Buerger’s disease is a rare vascular disorder that affects the arms and lower legs’ arteries and veins. When you have Buerger’s disease (also known as thromboangiitis obliterans), the blood vessels in your body become inflamed, enlarged, and may become clogged with blood clots (thrombi).
This gradually deteriorates or destroys skin tissues and, if left untreated, can result in infection and gangrene. Buerger’s disease typically begins in the hands and feet but can progress to affect larger areas of the arms and legs.
Symptoms
The following are some of the symptoms of Buerger’s disease:
- A tingling or numbing sensation in the hands or feet
- Pale, reddish, or blue hands and feet.
- It is common to experience intermittent pain in your legs and feet, as well as your arms and hands. This pain may occur when you use your hands or feet and subsides when you stop performing that activity (claudication) or relax.
- It is caused by inflammation of a vein just beneath the skin’s surface (due to a blood clot in the vein).
- When the skin on the fingers and toes is exposed to cold, it becomes pale (Raynaud’s phenomenon).
When should you consult a physician?
Consult your doctors at icloudhospital if you suspect you are experiencing signs or symptoms of Buerger’s disease.
Causes
We do not know what causes Buerger’s disease or when it began. Tobacco use is associated with the development of Buerger’s disease, but the mechanism by which this occurs is unknown. Smoking may enlarge your blood vessels due to compounds in tobacco believed to irritate the inside of your blood vessels.
According to experts of https://icloudhospital.com/, certain individuals may be predisposed to the disease due to a hereditary predisposition. In addition, a possible contributing factor to the condition is an autoimmune reaction, in which the body’s immune system misinterprets healthy tissue.
Risk factors
Tobacco use significantly increases your risk of developing Buerger’s disease. But, on the other hand, Buerger’s illness can strike anyone who consumes tobacco in any form, including cigars and chewing tobacco.
Individuals who smoke hand-rolled cigarettes made from raw tobacco and those who smoke more than a pack and a half of cigarettes per day have the highest risk of developing Buerger’s disease.
Sex
Males are significantly more likely to develop Buerger’s disease than females. However, this discrepancy may be due to males smoking at a higher rate.
Age
Often, individuals under the age of 45 are the first to be diagnosed with the disease.
Complications
If your Buerger’s disease worsens, the blood flow to your arms and legs will decrease. This is due to blood vessel obstructions that prevent blood from properly reaching the tips of your fingers and toes. Organs that do not receive blood do not receive the oxygen and nutrients necessary for proper function.
This may result in the death of the skin and tissue at the ends of your fingers and toes (gangrene). Signs and symptoms of gangrene include:
- Black or blue skin.
- Loss of sensation in the affected finger or toe.
- An offensive odor emanates from the affected area.
