But a persistent difference may warrant attention.
Both the NHLBI and the American Heart Association include a lower temperature in one foot or leg compared to the other among the possible manifestations of reduced blood flow.
When you also notice hair loss, changes in your nails, or discomfort when walking, the
whole becomes more important than any of those signs separately.
Sign number 2: Leg pain when you walk
This is one of the classic characteristics of peripheral arterial disease.
It may feel like:
Cramps.
Heaviness.
Burning.
Pain.
Tiredness in
the legs.
Discomfort in calves, thighs, buttocks or ankles.
The characteristic feature is that it appears when walking, climbing stairs, or exercising and improves after resting. This phenomenon is known as intermittent claudication.
Why does this happen?
When you are
at rest, your muscles need relatively little blood.
When you start walking, they need much more.
If an artery is sufficiently narrowed, it may not increase the flow as needed, and then discomfort appears.
