Working from home during quarantine? Job stress may up your risk for peripheral artery disease

Peripheral artery disease may reduce blood flow to your legs, and cause pain when walking. Stress is not the only culprit, smoking, diabetes, obesity are other factors that can cause this condition. Read to know more about this disease.

By: Longjam Dineshwori | | Updated: April 30, 2020 8:37 am

Excessive job demands and pressures can lead to work-related stress.

Many of you might be working from home during this quarantine period. If you’re one of them, then you would agree that it’s not as comfortable as most people think. It has been scientifically proved that working from home is more stressful than working in the office. Is work stressing you out? Find ways to deal with it before it causes more damage to your body. Also Read - Interpersonal stressors related to self-isolation increase risk of COVID-19

Work-related stress may increase your risk for peripheral artery disease (PAD), according to a study published Tuesday in the Journal of the American Heart Association. Peripheral artery disease is a common circulatory problem that may cause reduced blood flow to your legs. If you have the PAD, you may have leg pain when walking (claudication). Also Read - Multitasking may lead to negative emotions, make you less productive

The new study revealed that people with work-related stress are 1.4 times as likely as those without it to be hospitalized with peripheral artery disease. The researchers suggested that job stress may be a risk factor for PAD in a similar way as it is for heart disease and stroke. Also Read - Lost your job to COVID-19 lockdown? Take care of your mental health amidst the trying times

In addition to stress, the researchers saw increased risk of PAD among men with high socioeconomic status and smokers. But they noted such subgroup analysis was limited by the small number of people with peripheral artery disease.

Causes and symptoms of peripheral artery disease

PAD occurs when cholesterol or other fatty substances build up in your arteries (atherosclerosis). This reduces blood flow to your heart and brain, as well as your legs. Many people with peripheral artery disease have mild or no symptoms, but some people may have leg pain while walking (claudication).

A person with PAD may feel muscle pain or cramping in the legs or arms after certain activities, which disappears after a few minutes of rest. Calf pain is the most common symptom. The severity of claudication can vary from mild discomfort to debilitating pain. Other possible symptoms include:

Leg numbness or weakness
Sores on your toes, feet or legs that don’t heal
Slower growth of toenails
No pulse or a weak pulse in the legs or feet
Erectile dysfunction in men

If left untreated, PAD can increase your risk for heart disease and stroke. You may be also at greater risk of developing critical limb ischemia. If you notice open sores on your toes, feet or legs that don’t heal, don’t take it lightly. It may be a sign of critical limb ischemia, which occurs when such injuries or infections progress and cause tissue death (gangrene). Sometimes such condition requires amputation of the affected limb.

Risk factors to watch out for

In addition to stress, there are many factors that can increase your risk of developing peripheral artery disease. Smoking, diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, increasing age, and a family history of peripheral artery disease, are some of them. The risk is higher among people who smoke or have diabetes due to reduced blood flow.

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is the best way to prevent peripheral artery disease. This means