Smokers face risk Of limb amputation

ISAAC PINIELO
Correspondent | Monday November 15, 2010 00:00

During an interview with The Monitor recently, Mbangtang revealed that the majority of patients whose limbs are amputated in hospitals are not due to road traffic accidents but to tobacco related diseases. He said tobacco smoking is one of the main causes of peripheral vascular diseases. These, he explained, are diseases of blood vessels outside the heart and brain.

According to Dr Mbangtang, tobacco smoke contains nicotine, which he said constricts the blood vessels that carry blood to the legs, arms, stomach or kidneys, resulting in decreased blood flow in those parts.

'Peripheral vascular disease more commonly occurs in the legs and feet, however it can also develop in the arms and hands,' he said.

He said the first symptoms of peripheral vascular disease are that the smoker is likely to feel pain in the feet and cuff muscles.

This usually includes tired legs with cramp-like pains and in some instances the legs and feet might also feel a bit numb or cold and might look pale. 

As this continues, Dr Mbangtang said blood flow becomes severely restricted and at this stage treatment is still possible although it cannot revive dead tissue. He noted that in very severe cases of peripheral vascular disease, where there is not enough blood supply to the feet or toes, the tissue becomes blackened and dead.

'When this occurs, the dead tissue will have to be cut from the body or it will rot, endangering the smoker's life.

The cutting away of tissue often results in amputation of the limb, often the toes, sometimes the foot or part of the leg,' he said. He advised people to avoid amputations by quitting smoking or to never smoke at all. 'Quitting smoking will reduce your risk of developing peripheral vascular disease, but people who live with smokers are also equally affected as they are predisposed to tobacco smoke,' he explained.

He also concluded by pointing out that if peripheral vascular diseases are diagnosed early enough, the effects of smoking on the arteries could be diminished over time by stopping smoking.