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Lifestyle and home remedies
By Mayo Clinic staffTake care of your fingers and toes if you have Buerger's disease. Check the skin on your arms and legs daily for cuts and scrapes, keeping in mind that if you've lost feeling to a finger or toe you may not feel, for example, a cut when it happens. Keep your fingers and toes protected and avoid exposing them to cold.
Low blood flow to your extremities means your body can't resist infection as easily. Small cuts and scrapes can easily turn into serious infections. Clean any cut with soap and water, apply antibiotic ointment, and cover it with a clean bandage. Keep an eye on any cuts or scrapes to make sure they're healing. If they get worse or heal slowly, see your doctor promptly.
Visit your dentist regularly to keep your gums and teeth in good health and avoid gum disease, which in its chronic form is linked to Buerger's disease.
- Mohler ER, et al. Thromboangiitis obliterans (Buerger's disease). http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed December 5, 2012.
- Piazza G. Thromboangiitis obliterans. Circulation. 2010;121:1858.
- Azizi M, et al. Thromboangiitis obliterans and endothelial function. European Journal of Clinical Investigation. 2010;40:518.
- Malecki R, et al. Thromboangiitis obliterans in the 21st century — A new face of disease. Atherosclerosis. 2009;206:328.
- AskMayoExpert. Buerger disease. Rochester, Minn.: Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research; 2012.
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