Peripheral vascular disease is something many people may not know about, but a national program is striving to make people aware and detect if a person has the disease.

Legs For Life held a testing day for PVD on Sept. 12 at Hermitage HealthPlace. Anyone who signed up received information about the disease and underwent a simple test.

PVD is a condition in which the arteries that carry blood to the arms and legs become narrow or clogged, and the normal flow of blood is interrupted.

Dr. James Gebhart, a vascular surgeon with Sharon Regional Health System, said an indication that a person might have PVD is that walking becomes painful. He said someone may not be able to walk through the mall or to their mailbox and back without having to stop because of the pain.

Other signs of PVD are fatigue, cramping, pain in the legs and feet when the person is at rest in bed, open sores on the legs that won't heal or gangrene, Gebhart said.

There are various ways to treat PVD and early detection is very important. When caught early, PVD can be treated with exercise such as walking, Gebhart said. He said patients are often put on an exercise regimen that includes the person walking through the pain.

Lifestyle modifiers, especially cutting out use of tobacco products, are important for people suffering from PVD. "That's absolutely huge," Gebhart said.

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