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ABI Test for Peripheral Artery Disease

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ABI Test for Peripheral Artery Disease

Blog posts on Peripheral Artery Disease are all written from my own personal experience with this disease.

One Test for Peripheral Artery Disease is the Ankle Brachial Index Pressure Test

What is the Ankle Brachial Index test or ABI. What Happens and Does it hurt?

The ABI or Ankle Brachial Index test is a non invasive test. As simple as taking your blood pressure.

Performed when a low blood pressure pulse has been detected in the legs or feet.This can be a symptom of a blocked Artery in your leg.

Can also be found in your arms.

Do you have undiagnosed Chronic Pain in legs,hips,buttocks or thighs read here…

Ankle Brachial Index Pressure Test is a Test for Peripheral Artery Disease.

Put simply the blood pressure pulse at your ankles is measured against the blood pressure pulse in the upper arm.

This is done using a blood pressure cuff, you will feel pressure, and a small hand held ultrasound device Dopler Ultrasound, to which a gel has been applied. Sound waves now produce images.

Looking for information on Symptoms of Peripheral Artery Disease read here…

Preparation For The Ankle Brachial Index test

Wear comfortable clothing that gives easy access for the blood pressure cuff at your upper arm and ankles: and really that is all.

Generally the ABI pressure test is performed in a Radiology clinic.

The patient lies on their back on a narrow bed/table.

What is Claudication Pain read here..for more information.

Symptoms Peripheral Artery Disease Legs

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Symptoms Peripheral Artery Disease Legs

Also known as Hardening of the Arteries.

I write these blog posts from my own personal experience with Peripheral Artery Disease or you may know it as Peripheral Vascular Disease.

My first blog post was about the chronic pain I suffered read here… in the crease of the buttock and hip of my right leg. This remained misdiagnosed for over 10 years.

I have since written on my Aortic Bifemoral Bypass read here… to improve the blood flow from my legs to my feet and toes.

Today I wanted to go over the symptoms of Peripheral Artery Disease.

In the Support Group on Facebook that I belong too I have found from other members that there are more signs and symptoms that P.A.D (Peripheral Arterial Disease) sufferers experience than is often written.

I will add a link to the support group further down.

Symptoms Peripheral Artery Disease Legs

The Pain maybe mild to Chronic.

The most common area it seems of the leg, for pain and cramps to be felt is the calf

Pain in your Legs, Buttocks, Hips. Left, Right or Both

Pain in the Feet.

The pain you feel will generally occur while you are walking, even with something as slowly as when out shopping. Playing Golf, Strolling the beach.

The pain for most people will ease when you stop walking, rest or lay down.

This pain is called Claudication read here… felt because the leg muscles are not getting enough blood.

Atherosclerosis: the name given to blocked Arteries and Veins

Support Group pad

I belong to a Peripheral Arterial- Vascular Disease group on Facebook. This is a lovely friendly private group full of personal and helpful information and support. Peripheral Arterial- Vascular Disease Support Group On Facebook

Quote from member Ms B.H …”this disease is so undetected because the symptoms mimic other conditions”.

While many members join for themselves some join to be able to help and understand to support loved ones and friends.

Symptoms Peripheral Artery Disease Legs

Cramping legs and feet

Leg Cramps at night a classic sign read here… may occur in bed while asleep or awake.In the calf and feet

Muscle Cramps legs, particularly in the calves.

Muscle Cramps in feet

Cramps may travel right up into the groin

Symptoms Peripheral Artery Disease Legs

Changes to Skin

Sores or ulcers develop that won’t heal, legs and or feet

Continually Cold feet and legs

Changing color of skin in legs or feet possibly a bluish tinge

Dry flaky skin legs and feet

Loss of hair on legs, many put this down to ageing.

Shiny skin on legs and feet

Slow growing toenails.

Numbness in your legs and feet.

Heaviness of the legs and feet

Swelling of the legs or feet.

Burning in the legs and feet.

Tiredness of the legs

A Big Thank You

To the members of the Peripheral Arterial- Vascular Disease group on Facebook.

For sharing not only your pain and experiences of this most terrible disease but also the anxiety and depression that follows.

What is severe Claudication Pain Legs Buttocks

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What is severe Claudication Pain Legs Buttocks

Claudication is pain which can be felt in the muscles. Predominantly in the lower half of your body your legs,hips, buttocks and thighs. And sometimes your arms.

Mostly when walking and exercising

It may be only mild pain but in my case it was severe,chronic and disabling pain.. that went undiagnosed for 10+ years.

Claudication pain will cause limping which is where the word Claudication came from the Latin word Claudicare meaning to limp.

It is TRUE that Claudication is NOT just an older persons ailment. .

TRUE 50% of smokers will get claudication and atherosclerosis causing Peripheral Artery Disease. This happened to me!

What is severe Claudication Pain Legs Buttocks — Most likely your pain will be at its worst when walking and or exercising

I suffered undiagnosed for 10+ years I had no idea that my pain was even called claudication. Neither did the Doctors I visited!

If you complain to your Doctor about consistent pain when walking, in your hips,thighs and buttocks. Chances are they are not going to look for a blockage in your Aorta or other Arteries for that matter.

Support Group pad

I belong to a Peripheral Arterial- Vascular Disease group on Facebook. This is a lovely friendly private group full of personal and helpful information and support. Peripheral Arterial- Vascular Disease Support Group On Facebook

I recently wrote a post about my personal journey with claudication read here>>>

Many websites when you look up “what is claudication” inform you that claudication is pain and or cramping that affects your lower legs.. I’m here to tell you from my own personal experience it is not just your lower legs!

Agonising pain was in my right buttock. Buttock Claudication Symptoms. I used to say my hip but that is not totally correct. Basically the pain I felt was just below my bum.

Causes Intermittent Claudication

What Causes Blockage in Legs… Claudication

Intermittent Claudication is… pain so called because the pain is spasmodic.That is the pain is not continuous.

Intermittent Claudication is… pain ccaused by a build up and blockage of fatty substances (plaques) lining the inside of your Arteries. This condition is called Atherosclerosis.

Atherosclerosis was known as Hardening of the arteries. This is a sign of a medical condition called Peripheral Artery Disease.

Most likely your pain will be at its worst when walking and or exercising. To ease the claudication pain you have to stop walking and rest. I had to stop and sit down. I found this embarrassing and sometimes stopped walking to pretend that I was looking at something.

Some days as the years went by I could barely walk around my own home I stopped going out.

Causes Intermittent Claudication — To ease the claudication pain you have to stop walking and rest.

Buttock Claudication Symptoms

What is severe Claudication Pain Legs Buttocks

I mentioned earlier that my agonising pain was in my right buttock and this is what the difference was for my claudication symptoms.

Where your pain can be felt gives an indication as to which artery may be blocked. And there can be more than one as it was in my case.

One blockage was in my Aorta just above my navel ( Belly Button) also I had a Femoral Artery Blockage in both legs. The Femoral Artery is the large artery in your leg and thigh this delivers the blood supply to your leg.

Femoral Artery Blockage

The Femoral Artery is the large artery in your leg and thigh this delivers the blood supply to your leg,feet and toes.

When the blockage is in your Femoral Artery the pain (Claudication Pain ) can generally be felt in the thigh and also legs and hips.

Pain in your Calf Muscle also comes from a Femoral Artery Blockage and also the Popliteal Artery (behind the knee) depending on where you feel your pain. This Claudication Pain may be felt either in the upper or lower parts of the calf muscle.

Decorative Walking Sticks Women will love

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Decorative Walking Sticks Women will love

Remain an Independent woman, color match to your clothing and feel confident and individual.

Hello my name is Michelle and recently I wrote about my suffering for 10+ years where I had been losing the ability to walk. Chronic pain remained undiagnosed. My hope is that my personal story may just help someone else.

My Chronic Pain was Claudiction caused by Peripheral Artery Disease.

This was my reason for using a walking cane and also other mobility walking aids such as a Rollator walker and a Zimmer frame.

I personally used Decorative Walking Canes for different outfits and events.

Womens Walking Canes Amazon

White Pearlz Golden Day Pearlz Pink Designer

Purple Majesty Blue Denim Black Pearlz

For reasons of safety and stability for which we may buy them Decorative Walking sticks canes helps women to also have a sense of self esteem. More so if this is your first walking stick.

Decorative walking sticks can also be found for men.

Important when purchasing any walking stick

How to choose the correct walking stick? Do you measure a walking cane

Absolutely yes you do. Wear the shoes that you are most likely to wear when measuring for height and stand normally. Measure from the crease on your wrist to the floor.

Think of gift giving for Birthdays and Christmas

Looking for indoor walking aids

Decorative Walking Stick Women

Cats Walking Cane Moonlit Floral Cane Dogs Walking Cane

I like to have a folding walking stick in my handbag for times when it may be awkward to carry a solid one. In times of travel it can be inconvenient to use your solid walking cane particularly if using public transport. But my frustration can come when shopping you know you get to the sales counter,balance your cane against that counter and down it goes.

Worse you collect your purchases and walk off,yep without your walking stick.

Beautiful Bouquet Evening Splendor Platinum Pearlz

How To Choose the right Walking Stick

You want to choose the correct size Walking Stick and you do not want to be walking bent over, because your walking stick is too short or leaning to one side. This will possibly increase the pain in the lower back or hips.

Irritation to your muscles in your lower back and hips can be caused by regular misuse of the wrong Walking Stick. An adjustable walking stick helps.

Decorative Offset Cane Combo Pack (Includes two of each color pattern) – CM

What Height Walking Stick

When Choosing a Walking Stick be sure to find the correct size walking stick that is right for you. Measure your Height then Measure from floor to wrist, have a relative or friend or a therapist measure you.

Going on holidays and want to move around quicker and safer

Walking Cane Covers

Ladies Designer Walking Canes

Pictured below and made by a Artisan on Etsy, where all purchases are guaranteed. Ladies Wood Walking Canes, absolute elegance Not mass produced. The handle is made of Polymer Stone and the shaft of the cane is solid ash wood. The collar made of real bronze, a real Masterpiece.

Lovely to carry while out for dinner or a corporate occasion.

Ladies Designer Walking Canes Ladies Wood Walking Canes

Ladies Folding Walking Stick, HealthSmart

Unique Walking Sticks Canes

I really liked the look of these Artisan Hand made Walking Sticks Canes (shown below) created with the best of hardwoods.

Maximum strength is achieved by being kiln cured and will support a weight up to 250lbs and with a added rubber waking cane tips for non-slip safety.
These unique walking stick canes come in a large variety of colors and designs such as animals, red and white striped rather good for a Christmas Gift and also in plain colors.

Hand Painted Canes Flamingo hand painted cane

Hand painted cane Zebra Hand painted cane Dog

decorative walking sticks women will love — Walk out beautifully with a decorated walking stick

Vascular Disease causes night cramps

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Vascular Disease causes night cramps

That’s not to say that you have (Peripheral Artery Disease) there are other causes of cramping in the legs and feet.

I must also add that The Statin medications can also cause mild to severe cramp.

Why do I make this statement and what then is Vascular Disease.

Hi my name is Michelle, and I speak from my own personal experience having suffered unknowingly for more than 10 years (Peripheral Artery Disease) A Vascular Disease.You can read my story here.

What is Vascular disease,

Think of your heart as a pump and your arteries and veins ( The circulatory or Vascular System as the tubes) that run throughout your body carrying the blood to keep your body healthy.

When any one of these tubes (arteries or veins becomes blocked) this is when the health problems can start.Thus causing CAD Coronary Artery Disease your heart or as in my case PAD Peripheral Artery Disease.That is I had little blood flow to my legs and feet.

Here you can read my personal story on the pain associated with Peripheral Artery Disease pad.

Something else I want to say before I continue. I feel most people think of Vascular Disease as just associated to your heart. It seems that until someone is diagnosed with Peripheral Artery Disease pad that they had never heard of it.

Vascular Disease causes night cramps

So for me Vascular Disease caused night cramps: No one is going to convince me any different. Possibly if you are reading this I take a guess that you are suffering those horrendous Night Cramps in your legs,feet,and toes too. And sometimes cramps in the hands.

Night Cramps Legs Feet

Back to those cramps or whats that funny name Horse Cramps no Charley Horse leg Cramps.

You know the pattern, you go to bed a lovely warm bed and you relax or start reading a good book. You may even have gone to sleep. Slowly there’s a kind of mild tightening.

Now mine always started in my big toe, this feeling that creeps,twinges,spasms right over the top of your foot and if you’re real unlucky right up your calf muscle.

Vascular Disease Causes Night Cramps

I can’t remember when my nocturnal cramps started I do remember that over a period of years. they became an every night event. As you do I visited many websites for causes, I often saw these words (can be associated to a medical condition.) Well that wasn’t my problem! Or was it.

As far as I knew at the time I didn’t have the illnesses stated on most websites Read Here ….

I could not exercise due to chronic pain and decreasing mobility, and lack of exercise can cause night cramps.

Though I do know I didn’t drink enough water and still don’t! you do really need to drink a good amount of water approximately upto 2 litres per day or 8-8 ounce glasses a day. Though having said water you can drink other fluids.

Help Ease Night Cramps

Most often advised is to try and stretch out the cramp which sounds an easy answer, however not being so young and supple one can’t always drop to the floor for these muscle stretches. Not always achievable with agonizing cramp of the calf muscle of the leg. I could ease sometimes a foot cramp by pulling my toes back.

There are many suggested natural cures for leg cramps at night and three products helped me.

Liquid Magnesium I rubbed madly and as best I could massaged from toes and up my leg.

A Magnesium Powder Supplement this a powerful supplement for the muscles helps ease night cramps and is to aid relaxation, in fact I found I relaxed more in general and slept better.

Tonic Water which contains Quinine. I found this extremely effective I took a glass to bed, sipped about a 1/4 cup when I felt a cramp coming on. It worked very quickly for me.

Some of the medical profession are against Quinine check with your doctor to be safe. While Quinine can be dangerous for some it has not been banned by the FDA

Peripheral Artery Disease

I never asked my Doctor about these night cramps, even though I was there often with Chronic pain and losing my mobility

If you follow my link and scroll through you will see that I was suffering Peripheral Artery Disease

Support Group pad

Vascular Disease Causes Night Cramps

On the 5th July 2017 I had Aortic Bifemoral Bypass Surgery You can read my story here on my Aortic Bifemoral Bypass. I have never had those horrible night cramps since.

Personal Story Aortic Bifemoral Bypass Surgery

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Aortic Bifemoral Bypass Surgery

(Peripheral Artery Bypass Surgery)

Hi my names Michelle and on the 5th July 2017 I had my Aortic Bifemoral Bypass Surgery. I had suffered chronic pain and loss of mobility for many years.This surgery is performed when you have a severe blockage or blockages in your Arteries that stop the blood flow through your legs to your feet.

In some patients with Peripheral Artery Disease PAD/PVD there is only a need for stents to be placed. For me though one blockage was in the Aorta near my navel and the other in my Femoral Artery (main artery of the leg).

Peripheral Bypass Graft attachment

Femoral Popliteal Bypass

There are two ways a Peripheral Bypass Graft can be attached, one is using your own veins this is a blood vessel graft. The other is a graft which is the one that I had: is a synthetic or manmade graft the material used is perfectly safe within your body.

These peripheral bypass grafts are sewn above and below the blockage. You now have a brand new and clear access for your blood to travel down your leg or legs. Your previously blocked areas remain as they were.

Aortic bifemoral bypass surgery — The graft coming from the Aorta and in to the Femoral Arteries

Support Group pad

Femoral Popliteal Bypass Image Enlarged

Pre Op tests before surgery

You will have several medical tests before your surgery I even had some repeated. Be sure you will be given blood tests before surgery. Your blood gives a very in depth reading showing your general health and whether or not you have any infections.

A test for your heart: Although there are several I had a heart stress test before surgery where you are on a treadmill. Due to my chronic pain, I could not keep walking enough to complete this test for the appropriate length of time. And so had to have a further Angiogram, I had good results.

A Lung Function test, also called a Pulmonary Function Test. This is very important it is a test for your Lungs and breathing . Your Vascular Surgery Specialist must be satisfied that your lungs will cope throughout your surgery.

There should be little if any breathing problems during your surgery. Mine were not good due to COPD or Emphysemia caused from smoking.

Epidural Anesthesia Risks For Me

For my up coming Aortobifemoral Bypass Surgery, Epidural Anesthesia was the choice of my Anesthetist due to me having COPD or Emphysema

Yes, like the surgery there are risks and I had read many online, including videos. You should too!

I was very grateful that I had the Epidural anesthetic as it virtually kept me pain free and it remained in place for three days after my operation.

Aortic Bifemoral Bypass Surgery

My incision was from my breast bone to my pubic bone and another incision near my groin. This incision was stapled. During this time I was still in ICU Intensive Care Unit in fact I was there for 3 days.

What happens in ICU after your Aortic Bifemoral Bypass Surgery

You will be attached to monitors keeping track of all your vital signs. Various tubes will supply you with fluid, and medications as needed and you will also have a Catheter removing urine.

I remained totally on fluid for my 3 days in ICU

You will hear various beeping noises, these are nothing to worry about just the machine doing its job. Nurses will be with you constantly checking that everything is as it should be.

Pain for me in honesty I felt none, this was because for my 3 days in recovery I was still receiving the Epidural anaesthesia.

Successful (Peripheral Artery Bypass Surgery)

On the 4th day in hospital I was moved to a private room. I was still unable to eat solids and getting cranky, My nurse phoned my Specialist and he gave permission for a small meal,very tiny, lovely man!

Pain wise the Epidural had been removed before the nurses moved me to my room and I was given other pain medication. Cannot say I was experiencing any chronic pain at least not while I stayed still. Turning to lie on my side was umm difficult and yes painful. I needed help only that first day to go to the bathroom,the nursing staff were great.

Physiotherapy treatment and a walking cane was given and up and down the hospital hallway I walked . Was there much pain ,no not really. Returned home on my 6th day, well I did ask, just wanted to be home in my own bed. Alternate staples were removed from my very swollen stomach and the rest would be removed by a home care nurse a few days later.

.Recently I wrote a post about my suffering for 10+ years where I had been losing the ability to walk

My chronic pain had remained undiagnosed.

My hope is that my personal story may just help someone else.

I was finally diagnosed with: Peripheral Artery Disease.

Could you have Peripheral Artery Disease

Please keep in mind that Peripheral Artery Disease or you may know it as Peripheral Vascular Disease is not a disease that is restricted only to the elderly.

Peripheral Artery Disease Symptoms

Please be aware that you may not have all of the Peripheral Artery Disease Symptoms: (I didn’t). I suffered the first and last symptoms dot pointed here:

- Severe pain lower back hip area which eases when sitting down
- Pain in lower legs or feet which eases when at rest.
- Losing the ability to walk far- your mobility
- Tired and aching legs
- Sores on your feet or toes that don’t heal
- Bluish hue or very pale skin on legs and feet
- Loss of hair on your legs