Usually when you get a nosebleed or a pimple your first instinct is to head to the doctor's office. Most of the time, it's not something to worry about. Sometimes something that seems small is an indication of something bigger going on. These are "third-tier" complaints that just might be trying to warn you about a first-tier problem.
Leg Pain - It's easty to shrug off leg pain as a cramp, soreness, or the dog attached to your ankle. But it can also mean something's awry up top in your heart. The first sign of a gunked-up circulatory system is often leg pain, not chest pain, because the legs' longer blood vessels become blocked by plaque earlier, resulting in a shortage of oxygen to the muscles. When the pain occurs is more specific. Leg pain with arterial blockages usually gets worse as you exercise. The greater the exercise intensity, the greater the oxygen demand.
The medical name for clogged leg vessels is peripheral arterial diseaser (PAD), and one of the best tests for it is Doppler ultrasonography. If the ultrasound detects narrowed arteries and they don't pose an imminent threat, your doctor witll probably prescribe exercise, a statin to lower LDL cholesterol, and a drug such as cilostazol to improve bloodflow. The best ways to prevent PAD in the first place? Quit smoking, cut out trans fats, take at least 400 micrograms of folic acid daily. It has been shown to lower the risk by 32 percent.
Source: Men's Health
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