Self-Care at Home

Your health care provider will recommend ways that you can reduce your risk factors for atherosclerosis and peripheral vascular disease. Not all risk factors can be changed, but most can be reduced. Reducing these risk factors can not only prevent your disease from getting worse but can also actually reverse your symptoms.

• Quit smoking: Quitting smoking reduces symptoms and lowers your chance of having your peripheral artery disease (and arteries elsewhere) get worse.
  
  
• Get active: Regular exercise, such as walking, can reduce symptoms and increase the distance you can walk without symptoms.
  
  
• Eat nutritious, low-fat foods and avoid foods high in cholesterol.
  
  
• Maintain a healthy weight.
  
  
• Follow your health care provider's recommendations for controlling high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
  
  
• If you have diabetes, follow your health care provider's recommendations for controlling your blood sugar and taking care of your feet. Trimming your own toenails and injuring skin could lead to skin breakdown, gangrene, and loss of toes, if blood flow is impaired.

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