Left untreated, PAD can lead to amputation

Don’t ignore nighttime leg pain

Does leg pain frequently interrupt your sleep? Are you in the habit of hanging your foot off the edge of the bed to relieve the discomfort? Is sleeping upright in a chair the only way you can get rest?

These might be more than normal effects of getting older. Pain in your legs and feet at night, or when you’re trying to sleep, is a symptom of peripheral artery diseasePeripheral artery disease (PAD) is a disease in which plaque builds up in the arteries that carry blood to your head, organs, and limbs. Plaque is made up of fat, cholesterol, calcium, fibrous tissue, and other substances in the blood. (PADPeripheral Artery Disease, a potentially life threatening disease where plaque, like calcium, builds up along blood vessel walls, narrowing the arteries and reducing blood flow to the legs and feet.). And nighttime leg pain could mean you have the worst form of PAD — critical limb ischemiaAlso potentially known as CLI, the most severe and deadly form of peripheral artery disease. (CLI).

Aches and pains from PAD are the result of narrowed, hardened arteriesArteries are blood vessels that carry blood to your heart and other parts of your body. in the legs, limiting blood flow to your legs and feet. With CLI, the obstructed blood flow is so considerable and widespread that nighttime pain attacks in your legs or feet can last minutes to hours long.²⁰

Leg pain could be a sign of something worse

Many CLI patients are at significant risk for amputationTo surgically remove all or part of a limb (leg, foot or toe) if they don’t seek treatment. Things can get worse from there — CLI has been linked to putting a patient’s life at risk.⁴

Nighttime leg pain can be a sign of a serious condition. Know the warning signs.

Only a health care professional can diagnose you with PAD. Don’t put it off. Make an appointment with your doctor now, or use our Find a Doctor tool to locate a PAD specialist near you.