Acute Limb Ischaemia: Causes, symptoms, treatment and prevention tips

Health expert reveals all you need to know about Acute Limb Ischaemia, its causes, symptoms, treatment and prevention tips

Acute limb ischemia means a sudden lack of blood flow to a limb because of a blood clot thrombosis or embolism and this health condition is commonly seen in people belonging to all age groups. This fatal condition can raise the risk of tissue damage and potentially the loss of limbs.

Acute Limb Ischaemia: Causes, symptoms, treatment and prevention tips (Photo by Twitter/Sh_Critical)

Causes:

In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr Mayuresh Pradhan, Consultant Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgeon at Wockhardt Hospitals in Mumbai's Mira Road, revealed, “You can suffer from this condition if you have problems such as atherosclerosis (a build-up of plaque in the arteries), tumor in the heart, blood clots in the heart, high blood pressure, diabetes, a family history of heart disease. Furthermore, other factors such as smoking, age and a sedentary lifestyle can also make you susceptible to this dangerous condition.”

The red flags:

Dr Mayuresh Pradhan explained, “If one is having signs and symptoms such as sudden onset of pain leading to burning sensation and cramping in the muscles, pulselessness (absent pulses) in the impacted limb, paleness (limb appearing white as compared to other side), coldness of the limb and paralysis of the affected limb will need immediate attention. You will be shocked to know that there will be gangrene as the condition worsens.”

Treatment:

According to Dr Mayuresh Pradhan, the treatment will be decided on the basis of location of ischemia, time elapsed since onset of symptoms and condition of the limb. He said, “It includes clot dissolving drugs, interventions such as mechanical thrombectomy can be performed to suck the clot. Surgical procedure known as embolectomy can be performed to remove the clot. If the patient is late in presentation and gangrene has already set in, he may land up with a limb amputation. Your doctor will guide you about the right treatment plan for you. Also, you can speak to the doctor in case you have any doubts regarding the prognosis of this condition.”

Prevention tips:

Talking about how you can prevent this condition, Dr Mayuresh Pradhan said, “It is essential to quit smoking, manage cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar levels and take medication to manage these conditions. Apart from that, stick to healthy eating habits, maintain an optimum weight, stay active and give up the sedentary lifestyle, exercise daily and you will surely be able to keep this condition at bay. Stay vigilant and take care of yourself. As soon as you discover the above mentioned signs and symptoms, consult your physician immediately.”