Mercy Medical doctor tells the warning signs of clogged arteries
Know the risk factors for clogged arteries
Updated: 1:03 PM EDT Nov 4, 2023
DOCTOR, A CLOGGED ARTERY. CAN CAUSE SOME BIG TIME PROBLEMS. IT CAN START AS JUST AN ANNOYANCE OR A PAIN, BUT CAN LEAD TO LIFE THREATENING CONDITIONS. AS LACEE GRIFFITH TELLS US, KNOWING THE WARNING SIGNS CAN GET YOU ON THE RIGHT PATH BEFORE THINGS BECOME SO MUCH MORE WORSE. A CLOGGED ARTERY CAN HAPPEN ANYWHERE IN YOUR BODY. IF IT’S HAPPENED IN THE HEART. SOME PEOPLE HAVE CHEST PAIN OR SOME NAUSEA OR PAIN IN THEIR ARM IF THEY HAPPEN IN THEIR LEGS. THIS IS PEOPLE WHO TRY TO WALK A DISTANCE, BUT THEY FEEL LIKE THEY HAVE TO STOP EVERY PROBABLY A BLOCK OR EVEN LESS WITH CRAMPING IN THEIR LEGS AND THEY HAVE TO SIT DOWN. AND THAT’S WHAT HAPPENED TO BALTIMORE RESIDENT CYNTHIA OXENDINE. I LOVE TO WALK. AND THEN I STARTED FEELING, YOU KNOW, PAIN IN THE LEFT LEG. THAT WAS NOT I KNEW SOMETHING WASN’T RIGHT. CYNTHIA SAYS IT WAS ANNOYING, BUT ALSO WAS CAUSING HER MAJOR PROBLEMS DAY TO DAY. I HAD MOVED TO WHERE I AM NOW SO I CAN BE NEAR WHERE I WORK AND IT WAS ONLY TWO BLOCKS. I COULDN’T EVEN WALK THE TWO BLOCKS I WAS CATCHING LYFTS AND UBERS EVERY DAY JUST TO GO TWO BLOCKS, WHICH WAS VERY COSTLY, SHE SAYS. IT WAS A STRONG PULLING PAIN. SHE ENDED UP AT MERCY MEDICAL CENTER WITH VASCULAR SURGEON DR. ALAN TANBY, AND SHE HAD A LOT OF BLOCKAGES IN HER LEG. SO WE DID AN INTERVENTION FOR HER ON BOTH LEGS ACTUALLY. AND NOW SHE’S WALKING MUCH BETTER. THOSE TWO PROCEDURES WERE IN APRIL AND MAY OF 2023. OH MY GOD. SUCH RELIEF. CYNTHIA SAYS AFTER MORE THAN TWO YEARS OF PAIN, SHE’S SO GLAD SHE HAD SOMETHING DONE TO HELP HER LEG PAIN. IT IS REALLY CHANGED HER LIFE. SO NOW, NOW I’M ACTUALLY ABLE TO WALK TO WORK AND LOSE SOME POUNDS TOO, IN THE PROCESS. REPORTING IN BALTIMORE, LACEY GRIFFITH, WBAL-TV 11 NEWS AND DOCTOR TAMMY IS JOINING US NOW WITH SOME MORE INFORMATION. GOOD MORNING. THANKS FOR BEING HERE. GOOD MORNING. THANKS FOR HAVING ME. DOCTOR TAMMY, THE SCARY THING IS SOME OF HER SYMPTOMS YOU NEVER WOULD HAVE THOUGHT JUST AS A REGULAR PERSON, IT WAS A CLOGGED ARTERY OF COURSE. SO A LOT OF THINGS CAN MASK THIS. SO PEOPLE HAVE BACK PAIN OR SWELLING IN THEIR LEGS AND ALSO MASK THE PROBLEM WITH THE CLOGGED ARTERY. SO IN A WAY, IT’S JUST LOOKING AT THE RISK FACTOR THAT CAN LEAD TO THIS THAT LED US INTO THE DIAGNOSIS THAT THAT COULD BE SOMETHING GOING ON WITH HER AND LED TO HER PROBLEM. SO WHAT ARE SOME WHAT ARE SOME OF THE RISK FACTORS? SO I ALWAYS SAY THE 1 TO 10 REASONS, PROBABLY SMOKING, FOLLOWED BY HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE, HIGH CHOLESTEROL, DIABETES, HAVING A STRONG FAMILY HISTORY OF HAVING HEART PROBLEMS OR STROKE CAN ALSO LEAD TO THIS. DO YOU GENERALLY GET PEOPLE COMING TO YOU AFTER THEY’VE BEEN DEALING WITH THIS FOR A REALLY, REALLY LONG TIME AND THEY JUST CAN’T TAKE IT ANYMORE? UNFORTUNATELY, YES. A LOT OF PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE OLDER POPULATION WILL TELL YOU, WELL, WE’RE GETTING OLDER. THAT’S WHY WE CAN’T WALK MUCH OR WE’RE HAVING ARTHRITIS OR PROBLEM WITH THE KNEES. BUT WHEN YOU GO DOWN TO THE PROBLEM, YOU START NOTICING, WELL, ACTUALLY IT’S THE CALF OR THE THIGH THAT IS BOTHERING THEM EVERY TIME THEY TRY TO PUSH A DISTANCE, THE FANCY WORDING FOR THIS IS CLAUDICATION, WHICH IS PAIN FROM LACK OF CIRCULATION THAT IS LEADING TO THAT. SO I DON’T IMAGINE PATIENTS START OFF WITH YOU. HOW DO THEY GET TO YOU? SO PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIANS, SPINE SURGEONS, USUALLY THAT THEY GO IN THINKING THAT THIS IS SOMETHING ELSE. AND ONCE THEY NARROW DOWN THE DIAGNOSIS. SO THAT’S WHY JUST LOOKING AT THE FULL HISTORY OF THE PATIENTS, WHAT ARE THE RISK FACTORS? AND ONCE THEY START LOOKING INTO HAVING PAIN WHEN WALKING, THIS IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE EARLY SIGNS THAT WE SEE THIS ONE. WE SEE THESE PATIENTS ALL RIGHT. AND THEN IF SOMEONE WANTS TO TO MAYBE INVESTIGATE THIS FURTHER, KNOW SOME OF THESE RISK FACTORS AND START ASKING MORE QUESTIONS OF THEIR OWN PRIMARY DOCTORS. CORRECT. SO YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU’RE HAVING YOUR PHYSICAL WITH YOUR PRIMARY DOCTOR, LET THEM KNOW BASICALLY WHAT’S GOING ON WITH YOU. LET THEM KNOW ABOUT THE WALKING AGAIN, IT CAN HAPPEN ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE BODY. SO IF LET’S SAY IT HAPPENED IN THE HEART, YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE CHEST PAIN, YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE NAUSEA, YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE RADIATING TO YOUR ARM. UNFORTUNATELY, SOMETIMES IT CAN HAPPEN IN THE NECK AND THAT CAN LEAD TO A STROKE. AND THIS ONE DOESN’T GIVE YOU A WARNING SIGN. SO THIS IS PROBABLY ON US TO SCREEN THESE PATIENTS WHO HAVE HIGH RISK FACTORS TO LOOK INTO SOME BLOCKAGES SOMEWHERE ELSE IN THE BODY. ALL RIGHT. AND JUST REAL QUICK, BECAUSE YOU MENTIONED THAT THE REFERRALS SOMETIMES COME FROM SPINAL DOCTORS. SO BACK PAIN AS WELL. SO BACK PAIN CAN LEAD TO PROBLEMS IN THE LEGS WALKING AND THESE TWO CAN COME VERY CLOSE TOGETHER. SO THAT’S WHY WHEN WE HAVE RISK FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH IT, THIS IS WHEN ACTUALLY BOTH OF US LOOK INTO THIS AND WE’LL GO DOWN TO DO SOME TESTING. WE HAVE A LOT OF TESTING THAT WE CAN DO TO NARROW IT DOWN TO WHAT’S REALLY CAUSING THE PROBLEM. ALL RIGHT. DIAGNOSTICS ARE EVERYTHING. DOCTOR TAMMY, THANKS SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE WITH US. WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT. AND IF YOU HAV
Mercy Medical doctor tells the warning signs of clogged arteries
Know the risk factors for clogged arteries
Updated: 1:03 PM EDT Nov 4, 2023
Jennifer Franciotti speaks with Dr. Alain Tanbe from Mercy Medical Center about knowing the warning signs and risk factors of clogged arteries.
Jennifer Franciotti speaks with Dr. Alain Tanbe from Mercy Medical Center about knowing the warning signs and risk factors of clogged arteries.
