Nowadays, a lot of elderly people, especially in the long-term smoking, high-fat diet, but also hypertension, coronary heart disease in elderly men, often have cold hands and feet, numbness, pain, finger or toe ulcers, walking because of leg and foot pain and to walk and stop, feet can not land and other situations occur. At this time, people generally think of lumbar disc prolapse, age-related osteoporosis, cerebrovascular disease in the elderly, back and leg pain or calcium deficiency, while ignoring another disease with serious consequences – lower limb atherosclerosis occlusive disease. Lower extremity arteriosclerosis occlusive disease is the same as coronary heart disease, cerebral infarction are vascular sclerosis disease, but the location of the occurrence of different. Vascular sclerosis is generally systemic, and more than 80% of patients with coronary artery disease, hypertension, and cerebral infarction have lower extremity atherosclerosis combined, and 80% of patients with atherosclerosis have heart and brain disease combined. The prevalence of lower extremity atherosclerosis-occlusive disease is as high as 17% in people aged 55 to 70 years, and is more common in older men. People with this disease usually have weakness in the lower legs after walking for a while, muscle pain, soreness and swelling, and can continue walking after a little rest. The hands and feet are cold, numb and painful, the pain is worst at night and sometimes it is difficult to sleep, the skin is pale, and the calves, fingers or toes are ulcerated and necrotic. Long-term hypertension, smoking, high-fat diet, low exercise, and chronic mental stress are all risk factors for the onset of the disease. The early symptoms of the disease are atypical and easily confused with lumbar disc prolapse, senile osteoporosis, calcium deficiency and other diseases. Patients with this symptom must not self-diagnose and treat themselves, but should go to a specialist hospital in time, and if not treated in time there may be tragic amputations or even life-threatening. The disease can generally be diagnosed by means of Doppler ultrasound, non-invasive lower limb blood flow analysis, CTA , MRI MRA, arteriography and other tests. After diagnosis, patients must quit smoking and drinking, actively treat the primary disease (such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes), exercise in moderation, and eat a low-salt, low-sugar, high-fiber diet. Adjust their emotions to avoid long-term depression and tension. Under the guidance of a vascular surgeon, apply lipid-lowering drugs, antihypertensive drugs, vasodilators, antiplatelet drugs and anticoagulants; decide whether arterial bypass surgery or vasodilation and stent placement under minimally invasive techniques are needed according to the course of the disease. Special attention should be paid to the lower extremity and foot ulcers when the use of ointment is strictly prohibited, the lesions can be flushed with hydrogen peroxide, metronidazole solution, gentamicin solution, dried and covered with gauze. Already have lower limb arteriosclerosis should be prohibited from walking barefoot, do not use hot water to scald the feet to prevent burns. Change socks every day and do not wear shoes too tightly to avoid abrasion of the feet. Elevate the affected limbs frequently and massage the lower limbs to promote blood circulation. In short, once the above symptoms appear in the elderly, they should go to a specialist hospital for examination and timely treatment. Early detection and early treatment is the key to treat lower limb atherosclerosis occlusive disease.
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