When your skin is injured, your body’s natural healing process begins working to treat the wound. Skin is designed to handle the occasional cuts, scrapes, and bruises, and over time, new, healthy skin will form. Venous leg ulcers, though, are a different situation.
Ulcers are a type of open skin sore that often cannot heal on its own and may require medical treatment. Venous ulcers form as a result of problems with circulation, when blood pools and collects in the veins. These problems lead to small, open wounds known as ulcers on the surface of your skin.
Circulation problems like venous ulcers are most common in the legs. Leg veins must carry a large amount of blood up the legs and back to the heart, and this can be especially difficult for people who are sedentary.
Venous leg ulcers can be painful, sore, and unsightly. However, people who suffer from a venous leg ulcer may be unaware that they need treatment. If you have small, red, rounded, and open wounds on your legs, you may have a venous leg ulcer. They often can’t heal on their own and can remain on your legs for as long as several years without treatment. Try one of these treatments to help your skin heal.
Because they’re deep and open wounds, venous leg ulcers need to be cleaned thoroughly. Bacteria and other infectants can enter the wound and cause a serious infection. Keep your legs clean and consider covering up the wounds with bandages or other dressings.
Talk to a doctor about your venous leg ulcers. They may recommend that you take other steps to keep your ulcers infection-free, like applying a special, moist dressing over every ulcer.
Antibiotics are a family of drugs that can help prevent bacterial infections. If a doctor feels that your ulcers are infected or at risk of infection, they may prescribe these drugs to you. Do not seek out antibiotics on your own. For them to be effective, antibiotics need to be taken in a certain dosage for a certain length of time, so only a doctor should prescribe them.
Sometimes, rest can help improve circulation to your legs. You may need to sit or lie with your legs elevated. A doctor may recommend that you do so for a certain length of time or a certain number of times per day.
Compression stockings are an excellent treatment for circulation problems in the legs. These stockings are designed to apply mild pressure throughout your legs, which helps blood that has pooled or collected there to recirculate. While compression stockings are better for preventing than treating leg ulcers--they’re often recommended to people who spend long periods of time sedentary--they can help speed up the healing process.
Unfortunately, some people may need surgery to treat venous leg ulcers. The veins under the ulcers may be so badly damaged that they need to be either surgically removed or destroyed with specialized heating tools in a procedure known as endovenous thermal ablation. The type of surgery that’s appropriate for your ulcers can depend on their severity, as well as age and other factors that influence your ability to endure surgery. However, surgical treatments can certainly help many people experience relief.
If you think that you may have venous leg ulcers, call the BASS Vein Center today. Our vein specialists are highly experienced in treating ulcers and will recommend the best venous leg ulcer treatment for your condition. Get in touch with us today to schedule an appointment with one of our experienced vascular physicians. We have several locations throughout California to serve you.
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