PAD
When PAD Is an Emergency
When Is Peripheral Artery Disease an Emergency? More than eight million Americans have peripheral artery disease (PAD), in which narrowed or blocked arteries lead to circulatory problems in the arms and legs (especially the legs), making it hard to walk without pain. Yet what people with PAD may not realize is that the condition also … Read more
Foot Care Tips for People With PAD, From Podiatrists
You’ve probably heard that “getting your steps in” can help you stay healthy. But for people with peripheral artery disease (PAD), walking even a few blocks might feel as challenging as a 10-mile run. This common circulatory condition, which affects an estimated 8.5 million Americans, happens when the blood vessels that carry blood from the … Read more
Mindset Strategies for Peripheral Arterial Disease
By Jim Stocker, as told to Danny Bonvissuto When I started smoking in high school, it was cool. Attractive women in grocery stores handed out little packs of four cigarettes, trying to get you to change your brand. When I was in the military, my C-rations had cigarettes in them and the thought was, “Smoke … Read more
Tips for Traveling When You Have Peripheral Artery Disease
Doug Fugate loves to travel. But going places can require lots of walking and long-stretches of sitting — in cars, trains, or airplanes. And that can be tricky because Fugate has peripheral artery disease (PAD), in which narrowed arteries prevent blood from flowing easily to his legs and arms. Fugate, who’s 58 and lives in … Read more
Peripheral Artery Disease in the Bedroom
At first, Douglas Salisbury’s peripheral artery disease, or PAD, crimped his sex life in small ways. “Cramping in my calves during sex was the most obvious related issue,” says the 60-year-old retired chemical dependency counselor. Salisbury managed the cramps by drinking extra water before sex. He also tried applying ancient magnesium oil to the skin … Read more
Cardiologists Share Tips to Improve Life With Peripheral Arterial Disease
Can you walk more? That may be the last question that you want to hear when you have a blood vessel condition called peripheral arterial disease, or PAD. Even walking short distances, as you likely know, may cause your legs to cramp up. But doctors say that if you push yourself to move more often … Read more
Exercise and Live Better with Peripheral Arterial Disease
Long walks around his hilly Pittsburgh neighborhood turned scary for Jagdish Bhatnagar when his left calf started hurting so badly, he had to rest on the side of the road. Diagnosed in early 2021 with peripheral artery disease (PAD), the 83-year-old retired medical physicist knew blocked blood vessels in his leg were causing his severe … Read more
How I Thrive Despite Peripheral Arterial Disease
Rodney McKinley found out he had peripheral arterial disease (PAD) in 2011, when his frequent walks dissolved into searing pain. “When I would lay down in bed to sleep, it felt like someone had a blowtorch under my toes,” he says. McKinley had bypass surgery in his groin — with 32 staples — and two … Read more
Ease Your Leg and Arm Pain From Peripheral Artery Disease
Cheryl Wilson went from running 5K races to struggling to walk a few blocks. When it happened, Wilson, a 63-year-old wellness coach from Chesapeake, VA, shrugged it off as a charley horse. But the pain persisted for weeks and made walking unbearable. So Wilson finally went to see her doctor. “Anytime I walked a short … Read more