Left untreated, PAD can lead to amputation

Numbness or burning in your leg, feet or toes

If you notice a strange tingling in your foot, or you feel like your entire leg is on fire, pay attention to what your body is telling you and see a health care professional. Don’t ignore these kinds of unusual sensations, especially if they get progressively worse or more painful — they could be signs of a larger issue that requires a doctor’s attention.

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.) can cause uncomfortable numbness or burning sensations in your feet and legs. The restricted blood flow brought on by PAD can harm your body in a variety of ways, including damaging your nerves, which transmit messages between your brain and the rest of your body.

When your nerves are damaged — a condition called neuropathyPeripheral neuropathy is a condition that develops as a result of damage to the peripheral nervous system. — you may begin to feel numbness or a burning sensation in your arms, hands, legs or feet. Nerve damage is also associated with diabetes(Diabetes mellitus) is a group of metabolic diseases characterized by hyperglycemia resulting from defects in insulin secretion, insulin action, or both.,¹⁹ which is one of the primary risk factors for PAD.²¹

Nerve damage can be painful

Pain from nerve damage could be an indicator of critical limb ischemiaAlso potentially known as CLI, the most severe and deadly form of peripheral artery disease. (CLI), the worst form of PAD. The obstructed blood flow to the feet and legs can be so considerable and widespread with CLI that many 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 can also put a patient’s life at risk.

Don’t accept numbness or burning sensations as part of your “new normal.” Catching PAD early is very important, and treatment is crucial to help save lives and limbs.

Talk to a health care professional about your condition. If you don’t have a PAD specialist, use our Find a Doctor tool to locate one near you.

Talk to Your Doctor

Only a health care professional can diagnose you with PAD. Our Symptom Quiz can help guide the conversation about your treatment options.

Take the Symptom Quiz

Click below to take the interactive Symptom Quiz. You can print your answers out and take them with you to a doctor to help guide your conversation about PAD.