Peripheral Artery Disease Screening
picture of soft tissue that does not show up on x-rays.
But you have the ability to prevent, stop, and potentially reverse plaque buildup if you catch it early enough. This is why having a Peripheral Arterial Disease screening is so important. It gives you the chance to make the necessary lifestyle changes to prevent further buildup and possibly reverse the damage that has already been done.
What is peripheral arterial disease (PAD)?
Generally, people over 50 are at a higher risk; people with high cholesterol, high blood pressure, who smoke, or have diabetes are also at an increased risk. Although peripheral artery disease and carotid artery disease typically occur in people over 50, depending on the individual’s lifestyle, people under 50 can also be affected. Known risk factors include smoking, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and diabetes.
Common causes of PAD
PAD is generally caused by atherosclerosis, which is the buildup of fatty deposits on the artery walls reducing blood flow. This is often the result of smoking, bad cholesterol, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, overuse of alcohol, being overweight, and lack of exercise.
Signs and Symptoms of PAD
Some of the Peripheral Artery Disease symptoms include:
- Painful cramps that start after certain activities are felt in one or both of your hips, thighs, or calf muscles.
- Leg numbness or weakness
- Coldness in your lower leg or foot, usually colder on one side
- Sores that don’t seem to heal on your toes, feet, or legs
- Skin color change in your legs
- Hair loss loss or slower hair growth
- Slower growth of your toenails
- Shiny skin on your legs
- Weak or no pulse in your legs or feet
- Erectile dysfunction in men
Pain associated with peripheral artery disease often increases during sleep (nighttime pain) preventing you from a night of rest or after taking a walk.
Take Control Of Your Health
With Early Detection
survival. Our non-invasive, low-dose scanner can detect signs of silent killers like cancer,
tumors and heart abnormalities so you can act fast.
How to test for peripheral arterial disease
How is PAD diagnosed? There are various peripheral artery disease tests that will detect the reduced blood flow. These PAD tests include physical examinations, ankle-brachial index (ABI), ultrasound, angiography and blood tests.
At Craft Body Scan, we use the latest in vascular ultrasound technology. Using ultrasound, we test for peripheral artery disease without any invasive procedures providing an accurate picture. This allows us to locate any restricted areas or blockages making it effective to screen for peripheral artery disease and Carotid Artery Disease.
Is there a blood test for PAD?
There is no need for a blood test that will diagnose PAD, but it will show the following – high blood sugar and cholesterol. These are risk factors for PAD that should be monitored and managed.
Who should get a peripheral artery disease test?
The American and international guidelines suggest that people older than 50 years with a history of medical conditions such as diabetes mellitus, high blood pressure and high cholesterol should have a peripheral arterial disease test. It’s also suggested that if you’re 65 years old you should also be tested.
Risk factors of PAD
One of the biggest risk factors of PAD is high blood pressure, however, if you’re taking medication to control your blood pressure it can help lower your risk. High cholesterol is another risk for PAD.
Benefits of getting the screening
Early detection of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) helps you avoid debilitating symptoms and complications by can giving you time to treat plaque buildup – the underlying cause of PAD. The best peripheral artery disease treatment is changes to your lifestyle, including medication compliance, exercise, quitting smoking, a healthy diet and diabetes management.
When should I test for PAD?
So what is a PAD test?
PAD Test Procedure
Pad testing is a simple, accurate and fast way to detect vascular blood flow and blood pressure. The sophisticated diagnostic ultrasound imaging machine uses high-frequency sound waves that are similar to any other ultrasound machine.
How to Prepare for the Screening
What to Expect During the Screening
This is a painless and safe screening that uses sound waves and a transducer to produce images. The transducer is a small probe that will be used with gel to go over your skin and look at the different areas of your body.
What to Do After the Screening
You will be able to go about your day as normal proceeding the test.
Peripheral artery disease test results
When you receive your peripheral artery disease results, consider sharing your results with your primary care physician who may recommend treatment or lifestyle changes. If your results are normal, you’ve created a baseline for your health and can file them away to have on hand for future reference.
Where Can I Get a PAD test?
Our Tulsa office offers PAD tests. We have welcoming, experienced staff and use advanced technology for detailed and accurate peripheral vascular disease diagnosis.
Why should I choose CRAFT Body Scan for PAD screening?
Take control of your health today and schedule an appointment.
Take Control Of Your Health
With Early Detection
low-dose scanner can detect signs of silent killers like cancer, tumors and heart abnormalities so you can act fast.
