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8619 Broadway St. STE 105
Pearland, Tx 77584

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Lake Jackson, TX 77566

Leg Ulcers

What To Know About Leg Ulcers

Jun 11, 2020Peripheral Vascular Disease, Varicose Veins

Wounds that will not heal on your leg are considered leg ulcers. This could have started as a cut to the tissue or an area where the skin is not getting enough nutrients or oxygen from your blood. Conditions like these make tissues die and form a wound. It’s when that wound doesn’t heal and lasts longer than a normal injury would that it becomes known as an ulcer.

What causes a venous leg ulcer?

Venous leg ulcers are usually caused when veins in the legs aren’t working properly. Veins are supposed to send blood back to your heart and typically valves, aren’t stopping the blood where they should.
That backflow of blood increases the pressure at the end of the limb weakening the skin and making it more difficult for the wound to heal itself. This can occur anywhere on your body but most frequently happens in bony areas, like ankles.

What are the treatment options ulcers?

To treat leg ulcers, the main goal is to lower the pressure in the leg veins. You can do this by using compression bandages or compression stockings. This helps to improve blood circulation by adding pressure to the weak vein. That should make the area receive nutrients and oxygen properly again to help heal.
Other than compression stockings, here are some other possible treatment options:

  • Elevate your leg — Keep your leg elevated above your heart to help the pressure return to a normal level. We recommend raising your leg above your heart for a half-hour at a time, 3 to 4 times a day.
  • Wound care — Keeping the wound properly bandaged is extremely helpful in promoting healing. We can also determine if it’s infected and prescribe antibiotics.
  • Surgery — If your leg ulcer was caused by varicose veins, we have surgical options to treat it once the ulcer has healed.
  • Medications — We can provide pain medication as needed. We’ll also likely put you on a course of antibiotics as well.

Stop waiting before it’s too late. Contact the right Vascular treatment center like Coastal Vascular to learn more your artery and venous medical condition so that the right treatment can be prescribed to you before the situation gets out of the hands.

Health-related information on CoastalVascular.net is for educational purposes only and, therefore not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or 911 immediately.