other
• Sores on your legs, ankles, or feet that don’t heal
• Skin discoloration or shiny skin
• Noticeable hair loss on one or both legs or arms
• Weak ankle or foot pulse
• Erectile dysfunction in men

PVD and its symptoms often affect only one leg or one arm, but it can affect both limbs, as well.

Risk factors

Learning to recognize PVD symptoms is important for seeking early care. But you should also know your personal PVD risk profile. While anyone can develop PVD, it tends to occur more commonly among people with these risk factors:

• Smoking or tobacco use
• Diabetes
• High blood pressure or high cholesterol
• Obesity
• Sedentary lifestyle
• Personal or family history of heart disease

PVD also tends to happen more often among people who are 50 years of age and older.

Prioritize your vascular health

PVD can cause serious health problems if not diagnosed and treated early. If you have any signs of PVD, request an appointment online or by calling one of our offices in Zephyrhills, Lakeland, Plant City, or Riverview, Florida, today.