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A new year means new goals. One of those goals should be successfully managing your vascular disease. In many cases, this can be accomplished with lifestyle changes like diet and exercise instead of surgery. 

How Does Exercise Impact Vascular Disease and Overall Health

Exercise is vital to your health. In fact, new research shows that it not only helps your heart and muscles but every cell in your body. 

For a patient with vascular disease like Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD), it can help stop the progression and even alleviate pain. Being sedentary or overweight actually causes more issues with circulation, which is the exact opposite of what’s needed. With exercise, patients can also lower their chance of stroke and the growth rate of an abdominal aortic aneurysm.

How to Develop an Exercise Program

Exercise isn’t just a one time thing and must be done on a routine basis. Just like so many other things, the best way to make sure it happens is by scheduling it. Create a weekly exercise program and pencil it in on your calendar. 

Your weekly plan should include:

• 30 minutes of daily cardio
• Examples include walking, jogging, swimming and biking
• 2 strength training sessions 
• Examples include weightlifting, pilates, working with resistance bands and yoga
• Stretching both pre and post workout to avoid injury

Exercise tip! Walking is one of the best exercises for patients with Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD). Just remember to be patient with yourself. It took years for PAD to develop and it will take months to see improvement in walking. 

Don’t get burned out! To ensure you continue with your exercise program, try these tips:

• Ramp up slowly
• Select an exercise activity you like (did you know gardening can help with strengthening muscles?)
• Get your friends and family involved
• Hold yourself accountable by updating an app on your phone (i.e. Apple Watch or My Fitness Pal) or keeping a journal
• Celebrate your progress

Before starting your exercise program, please talk with your doctor to make sure it's right for you and your vascular health issues.

Why Choose Vascular Associates of South Alabama to Help?

Our vascular physicians proactively work to combat vascular disease through lifestyle changes instead of immediately opting for surgery unless it’s absolutely necessary. They’ll meet with you to determine what changes need to be made as well as develop a plan of action including exercises that work for you. 

Book an appointment today by calling 251-410-8272! Same day appointments available!

Contact: 

Phone: 251-410-8272
Fax: 251-410-8273
Email: info@myvasadoc.net
Main Office: 1551 Old Shell Road
Mobile, AL 36604
Hours: Mon - Fri 7:30 AM - 4:30 PM

Resources:

• https://siouxlandvascular.com/improve-vascular-health-with-exercise/ 
• https://vascular.org/news-advocacy/articles-press-releases/exercise-improve-age-your-arteries 
• https://brvsc.com/exercise-can-help-improve-vascular-health/#:~:text=Cardio%20exercises%2C%20such%20as%20running,muscle%2C%20they%20will%20become%20stronger.
• https://brvsc.com/importance-exercise-vascular-health/
• https://www.pennmedicine.org/updates/blogs/heart-and-vascular-blog/2016/february/the-best-workout-to-manage-symptoms-of-peripheral-artery-disease 

It’s officially the holidays! While it’s a great time to spend with family and friends, all the festivities can cause issues with your vascular disease. From the unhealthy foods to the stress of it all, it’s crucial to be vigilant and up-to-date on your condition.

Watching Your Diet

Christmas cookies, fudge and fruit cake! Who doesn’t love digging into some sweet and savory foods during the holidays? Patients suffering with vascular disease don’t necessarily have to miss out on the good stuff, but definitely need to avoid overdoing it. 

Here are some things to remember when it comes to your diet:

• Limit alcohol consumption
• Don’t use too much sodium
• Keep portion size in mind
• Eat the good, festive foods like cranberries and sweet potatoes 
• Don’t over indulge in foods high in sugar

Controlling Stress

It’s important to manage stress during the holidays. Stress can increase heart rate and blood pressure while narrowing blood vessels. This can be particularly worrisome for patients with Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) or other vascular diseases as the veins are already narrowed. 

There are some things you can do to manage stress like:

• Just saying “no” and not overextending yourself
• Keeping up your exercise routine
• Getting enough sleep
• Taking time to relax
• Eating healthy (as laid out above)

Visiting the Doctor

Don’t forget to meet with your vascular physician as needed. The end of the year is a busy time, but patients must stick to their care schedule including attending appointments, taking medicines as prescribed and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. 

Towards the end of the year, deductibles have probably already been met. So, it’s a great time to get all medical needs taken care of.

Why Choose Vascular Associates of South Alabama?

Our vascular physicians believe in taking a proactive approach in treating vascular health conditions. They have an in-house, outpatient endovascular lab that allows them to quickly care for patients all in one comfortable location. 

Book an appointment today by calling 251-410-8272! Same day appointments available!

Contact: 

Phone: 251-410-8272
Fax: 251-410-8273
Email: info@myvasadoc.net
Main Office: 1551 Old Shell Road
Mobile, AL 36604
Hours: Mon - Fri 7:30 AM - 4:30 PM

Resources:

https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/about/copingwith-stresstips.html 

Since November is National Diabetes Month, let’s talk about your diabetic care team…

Every diabetic needs an all-encompassing care team as diabetes can potentially affect nearly every system in the body.

Members of the team may include: a primary care physician, endocrinologist, podiatrist, cardiologist, nephrologist, neurologist, ophthalmologist and, last but not least, a vascular surgeon. 

Vascular Disease and Diabetes

Vascular surgeons are extremely important to have on your diabetic care team. Diabetics are frequently diagnosed with Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD). With the changes in blood chemistry and artery walls, their high levels of blood sugar can contribute to plaque buildup. Unfortunately, this causes poor circulation and blockages in the artery which can delay wound healing and lead to gangrene, a deadly infection. 

Diabetics may also develop dangerous foot ulcers due to decrease in pain from nerve damage. Some ulcers go untreated for long periods of time making amputation a viable solution. 

Limb Amputation

Patients with diabetes alone have an increased risk of limb amputation. Combined with PAD, that risk increases significantly. Amputation should always be the very last resort as it’s linked to a rise in five-year mortality rates. 

The best ways to avoid amputation are to understand the risk factors and be proactive. Find a physician who closely monitors and manages your underlying conditions. Learn how to check for wounds that aren’t healing and keep your blood sugar levels under control. 

Prior to any amputation, all diabetic patients should be evaluated by a vascular surgeon as there may be other ways to treat the affected limb.

Why Choose Vascular Associates of South Alabama to Be Part of Your Diabetic Care Team?

Our vascular physicians specialize in limb salvage and ulcer care specifically for diabetic patients with PAD. Vascular Associates of South Alabama takes a more proactive approach of managing your condition through healthy lifestyle changes, treatments and procedures. 

Book an appointment today by calling 251-410-8272!

Contact: 

Phone: 251-410-8272
Fax: 251-410-8273
Email: info@myvasadoc.net
Main Office: 1551 Old Shell Road
Mobile, AL 36604
Hours: Mon - Fri 7:30 AM - 4:30 PM

Resources:

https://www.upstate.edu/surgery/healthcare/vascular/conditions-treated/diabetic.php#:~:text=Below%20is%20a%20list%20of,occur%20that%20will%20not%20heal