Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is the narrowing or blockage of blood vessels which, in turn, can give you poor circulation. People with PAD have a higher risk of heart attack, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases, so it’s important to recognise the signs early to initiate treatment.

One of the best ways to recognise the condition is through an ankle brachial index, or ABI doppler. They can tell you if you are suffering from the problem so that you can begin treatment.

Here are four must-know things about this often-undetected health concern:

1. It can easily go unrecognised

You may not recognise any symptoms before being diagnosed with the problem. In fact, people who suffer from the problem can go for years without experiencing any symptoms, and this can go on whilst the plaque continues to harden and grow bigger.

With this in mind, people will only start to experience symptoms once the blockage is significant enough to block a large amount of the artery. The main symptom is leg pain, especially when walking. This symptom is called claudication and typically stops once the person stops walking.

Unfortunately, many sufferers mistake this leg pain as a sign of ageing. Therefore, they may often leave the condition until it’s too late, another reason why it’s important to use an ABI doppler even occasionally to check for the issue.

2. It increases the risk of heart disease

PAD often comes alongside atherosclerosis in other arteries - coronary arteries included. Therefore, the problem increases the risk of suffering heart disease, experiencing heart failure or suffering stroke.

3. It is preventable

Although genetics play a pivotal role in the condition’s development, most contributing factors are typically lifestyle-related. Therefore, if you are either a smoker or suffer from diabetes, it is important to know that your likelihood of developing it is higher than other people.

For diabetics, to reduce the risk of developing PAD it is important to maintain the right blood sugar levels. For smokers, you’re about to hear what you have been hearing for years (or however long you’ve maintained the habit).

Quitting smoking comes with many health benefits, especially those related to your cardiovascular health. Naturally, as PAD is cardio-related, quitting smoking can help reduce the risk of developing the problem.

4. It is treatable

Even when found to be at an advanced stage, the health issue is still treatable. Medical professionals provide full care with specified treatment depending on where the patient is with their atherosclerosis.

Patients will see their doctor for a risk assessment in order to evaluate their arteries, and if they are found to have developed the health concern their doctor will develop a treatment plan for the condition.

If a blockage is found, the doctors will offer minimally-invasive treatments that restore normal blood flow and eliminate plaque. Procedures like atherectomy and angioplasty conducted from inside the arteries can be used to treat it.

Patients can typically receive diagnosis and treatment in the one spot, allowing them to discover, manage and treat the problem with minimal hassle. So, if you are a person who experiences symptoms like leg tingling, cramping or fatigue - or if you are at an age where you think the problem could be a problem for you - it’s important to receive a test to discover if you suffer from it.

A simple ABI doppler will be able to recognise if you have the condition and then treatment can begin to hopefully alleviate the health problem.