About P.A.D.: What is P.A.D.: Diagnosis
Diagnosis:
How do I find out if I have P.A.D.?
If you think you have P.A.D., see your health care provider and talk about any symptoms you are having and go over your medical history and your risk factors for P.A.D. Your provider will examine the pulses in your feet and legs. If your provider finds those pulses are weak and thinks you may have P.A.D., your provider may order a test called the ABI, which stands for ankle-brachial index.
The ABI is the best test for finding out if you have P.A.D. It uses sound waves to find out if there is reduced blood flow in the arteries. It also compares the blood pressure in your ankles with the blood pressure in your arms. P.A.D. also can be diagnosed by other tests that measure blood pressures in the leg (segmental pressure), toe pressures (toe-brachial index or TBI) or artery blood flow (with ultrasound).
