OGDENSBURG -- September is Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) Awareness Month.

The staff at the Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center Patterson Wound Healing Center are participating in the Save a Leg, Save a Life Foundation’s “white sock” challenge to help educate the Ogdensburg Community about PAD.

 They have pledged to closely partner with other clinicians involved in the PAD care pathway to help ensure high-risk patients are properly diagnosed and treated before it is too late.

PAD is largely under-recognized, and amputation rates associated with this disease remain unnecessarily high. We at the CHMC Patterson Wound Healing Center are proud to support the White Sock Campaign and join the other clinicians on the frontlines of care to advocate for accurate diagnosis and timely treatment of patients suffering from the side effects of PAD. We also encourage everyone to be proactive in their own leg health by knowing the risk factors, classic warning signs and to ask their doctor to check their feet for signs of PAD.

Throughout September, the wound healing staff at CHMC will also spread the message of early PAD detection with one simple and visible tool: a white sock. The garment will be worn as a symbol of PAD and to create solidarity with the many patients who suffered from late-stage PAD and required an amputation due to delayed treatment.

Affecting more than 12 million Americans, PAD is a common, yet serious cardiovascular condition that occurs when arteries in the legs become narrowed or blocked by plaque build-up, reducing blood flow to the limbs. Left untreated, PAD can result in devastating consequences including amputation and early death. Patients with PAD are also at a greater risk of future heart attack and stroke. Despite its prevalence, PAD is historically difficult to diagnose and treat as symptoms are often ignored, masked or confused with the typical aches and pains of aging. As a result, nearly 50 percent of patients with late-stage PAD are left untreated each year, placing them at a greater risk for an amputation.

While treatment for PAD varies based on the severity of disease state, only a physician can determine the best option for a patient based on his or her individual needs. For more information about PAD and treatment options, call the CHMC Patterson Wound Healing Center at (315) 394-0426.