General Information About Buerger's Disease
Disease Details and Frequently Asked Questions
It is the inflammation and swelling of arteries and veins in the arms, hands, legs, and feet, followed by blockage with blood clots (thrombi) that stop the blood supply to the limbs.
There is a direct and absolute connection between this disease and smoking/tobacco use. Almost 100% of the patients are smokers. It is thought that chemicals in tobacco directly destroy the inner lining of the blood vessels.
Severe cramps in the legs while walking, coldness, paleness, tingling in the fingers and toes, and severe pain that continues even while resting.
If the patient continues to smoke and remains untreated, non-healing black sores (gangrene) appear on the tips of the fingers where blood cannot reach. The surgical removal (amputation) of these dead tissues becomes mandatory.
After the physical examination by a Vascular Surgeon (inability to feel pulses), the diagnosis is made by mapping the blockage using Doppler Ultrasound and Angiography methods that show blood flow in the arm or leg.
The most fundamental and first rule of treatment is the complete cessation of tobacco use (cigarettes, e-cigarettes, pipes). Without quitting smoking, no medication will work. Medically, vasodilator drugs are given, and in appropriate cases, the vessels are relaxed through surgical cutting of sympathetic nerves (sympathectomy).
Our health library contents are prepared for informational purposes only and with scientific data available at the time of recording. For all your questions, concerns, diagnosis, or treatment regarding your health, please consult your doctor or a healthcare institution.
