Buerger's Disease Information and Treatment

Buerger's disease also called as thromboangiitis obliterans. Buerger's disease is an acute inflammation and thrombosis (clotting) of arteries and veins of the hands and feet. Buerger's disease ultimately damages or destroys tissues and may result to infection and gangrene. It is strongly related with use of tobacco products, primarily from smoking, but also from smokeless tobacco. Heavy cigarette smokers are most likely to develop buerger's disease.

Buerger's disease most normally affects men between ages 20 and 40, though it's becoming more common in women. Symptoms of buerger's disease involve tenderness or pain in the feet or hands during exercise , or when at rest. Other possible symptoms embrace tingling and numbness in the limbs, and Raynaud's phenomenon. There's no cure of buerger's. The only effective treatment is to stop smoking. Patients must stop smoking immediately. Conventional medical treatments may help alleviate the symptoms of buerger's disease. Vascular surgery can sometimes be helpful in treating limbs with poor perfusion secondary to this disease.

Anti-inflammatory agents have proven profitable in excess vasculitides, they are not beneficial in treating buerger’s. Intravenous iloprost use is probably of greatest value in slowing progressive tissue loss and reducing the need for amputation in patients with critical limb ischemia during the period when they first discontinue cigarette smoking. The use of thrombolytic therapy in the treatment of Buerger disease has been proposed. Recently, Isner and colleagues reported improved healing of ischemic ulcers and relief of rest pain in a small series of patients with Buerger disease using intramuscular gene transfer of vascular endothelial growth factor.

Exposure of affected areas to warm or cold should be avoided. Trauma to the feet and other affected areas should be avoided and infections must be treated immediately. Streptokinase has been suggested as adjuvant therapy in many cases. Use of well-fitting protective footwear to obviate foot trauma and thermal or chemical injury. Self care is very important your body against buerger's disease. Be careful of your fingers and toes if you have buerger's disease. Small cuts and scrapes can simply turn into serious infections. Clean any cuts with water and cover them with a clean bandage.