Most patients suffer from slow-healing leg ulcers. Another name for this condition is chronic lower limb ulcers. Patients with this condition do not experience reduced symptoms after three months of appropriate treatment. Some patients do not get positive clinical outcomes for their leg wounds after one year. Various risk factors influence wound healing capacity. For example, aging, smoking, obesity, and diabetes. An accurate assessment of your predispositions by an experienced physician like Dr. Atur Kasha El Paso can help establish the most effective treatment options.
What are leg ulcers?
Ulcers are wounds with full thickness. These skin problems have a slow healing tendency, thus increasing the risk of complete epidermis loss. These wounds can also cause damage to the dermis and underlying subcutaneous fat.
Chronic peripheral ulceration mostly affects adult populations. The most common symptoms of leg ulcers include pain, bad smell, friable granulation tissue, and wound breakdown instead of healing. The effects of chronic leg ulcers include social distress and increased healthcare and personal costs of seeking a solution.
Multiple causes of lower leg ulceration necessitate patient-centeredness to treat this disease effectively. Your healthcare provider will implement an interdisciplinary approach to systematically evaluating your condition to confirm an accurate diagnosis, thus ensuring optimal treatment to prevent delay of wound healing that may cause severe complications.
What are the symptoms of leg ulcers?
Chronic leg ulcers can impact multiple aspects of your well-being. The pain from these wounds can impair sleep and limit mobility. Patients with chronic leg ulcers also experience restrictions hindering optimal work capacity leading to delayed productivity.
This skin condition can adversely affect personal finances, especially when you undergo inappropriate treatments that fail to deliver desired results. The significant morbidity associated with chronic leg ulcers causes patients to avoid social activities due to their negative body image.
What are the different types of leg ulcers?
Patients experience different types of leg ulcers depending on the cause. The following are the most common types of chronic leg ulcers:
- Venous Ulcers
Venous disorders of the lower limbs can cause ulceration in the legs. Valves are critical parts of venous circulation because they ensure unidirectional blood flow. However, venous insufficiency can occur due to valve malfunctioning. This venous valve incompetence is the reason for venous slow-healing wounds and can cause severities like cellulitis, osteomyelitis, and malignant change. The physical and psychological discomfort from venous ulcers can negatively affect a patient’s functional status and necessitate emergency intervention.
- Arterial ulcers
Arterial vascular disease results from atherosclerosis, blockage due to plaque buildup in the arteries. This condition causes tissue death due to reduced blood flow nourishing the legs. Patients develop arterial leg ulcers using deep destruction of tissue. You may also experience paleness and lack of hair in the legs.
Other types of chronic leg ulcers include diabetic foot ulcers and pressure ulcers. The former affects diabetic patients, while the latter occurs due to unrelieved pressure, which may increase your risk of infection. Contact Desert West Vein & Surgery Center to determine the cause of your chronic leg ulcers and begin an effective treatment plan to relieve your symptoms.
