6 Poor Circulation In Legs Symptoms

Look out for poor circulation in legs symptoms¹ and solve them immediately for a healthy and safe life as no one likes pain.

Due to irregularities in blood flow, the cells in your body will not get sufficient oxygen and essential nutrients.

Poor blood circulation in the legs results in leg pain. Most commonly, leg pains are associated with circulation problems. When left untreated, this can develop risk factors and can be life-threatening.

Peripheral Artery Disease or PAD is an issue that arises due to decreased blood flow. Plaque buildup in the arteries results in their hardening and disrupts blood circulation.

Sometimes, poor circulation may be due to other underlying conditions like diabetes.

1. 6 Poor Circulation in Legs Symptoms

Problems associated with blood circulation make your life difficult. Identifying the root cause and treating it is necessary. Reduced blood flow damages your overall health. Therefore symptoms of poor circulation² shouldn’t be dismissed carelessly.

Some of the common symptoms of poor circulation in the legs are discussed here:

1.1 Pain, Cramps, and Swelling

Muscle pain is a common symptom of lower blood circulation³. You might experience an uneasiness with your joints and calf muscles. Stiffness and painful cramping arise when there is poor circulation.

Your thighs, hip, and feet will be aching with or without movement.

Edema or fluid formation in the legs is also a symptom. It can also indicate heart failure.

You may feel pain, heaviness, tightening, and stiffness along the blood vessels.

1.2 Numbness and Cold Body Parts

You may get numb as the blood flow is hindered. Tingling can also occur along with numbness. One might even feel the sensations of needles poking your skin.

When you have adequate blood flow, your body is generally warm. The dysfunction of the circulatory system makes your feet and hands colder.

1.3 Cognitive Problems

Blood circulation is directly related to your health. Your brain functioning, blood pressure, and nutrient absorption are all connected with blood flow.

You may find it hard to focus, you may easily forget things, and eventually, it may lower your productivity.

1.4 Fatigue

Insufficient blood circulation makes you unhealthy and leads to extreme fatigue. You will have low energy and heart health is constantly disrupted.

1.5 Issues With Digestion

The blood vessels in the abdomen will begin to collect fats, which will lead to digestive problems. Stomach pain and issues with excretion are common among people who have poor blood circulation.

1.6 Other Symptoms

• Skin discoloration may suggest poor circulation. The hindered flow of arterial blood can make your nose, lips, ears, feet, and hand pale.
• Leg ulcers are an issue that people with poor blood circulation can get. When blood clots aren’t functioning properly, ulcers develop.
• Varicose veins or swollen veins might be seen as a result of low blood flow.
• Your toenail growth rate decreases when you have poor blood circulation. Skin health degeneration, leg hair loss, slower hair growth, and restless legs are common symptoms of this condition.

2. Causes

You might be wondering how can the blood circulation in the body get so poor.

There are various reasons and it changes for each individual.

2.1 Peripheral artery disease(PAD)

Peripheral artery disease⁴ (PAD) is a common cause of symptoms of poor circulation in the legs. Your arteries narrow down due to plaque development and resulting in poor blood circulation.

This is common among older people and people who use tobacco.

2.2 A Blood Clot

A blood clot can hinder blood circulation, it can form anywhere. In case of the clot breaks, it may lead to a heart attack. This can be fatal. But if you notice it early, a blood clot can be cured.

2.3 Diabetes

Diabetes can contribute to poor blood circulation. This can increase if you are leading a sedentary lifestyle.

Increased risk for high blood pressure and heart disease is common among diabetic people.

2.4 Being Overweight

Being overweight is another issue that causes poor blood circulation. Obese people have a higher risk for varicose veins⁵ and other health issues.

2.5 Raynaud’s disease

Raynaud’s disease results in the narrowing of arteries. Weakness, feeling too cold, and stress can create poor blood circulation.

2.6 Venous insufficiency

Venous insufficiency can also lead to poor circulation in legs symptoms. Deep vein thrombosis, which usually happens in the lower leg is associated with poor circulation. DVT can occur in the lungs causing pulmonary embolism which can be fatal.

3. Treatment

If you have poor circulation in legs symptoms, initially reach out to a vascular specialist who can provide medical advice. With some diagnostic tests and checking your medical history, the problem can be identified.

• A treatment plan will be customized according to your needs. Adopting a healthy lifestyle that includes a healthy diet and regular exercise will be the first step to improving circulation. Vascular medicine may be prescribed.

• If you smoke, you will be asked to quit smoking. If you are obese, reaching a healthy weight is important. It directly affects your vascular health. Cholesterol and blood pressure can be controlled this way. Saturated fats and processed foods should be avoided and food that can improve your heart health.
• Following the treatment plan reduces risk factors that can lead to serious complications and vascular diseases. Vascular treatment options also include surgeries as well. A Vascular surgeon may perform an angioplasty to increase blood flow and removes blood clots.
• Underlying causes will be treated. You will have to do some low-impact exercise daily to retain your health. Maintain your blood sugar and blood pressure. Avoid conditions that decrease blood flow.

4. Prevention

You can prevent poor circulation in your legs and symptoms that can potentially lead to critical conditions by balancing your life.

• Maintain a healthy level of blood pressure
• Stay hydrated
• Improve your circulation by changing your posture even while working
• Incorporate yoga or some form of exercise
• Use compression socks
• Eat healthily

You can try massaging your body too. Follow these steps to avoid the symptoms of poor circulation.

5. Conclusion

Several conditions decrease blood flow. Therefore it is extremely important to understand the symptoms of poor circulation in legs and effectively treat it to avoid serious complications.

Improve your health and lifestyle. Make sure you have no issues regarding blood circulation. Include more plant-based foods in your diet and remember to work out daily.

Discover more healthy information.

1. McDermott, Mary McGrae, Shruti Mehta, and Philip Greenland. “Exertional leg symptoms other than intermittent claudication are common in peripheral arterial disease.” Archives of Internal Medicine 159.4 (1999): 387-392. ↩︎
2. Searls, D. Eric, et al. “Symptoms and signs of posterior circulation ischemia in the new England medical center posterior circulation registry.” Archives of neurology 69.3 (2012): 346-351. ↩︎
3. Matsumoto, Tamaki, Takahisa Ushiroyama, and Noriyuki Tatsumi. “Lower peripheral circulation in eumenorrheic young women with premenstrual symptoms.” BioPsychoSocial medicine 1 (2007): 1-9. ↩︎
4. Kullo, Iftikhar J., and Thom W. Rooke. “Peripheral artery disease.” New England Journal of Medicine 374.9 (2016): 861-871. ↩︎
5. Lee, Amanda J., et al. “Lifestyle factors and the risk of varicose veins: Edinburgh Vein Study.” Journal of clinical epidemiology 56.2 (2003): 171-179. ↩︎

Last Updated on July 22, 2024 by Sathi Chakraborty, MSc Biology