Especially after a certain age, it will be common to feel a sense of heaviness in the legs, pain and tingling, even in the upper limbs. These could be a wake-up call that the cardiovascular system has been compromised by a malfunction probably due to an unhealthy lifestyle and poor physical activity. The so-called accumulations of lipid plaques, mainly composed of cholesterol and triglycerides, clog the arteries, giving rise to a particular pathological condition. In severe cases, it could lead to strokes, heart attacks, and loss of limbs.
Tingling and pain in the legs after age 50 could be a sign of a serious condition
Peripheral arterial disease is a disease that occurs most frequently in middle age and, even, estimates say that one in three over seventy suffers from it. Therefore, tingling and pain in the legs after the age of 50 could be the harbinger of a serious pathology of the cardiovascular system to watch out for.
The flow of blood and oxygen to the limbs is hindered by the formation of atherosclerotic plaques, up to sending them into gangrene. Sometimes, in fact, it is necessary to amputate the affected limbs, in the most serious cases, to avoid compromising the rest of the system. The most common accident causes are smoking, high blood pressure, lack of physical activity, overweight, obesity and old age. In particular for conditions of overweight, we have already invited to be careful because there are even 12 cancers that we risk with this bad habit.
Common symptoms
The disease can appear asymptomatically in the mild form, while it is distinct in the more severe form. In fact, the most characteristic symptom is muscle pain in the arms and legs during common activities, such as walking. This disorder is called intermittent claudication which, in addition to tingling, results in pain in the narrow or obstructed artery even for short moments. In addition, characteristic symptoms are:
- shiny limb skin and poor hair and nail growth;
- limb colder and stiffer;
- limb color change;
- numbness and weakness.
In severe cases, sores may appear at the occluded arteries.
Categories at risk and prevention
The people most affected by the problem are men over 50 and people with diabetes. Diabetes, in fact, increases the risk of developing the disease even at a young age. Also, for men, one of the symptoms of the disease could be erectile dysfunction. The advice to apply immediately, therefore, is to stop smoking and keep blood pressure and cholesterol under control through analysis, sports and nutrition. However, always consult your doctor. For example, few choose this little-known flour but it is a natural killer of bad cholesterol.
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