Please provide some do's and don'ts for patients with peripheral artery disease.

Pain: Pain in your calves when walking (claudication) can improve with a walking program and no smoking.

The: The biggest risk factor of pad is smoking. If you have pad, you need to quit smoking.

Do: Do avoid consuming sugars & sweets- these items will make your pad much worse.

Don't: Don't dismiss leg pain, discolored toes, or poor healing as age-related. See your doctor!

Ignoring: Ignoring pad is not an option. The disease will worsen and lead to loss of limb or life.

New: New treatments are available that can be performed as an outpatient (atherectomy, angioplasty, etc).

Stopping: Stopping smoking, controlling your diabetes and cholesterol can all slow/prevent pad.

Proper: Proper exercise on a daily basis can improve your circulation & improve your pad.

Avoid: Avoid "cured meats" - they contain nitrates & nitrites which can make your pad much worse.

Just: Just because PVD "runs in your family" does not mean that you have to suffer from it.

Proper: Proper exercise, diet & other lifestyle modifications can reduce your risk of developing pad.

COQ-10: Coq-10 may be helpful in treatment of peripheral vascular disease.

Check: Check your feet daily for any signs of cuts, blisters, or other wounds; you may not heal as fast.

Quitting: Quitting smoking is the single most important intervention for reducing PVD risk!

DON'T: Don't smoke. Smoking damages and constricts blood vessels.

DO: Do - exercise as prescribed by your physician. This is very important.

DON'T: Don't walk barefoot. You are more suspectible to infection.

DO: Do - consider having a certified pedorthist help with finding the right shoes that fit well.

Do: Do see a podiatrist for care of feet & foot related problems. Feet are an area of vulnerability.

DO: Do - keep cholesterol levels controlled. High cholestrol levels contribute to athlerosclerosis.

DO: Do - maintain healthy blood pressure. Hypertension can contribute to developing athlerosclerosis.

DO: Do - talk with your pharmacist or physician about over- the -counter medications to avoid.

Don't: Don't smoke. Avoid obesity. Get tested for diabetes. If diabetic strict control, exercise, BP control.

Quit: Quit smoking and walk daily to increase the distance you can walk.

Do: Do avoid smoking at all costs. Smoking worsens pvd.

Have: Have healthy levels of blood fats, do not smoke.

Do: Do not smoke! if you smoke, quit now!

Exercise: Exercise (walking is fine) every day. Quit smoking.

Don't: Don't wait too long to treat it, it may be irreversible.

Make: Make sure your blood fats are in good order. Do not smoke.

Don't: Don't ignore leg heaviness, swelling, aching, cramping, etc, find a vein specialist!

Do: Do not suffer from vein disease and ulcers of the leg when these problems are easily treated.

Don't: Don't blame yourself for your varicose veins. They are primarily due to heredity.

Compression: Compression of veins by the muscles prevents varicosities; so walk, walk and then walk more.

Treating: Treating varicose has evolved into a short, low-risk procedure performed in the office.

Support: Support stocking when your on your feet for extended periods.

Get: Get adequate work up before any treatment.

Regular: Regular exercise will help maximize walking distance even with pvd.

Socks/stockings: Socks/stockings should be gradually compressing all the way up; do not have a tight band at the top.

Leg: Leg elevation, compression stockings, and anti-inflammatory medicines can help varicose vein pain.

Varicose: Varicose veins should become a thing of the past now that we have great options to treat!

Compression: Compression stockings may be very helpful to wear during the day for varicose veins.

Most: Most pad does not need surgery.

Over: Myth: over the counter light compression stockings are as good as the prescription ones.

Unfortunately,: Unfortunately, compression stockings only slow the disease.

For: For people that stand on their feet all day compression hose can help to prevent varicose veins.

If: If you have to strain to move your bowels, see your physician to find ways to prevent that.

Support: Support stockings for those with lots of standing on the job.

Cigarette: Cigarette smoking is the number 1 worst thing a person can do to make it worse, severe, etc.

Vascular: Vascular surgeons who specialize in vein surgery are best able to correct these problems.

Newer,: Newer, non-surgical treatments for varicose veins are easy to tolerate and effective.

Vary: Vary with the cause. Be evaluated by a surgical specialist.

Superficial: Superficial spider veins can be treated by lasers or injection.

The: The most effective treatment for spider veins is sclerotherapy.

Laser: Laser ablation, sclero therapy or microphlebectomies.

Laser: Laser treatment is the most effective, lowest pain, and best treatment (done in the office)!

Laser: Laser closure of the problem vein in the leg will resolve all varicosities.

There: There are surgical procedures that can be done to remove varicose veins.

The: The procedure is performed in the surgeon's office under local and return to work in 1 day is usual.

Prevent: Prevent vascular pain by doing multilayer wrap - package foam, cotton padding, coban wrap.

The: The biggest factor to prevent peripheral vascular disease is to not smoke or quit smoking.

Most: Most patients should be on low dose Aspirin to prevents arterial clots!

Be: Be on aspirin, Plavix (clopidogrel) or both! control cholesterol & bp. Do not smoke.

Some: Some men find it easier to urinate whilst sitting down, nothing to be ashamed of.

Vitamins: Vitamins and antioxidant supplements do not prevent vascular events.

Horse: Horse chestnut, an herbal extract has been shown in studies to strengthen veins and reduce swelling.

No: No smoking, take your aspirin, keep diabetes & cholesterol controlled, exercise, and get evaluated.

On: On a longer flight, get up and walk at least once an hour to help prevent deep vein thrombosis, dvt.

Don't: Don't blame yourself if you have varicose veins, blame your parents, & your children if you're a mom.

Don't: Don't suffer from varicose veins, do see a vein specialist and get them treated.

Newer: Newer treatments for varicose veins are simpler, more effective, and have quicker recovery.

Endovenous: Endovenous laser ablation treatment for varicose veins has less operative risk than vein stripping.

Endovenous: Endovenous laser ablation treatment for varicose veins does not require any incisions quick recovery.

On: On a long flight, walk regularly, consider support socks to help prevent deep vein thrombosis, dvt.

Removing: Removing varicose veins actually improves blood circulation in the legs.

Removing: Removing refluxing saphenous and varicose veins actually improves blood circulation in the legs.

A: A diet high in antioxidant-rich fruit may help protect against the development of aortic aneurysms.

There: There are many type of specialists who treat varicose veins. One type specialist is a phlebologist.

Spider: Spider veins can cause symptoms such as burning or stinging. If they do get them treated.

Varicose: Varicose veins often cause aching, cramping and tired legs.

Insurance: Insurance covers the treatment of most symptomatic vein disease.

The: The first line of treatment for varicose veins is compression stockings.

Any: Any man 65-75yo who has ever smoked should be screened by ultrasound for abdominal aortic aneurysm.

Stop: Stop smoking and alcohol. Start anti platelet and cholesterol lowering drugs and exercise daily.