PAD Awareness Month: 7 Leg Symptoms You Should Never Dismiss

More than 12 million Americans suffer from peripheral artery disease (PAD), a circulation condition that interferes with normal blood flow in the lower legs and feet. Without treatment, PAD can lead to serious complications, which is a major reason you should never ignore unusual changes in your lower limbs. 

Unfortunately, the signs and symptoms of PAD aren’t always easy to spot. When they do become noticeable, it’s easy to write them off as something benign, like being too active or just getting older. 

In recognition of Peripheral Artery Disease Awareness Month, our team at Bridgewater Primary Care & Cardiology, LLC, led by John Terzian, MD, FACC, offers this list of seven PAD signs to watch for.

1. You have pain or cramping when you walk

When you use your legs, your leg muscles need more oxygen to take on the extra load. If you have PAD, circulation to your legs is reduced. Your muscles then struggle to meet the added demands of even regular movements, like walking or climbing stairs.

When your muscles struggle, they send “SOS signals” to your brain, which you feel as leg pain or cramping. This usually occurs in your calf, but sometimes in your foot, hip, or thigh. 

Discomfort typically resolves or lessens when you rest. This symptom is referred to as intermittent claudication, and it's a hallmark sign of PAD.

2. You feel pain in your legs or feet while resting

While early PAD symptoms are often triggered by movement, more serious blockages in your leg arteries can cause discomfort even while at rest. In addition to cramping, you may have symptoms like deep, aching pain or burning sensations in your foot or lower leg.

When PAD-related pain occurs during rest, it’s a clear signal that blood flow has become significantly compromised. Scheduling an evaluation at this stage is imperative to reduce the risk of serious and even life-threatening complications.

3. You have numbness, tingling, or weakness

Pain isn’t the only sensation associated with PAD. You can have other symptoms, too, like numbness or pins-and-needles sensations, a feeling of weakness in your leg, or trouble coordinating, even during normal activities like walking.

Of course, these symptoms can have other causes, too. Regardless of whether PAD or another issue is triggering these sensations, it’s a clear sign that you need to have your legs evaluated.

4. One foot feels colder than the other

Your blood keeps your skin feeling warm. It’s not surprising, then, that a circulation problem in one leg can cause it to feel colder than the other.

This change in temperature is often most noticeable in your feet, but you may also be able to feel it when touching your calves. Like leg pain, other issues can cause a temperature difference, but because it’s not normal, it should always be evaluated.

5. Your skin or toenails look different

Poor circulation can also cause noticeable changes in the skin and hair on your legs. On the affected leg, your skin may appear pale, bluish, smooth, or unusually shiny. Hair growth tends to slow down on the affected leg, as well.

These changes can happen gradually, which means they’re very easy to overlook. That said, if one leg or foot starts to appear noticeably different from the other, it’s time to call our office.

6. A cut or sore won’t heal

Circulation plays a major role in wound healing. Diabetes is a major cause of slow-to-heal wounds for many people, but PAD can cause it, too.

A slow-healing wound increases your risk of infection, and over time, it increases the risk of tissue death and an eventual need to have your limb amputated. For these reasons, you should never wait for a slow-healing wound to heal on its own.

7. Symptoms develop rapidly

Often, PAD symptoms develop slowly over time as the underlying circulation problem worsens without care. But sometimes, symptoms happen very rapidly, and a leg that once felt normal now feels numb or cold or looks pale or bluish.

If this happens, it can be a sign of acute limb ischemia, a sudden blockage of blood flow to your leg. This is a life-threatening medical emergency that requires immediate care. If you notice a sudden onset of symptoms, call 9-1-1.

Don’t ignore changes in your legs

PAD is about a lot more than a little leg discomfort. It’s a circulation problem that requires proper diagnosis and ongoing medical management. 

Remember: Symptoms can be subtle in the early stages of PAD. If you notice any changes in your legs or feet, request an appointment online or over the phone with the team at Bridgewater Primary Care & Cardiology in Bridgewater, Massachusetts, today.