Download Management of Peripheral Vascular Disease

Management of Peripheral Vascular Disease
Doctors use an array of clinical tests to rule out other pathologies and diagnose
peripheral vascular disease. After deciding on the correct diagnosis, it is important to begin a
treatment and management program to slow the progression of the disease. Courses of
treatment involve a multi-pronged attack and include lifestyle changes, treating root causes
and dealing with secondary problems.
While monitoring the progression of the disease is the job of the physician, it is the
patient’s responsibility to cooperate with and follow their doctor’s suggestions. Returning to a
lifestyle that promotes poor health can slow recovery and, possibly, lead to more serious
health problems later. Management of peripheral vascular disease requires diligence and
determination to overcome the pain and lead an active healthy life.
Risk Factors
If your doctor diagnoses you with peripheral vascular disease, he or she will suggest
several things to manage the disease. These suggestions will be based upon the severity of
your disease.
One of the most important management tactics will be reducing risk factors. Risk
factors are variables that make someone more susceptible to disease; there are several risk
factors for PVD. It is important to know that risk factors are not causes of disease, merely
that they increase the likelihood of contraction. Doctors will suggest that risk factors such as
excessive alcohol consumption and smoking be stopped immediately. It will also be
suggested that an appropriate diet be eaten.
PVD can be caused by other diseases, so treatment for those underlying causes would
have to begin immediately. Learn about causes of peripheral vascular disease here.
Exercise
Also, an acceptable exercise regimen will be suggested. This regimen should be
supervised by a healthcare professional and include at least three days per week of activity
performed until the onset of intermittent claudication. The overall goal of an exercise
program will to prolong the period prior to onset of pain.
Medications
For patients affected by PVD, medications may be prescribed. Medications may fall
into several categories depending on your specific cause. Doctors may prescribe anti-platelet
drugs, anticoagulants, cholesterol-lowering drugs, calcium channel blockers and vitamins or a
combination of these drugs
Secondary Symptoms
Peripheral vascular disease can cause secondary symptoms that must be dealt with in
a treatment program. Patients with PVD may experience vascular ulcers or wounds on the
skin that, due to the lack of circulation, do not heal properly. Hyperbaric oxygen treatment is
often used to aid in the healing of these symptoms. This treatment involves breathing 100
percent oxygen in a hyperbaric chamber pressurized to two or three times the normal
atmospheric pressure. Another treatment may involve compression therapy, in which a
garment is worn around the affected extremity, and a pump inflates the garment, applying
pressure at mixed intervals and stimulating circulation.
Procedures
For more serious cases of PVD, invasive procedures and surgeries may be required.
A few examples of these are angioplasty and stenting, endarterectomy and grafting or
bypassing. Angioplasty is a procedure in which a catheter is used to insert a stent (a wire
mesh tube) in the affected vessel. Endarterectomy is when a surgeon cleans out the buildup of
plaque from the artery. Grafting and bypass are performed by using either a piece of
replacement or artificial blood vessel to replace a failing portion of a vein or artery.
References
Mayo Clinic: Peripheral Vascular Disease Treatment
American Academy of Family Physicians: Peripheral Vascular Disease: Diagnosis and
Treatment
American Academy of Family Physicians: Management of Peripheral Arterial Disease
MedicineNet: Peripheral Vascular Disease (Peripheral Artery Disease) Causes, Symptoms,
Diagnosis, and Treatment
BrightHub: Peripheral Vascular Disease Causes