Venous Ulcer

An ulcer is a type of wound that can develop on any area of the skin, and it can be the result from multiple reasons.  You or your loved one may experience a skin ulcer at some point in your life.  An ulcer could occur from a sedentary lifestyle, secondary from another health condition, dietary insufficiencies, etc.  A venous skin ulcer is a shallow wound that develops when the lower extremities are no longer able to adequately return the blood supply back toward the heart like they used to.  Basically, the veins are unable to sustain blood flow as they once could which results in blood that pools in the lower extremities, which over time can create an ulcerative area on the skin.

Venous ulcers are usually observed on the sides of the lower leg, above the ankle and below the calf.  Due to the inadequate blood supply, venous skin ulcers take a longer period of time to resolve.  Also, if the proper treatment steps are not followed strictly to prevent them, the ulcers may come back over and over again.  Sometimes you may hear a venous ulcer be referred to as a stasis leg ulcer, or simply that someone has venous stasis.

Your veins have one-way valves that work to keep your blood flowing toward your heart.  When there is insufficiency in your veins, the one-way valves are damaged, resulting in blood that backs up and pools in the vein because of having nowhere else to go.  With so much pooling in the veins, this may cause fluid to leak out into surrounding tissues due to being under pressure with nowhere else to escape.  The leaking of fluid may lead to a breakdown of the tissue, or just the pooling of the blood itself may ultimately result in a venous ulcer.

There are some things that can increase your risk of venous ulcers that you should be aware of.  These things include, but are not limited to:

ü  Deep vein thrombosis (DVT).  A blood clot (thrombus) forms in the deep veins of the legs.

ü  Obesity.

ü  Smoking.

ü  Lack of physical activity.

ü  Prolonged standing.

Generally, the first sign of a venous skin ulcer is skin that appears dark red or purple over the area where the blood has been leaking out of the vein.  Also, skin that becomes thick, dry, and itchy should be an indication that there is a possible problem.  Without passing along the changes you have noticed to your provider and being promptly treated, a venous ulcer may form.  The ulcer usually causes discomfort and you may notice that your legs become swollen and ache more than usual.  If the wound would become infected, the area may have an increase in redness, become tender, it may be warmer than the surrounding skin, and it may be draining with an abnormal odor.

Overall, the first step in treating venous insufficiency and prevention of the development of an ulcer is to improve blood circulation.  Improvement of circulation can be done by elevating your legs above the level of your heart as often as possible, wear compression stockings while awake to help prevent blood from pooling in your legs, and walking daily helps to promote circulation.  If indicated, more invasive treatment procedures will be determined by your provider for a plan specific to you.

Now that you are aware of the specifics related to venous ulcers, it is important that you do not hesitate to notify your provider of any indications that you may be at risk for an ulcer to develop.  The quicker you take control of the signs and symptoms of a venous ulcer you may be able to prevent it from completely forming.  However, if an ulcer has already formed you should get treatment as quickly as possible.  Keep in mind that newer and smaller ulcers tend to resolve faster than the larger, more chronic ones do. 

Total Home Health has a preventive treatment program that is specific for your needs in order to combat venous insufficiency and the ulcers you may experience.  Our professional and compassionate staff is also ready to guide you by providing our services to you according to your wound care treatment regimen.  Enroll today!