The pain may not even go away even if the body is resting.
REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA — High cholesterol that is left unchecked can trigger peripheral arterial disease. When this disease has occurred, very uncomfortable symptoms can be felt in five areas of the foot.
High cholesterol can cause plaque to build up on blood vessel walls. Plaque is a mixture of fatty substances, cholesterol, cellular waste products, calcium and fibrin. The presence of plaque that has built up can harden and stiffen blood vessels. These changes will later affect blood flow in the body, including blood flow in the legs.
Impaired blood flow in the legs can lead to peripheral arterial disease or peripheral artery disease (PAD). When it reaches this stage, PAD can cause an initial symptom called intermittent claudication which can feel uncomfortable.
Intermittent claudication is known as muscular pain what happens when the body is active This muscle pain will stop when the body is at rest. In some cases, the pain that appears can be so intense that it makes it difficult for a person to perform activities such as walking.
There are five areas on and around the feet that can feel discomfort from intermittent claudication. The five areas are the calves, thighs, glutes, hips, and the entire leg area below the ankles. These five areas may experience sensations such as pain, soreness, discomfort, muscle spasms, hug muscles or fatigue from intermittent claudication.
Along with the development of claudication, the pain that appears can be more severe. The pain may not even go away even if the body is resting.
There are some other symptoms that also appear when PAD already happened. These symptoms are burning or pain in the area of the feet and toes when resting, especially at night when lying down, the skin in the area of the feet is cold, redness or discoloration of the skin on the feet, infections occur more frequently and sores on the feet or toes that don’t heal.
However, it is not uncommon for PAD to show no significant symptoms such as high cholesterol. Therefore, it is highly recommended to check your blood cholesterol levels regularly to prevent problems high cholesterol be identified and managed as soon as possible.
Lifestyle changes are an important key to reducing and managing cholesterol levels. One of the changes you can make is to quit smoking.
Another no less important modification is adopting a healthy diet. Avoid or limit the consumption of foods high in saturated fat, such as cheese or sausage. Try switching to foods that contain unsaturated fats, such as olive oil and nuts.
Another lifestyle change that needs to be made is regular exercise. Furthermore, measures to avoid alcohol consumption can also have a good impact on the management of cholesterol levels.
