Peripheral Vascular Disease

Peripheral Vascular Disease (PVD) is a condition of the blood vessels that leads to narrowing and hardening of the arteries, blood vessel that supply blood to legs and feet.  Decreased blood flow over time can lead to tissue and nerve damage which can be serious.

Managing PVD is critical for good health and maintaining quality of life.

The Allegiance Difference

Allegiance Home Health provides the most comprehensive care promoting maximum wellness, giving you the ability to live your life to the fullest.  Our comprehensive care involves a multidisciplinary approach that will involve coordinating your care with you and your physician, our skilled nurses and physical therapists.  Our caring team of trained professionals will instruct you on strategies to control symptoms and halt the progression of the Peripheral Vascular Disease and to reduce the risk for complications such as heart attack, stroke or amputation (loss of limb).

Our staff will teach you strategies for:

• smoking cessation
• controlling your blood pressure
• following a low fat and no concentrated sweets diet
• maintaining normal blood sugar levels if you are diabetic

Additional instruction will also be given to you on your medications and how to take your them, the action of medications on your Peripheral Vascular Disease, side effects and how to reduce them, and when to notify your physician of adverse side effects.

Our caring skilled nursing staff will help you learn the signs and symptoms of potential complications such as:

• feet that are cooler to touch
• skin color changes in feet
• presence of wounds or sores

They will help you know:

• when to notify your physician of findings to avoid hospitalization or surgery
• the importance of well-fitting shoes and why taking good care of your feet is important in maintaining your health.

Physical Therapy plays a pivotal role in management of Peripheral Vascular Disease. The highly trained physical therapists of Allegiance Home Health and Rehab will help you develop a personalized plan of care that incorporates a balance of exercise with rest that can assist with the improvement of blood flow in your extremities.
Exercises strengthen muscles and train muscles to function with less oxygen and helps muscles to work better despite impaired blood flow in your legs.  As a result you will be able to do more with less pain and be more active with an overall increase in health and well-being.  Exercise will help in controlling your blood sugar and blood pressure, which will aid in decreasing your likelihood of developing more severe Peripheral Vascular disease.

More about Peripheral Vascular Disease

Peripheral Vascular Disease (PVD) also known as Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) occurs as a result of the body not being able to keep up with demand for blood flow in the extremities.   This reduced blood flow is caused by narrowed or blocked vessel, usually an artery.  The narrowed blood vessel reduces the circulation of blood to primarily your legs.

Symptoms of Peripheral Vascular Disease may include:

• Claudication-pain, weakness, numbness, or cramping in muscles due to increased blood flow
• Diminished pulses in legs and feet
• Sores, wounds, or ulcer that heal slowly or not at all
• Noticeable change in color (blueness or paleness) or temperature (coolness) when compared to the other limb
• Diminished hair and nail growth on affected limb and toes.
• Worsening leg and/ or calf pain with exercise.
• Coldness of the affected body part
• Blue or purple tinge to skin
• Blackened areas of skin (gangrene)
• Thick opaque toenails

There are known contributing factors for development of Peripheral Vascular Disease.

Smoking-tobacco in any form.  Smokers have tenfold increase for Peripheral vascular disease.  Eighty to ninety percent for patients with lower extremity peripheral disease are current or former smokers.  The risk of Peripheral Vascular Disease increases with the number of cigarettes per day and number of years smoked

Diabetes – Between two to four times increased risk of PVD if you have diabetes.    The risk of developing of PVD is proportional to severity and duration of disease.  Someone who smokes and has diabetes runs the approximately a thirty percent risk of having amputation within five years.

Atherosclerosis – caused by the build up of fatty deposits with in blood vessels that causes the reduction of blood flow to the area.

High blood pressure – High blood pressure coupled with PVD puts additional strain on the heart muscles.
Obesity – Being more than 30% above normal body weight leads to a variety of health issues including PVD.

Let Us Help

Having Peripheral Vascular Disease is a disease that causes many challenges besides the medical issues associated with it.  Some of the issues involve the inability to perform daily tasks without a taxing effort.  Lack of mobility and pain can and most often results in social isolation.

Our caring, compassionate, private duty staff can keep you connected to your family, friends and hobbies.  Our personable caring staff will assist you with:

• your personal grooming and hygiene
• bathing
• shopping and errands
• light housekeeping
• transportation to appointments
• going to the movies
• visiting friends

Let us help so you can continue to enjoy life in the comforts of your home.