Peripheral Vascular Disease commonly called Peripheral Arterial Disease refers to obstruction of large arteries except those supplying the heart, head ,neck or brain.The basic abnormality is either a narrowing of the peripheral arteries as a result of any inflammatory process involving the vessels or there is a mechanical obstruction to the flow of blood distal to the site of obstruction. This may include Atherosclerosis,a condition in which an arterial wall thickens due to accumulations of fatty materials such as cholesterol, or it may be blockage of the artery by a blood clot called a thrombus or an embolus which is any intravascular mass detached from its origin and is capable of blocking an artery at a distant site.
Peripheral vascular disease is a term used commonly for the atherosclerotic blockage of arteries found in the lower extremities. There are a series of symptoms ,progressive as the disease advances leading to a disabling condition that is amputations usually if not intervened at a proper time. It starts as a mild pain while walking known as claudication caused by incomplete blood vessel obstruction. This stage leads to a more severe pain while walking at a relatively shorter distance known as intermittent claudication. This is followed by pain even at rest which increases when the limb is raised. The worst and rather irreversible stage is the stage of biological tissue loss and gangrene. Other associated symptoms are sores, wounds and ulcers of the affected area that are usually poor in healing or do not heal at all. Some noticeable colour changes means the affected part turns pale and colder than the the normal part and diminshed hair and nail growth can be noticed .
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