What Causes Venous Leg Ulcers?

A venous leg ulcer is an open, chronic wound that takes weeks or sometimes months to heal. It can affect any area of the skin but usually occur on the inside of the leg, above the ankle. They are caused by blood flow disturbance in leg veins.

Normally, when there is a scrape or cut in the body, the body’s natural healing system starts repairing & healing those injuries and in time, the wound heals. But this isn’t the case with ulcers. They need advanced venous leg ulcer care & attention to avoid any complications.

Causes of Venous Leg Ulcers?

Venous ulceration occurs when there is an injury or breakage in the skin on your leg, most commonly around the ankle. The veins in the leg which are responsible to send oxygen & nutrient-rich blood back to the heart may get damaged.

This disturbs blood circulation and increases pressure on the leg valves, further resulting in the pooling of blood in the veins. Due to this, a small and open sore occurs on the skin of the leg, known as a venous leg ulcer. This condition is called sustained venous hypertension.

Some other issues in the legs can also cause the occurrence of venous leg ulcers such as:

1. Varicose Veins - These chronic leg wounds are large, and occur due to venous insufficiency. The blood starts pooling in the lower leg.2. Chronic Venous Insufficiency - Like varicose veins, this condition also occurs when the veins don’t perform their work well and cause blood clotting in the lower legs. There can also be swelling in the legs and sometimes, it can be extreme. It puts pressure on the skin.

A venous leg ulcer takes a significant amount of time to heal but a timely consultation with a venous leg ulcer specialist can cure the situation better.

Factors Contributing In The Formation Of Venous Leg Ulcer

A person is at more risk of developing venous ulceration if he/she suffers any of these problems such as:

1. Osteoarthritis2. Obesity3. Paralysis 4. Smoking habits5. Varicose veins6. Hypertension (high blood pressure)7. Heart disease8. Kidney disease9. Infections Other circulation problems such as blood clots etc.

When To Seek Venous Leg Ulcer Specialists?

To know if someone is suffering from a venous ulcer, there are some noticeable signs such as itching, and swelling in the affected area. There can also be discolored or hardened skin around the ulcer or foul smell and drainage from the wound etc.

If a person notices any of these signs, he/she should immediately book an appointment with a venous leg ulcer specialist. The team of doctors, nurses, and physicians visits the patient’s location and determines the wound situation. Then, generate a customized treatment plan focused on the effective recovery of wounds.

Visit us: https://www.woundcaresurgeons.org/venous-ulcers

A general surgeon has expertise related to the diagnosis - preoperative, operative and postoperative management - and management of complications of surgical conditions in the following areas: alimentary tract; abdomen; breast, skin and soft tissue