An Expert’s Insight On Peripheral Artery Disease And Finding The Right Specialist
A disease that not many are aware of, but PAD or peripheral artery disease is quite common among adults over the age of 50. Although rare in young patients, symptoms can sometimes be seen as early as in the late 30s and 40s. In such cases, the condition is recognized as premature peripheral artery disease.
The obvious question may come to your mind: Why does PAD happen? The most straightforward answer is atherosclerosis, or, to simplify, plaque build-up in the arteries. This condition further reduces blood flow in the peripheral arteries, thus affecting limb functions, particularly the lower limbs.
PAD is very common among older generations with cholesterol and obesity issues. However, the right doctor treats peripheral artery disease, helps reduce the symptoms, and improves health through treatments and medications.
If you are concerned about what kind of doctor treats peripheral artery disease, you must keep reading to learn more about the doctors and the disease in detail.
Understanding Types Of Peripheral Artery Disease Doctors
PAD is a health condition commonly seen in older patients above the age of 50, more common in patients in their 70s. However, not all older patients get it; PAD is more common in patients with smoking habits, cholesterol issues, suffer from obesity and diabetes. These health factors significantly increase the risk of developing PAD and peripheral artery disease doctor diagnose the condition by understanding the symptoms and other health issues the patients suffer simultaneously.
The peripheral artery disease occurs when a combination of cholesterol and fat, known as plaque, deposits in the peripheral arteries and restricts blood flow from the heart to the lower limbs, especially the legs. This is why patients suffering from PAD have difficulty walking or feel extreme pain while walking; in some cases, they also feel weakness or numbness in the legs.
If the health condition worsens and you fail to visit the right kind of doctor treats PAD, you can have severe side effects like heart attack, painful and unhealing sores, infections, loss of a limp/ amputation, blood clots, and erectile dysfunction.
What Types Of Doctors Can Treat Peripheral Artery Disease?
Luckily, specialists prescribe several peripheral artery disease treatments that can help patients heal and slowly return to a healthier, pain-free life. PAD can be managed and cured if diagnosed at the right time when the initial symptoms begin to show. Now, you must be wondering what kind of doctor treats peripheral artery disease and whom you should visit if you feel the symptoms have started to show. All the answers to your questions and concerns are listed below:
Vascular And Endovascular Surgeons
The fastest way to diagnose your health condition is to see a PAD specialist with expertise in similar cases; therefore, visiting vascular and endovascular surgeons is the best option. As there is a high risk of strokes, heart attacks, and blood clots in PAD, these healthcare specialists can save your life by performing effective endovascular treatments, such as balloon angioplasty or stenting. These treatments help remove plaque buildup and improve the blood flow in peripheral arteries. As a result, patients witness improvements in lower limbs.
The common endovascular treatments these specialists perform are cleaning blocked arteries, widening the passage, and retrieving blood flow from the heart to the parts of the body through minimally invasive methods.
A Cardiologist
Not every PAD patient requires surgeries immediately; to treat such cases, a cardiologist is among the best types of doctors treat peripheral disease with medications. Statins are the most common medications prescribed by cardiologists that help lower bad cholesterol levels in the body and reduce plaque buildup in the peripheral arteries.
The medications a cardiologist prescribes also help reduce your chances of heart strokes and attacks, maintain blood pressure, and prevent high cholesterol levels. These specialists also prescribe lifestyle changes and medications, including maintaining a healthy diet, exercising, restricting smoking habits, etc.
Interventional Radiologists
Seeing interventional radiologists is an excellent option because they are the best kind of doctor treats PAD and help with early diagnosis and treatments. These specialists suggest simple tests, such as ABI or an ankle-brachial index test that involves comparing the blood pressure of your ankles and arms. A lowered blood pressure in your leg compared to your arms indicates narrowed or blocked peripheral arteries.
Interventional radiologists can suggest medications and lifestyle changes if there is no need for immediate surgeries. If your health condition is severe, these specialists can recommend effective PAD treatments like angioplasty, thrombolysis, stenting, and thrombectomy.
Endocrinologists
If increased levels of diabetes have triggered your PAD, an endocrinologist is the right specialist who can help you manage the condition through medications. But you must note that an endocrinologist deals with hormones or issues related to endocrinal glands; therefore, if your focus is to cure peripheral artery disease, these specialists cannot help you. The best way to deal with the issue is to see an experienced PAD specialist with expertise in vascular and endovascular treatments.
A Podiatrist
Your decision to see a podiatrist is very effective in clinically improving your early PAD diagnosis. These specialists suggest appropriate medications and treatments that can reduce the pain and discomfort in your legs and prevent life-threatening conditions. An early diagnosis can keep your PAD under control and prevent it from causing severe damage and health issues.
Why Choosing The Right Doctor Matters
PAD is not the end of your healthy lifestyle if you know what the PAD specialist can do for you and how they improve your health and lifestyle. By trusting reliable clinics like Advanced Medical Group, you can get access to the best PAD doctors and get your symptoms diagnosed as early as possible. A reliable clinic also follows competitive PAD treatment cost plans to ensure you get the best treatments without overspending your budget. Contact us today for more details.
