Whenever an individual’s body experiences any type of injury including cuts, scrapes, or bruises, the body’s healing process starts working towards repairing and treating the wound over time. But not all the wounds are the same especially when it comes to any type of chronic wounds/ulcers. A venous leg ulcer is one of those chronic wounds that take a longer time to heal and require advanced medical care & attention.
What Are Venous Leg Ulcers?
Venous leg ulcer deals with the blood circulation complexities in the body where the blood pools and collects in the veins. It further leads to small, open wounds mostly occurring in the legs known as venous leg ulcers. Leg veins are responsible for carrying a sufficient amount of blood to the legs and back to the heart. But when these veins are blocked due to blood pooling, it causes additional pressure on the veins, especially in people who are bedridden or sedentary.
Venous leg ulcers can be painful, and rigid to treat. A timely appointment with a venous leg ulcer specialist is necessary to heal the wound quicker and avoid any further medical complications due to an underlying condition. They are a group of experienced & professional medical practitioners, doctors, nurses & physicians who adopt an advanced, standardized, & multidisciplinary approach to treatment following wounds severity and patient needs. They can prescribe one of these treatment options:
1. Cleaning the wound thoroughly -
Since venous ulcers are open, deep wounds, inviting an invasion by bacteria and other infections, it is vital to keep the skin surrounding the wound clean & dry always. It will prevent the ulcer from spreading to the nearby healthy tissues. Consult with your doctor about cleaning & applying a suitable bandage to cover the wound from foreign materials.
2. Wearing compression stockings -
Compression stockings are a greater way to treat the blood circulation issues in your legs, causing an ulcer. They are designed to put mild pressure on your wound to release the clotted blood in your veins back to the heart sufficiently to enable recirculation. They are available in a variety of sizes and styles. Ask for a venous leg ulcer specialist instead of deciding on your own. They help prevent blood pooling and treat leg ulcers.
3. Use of antibiotics -
If an ulcer is infected or hard to treat, the doctors can prescribe antibiotics to the patient. These drugs help in treating the wound and preventing the risk of bacterial infection. In addition to this, completing a full course of these antibiotics is also essential for quicker & effective results. Follow the instructions strictly provided by the healthcare physician.
4. Elevating legs -
To ensure enough blood circulation from leg veins to back to the heart, uplifting legs can be helpful. Lie down comfortably and put a pillow under the legs to elevate them to a level above the heart. This helps proper blood circulation and heals pain and swelling. Ask wound care treatment California for advice and tips about uplifting legs.
5. Surgery -
When the veins in the legs are tremendously damaged that it requires surgery or specialized heating tools to remove, the doctors can ask for conducting surgery to treat the venous leg ulcers. The type of surgery depends on the severity of a wound as well as the patient's age, and other factors that affect a body’s capacity to heal the wound naturally.
If a patient is experiencing symptoms of a venous leg ulcer, a bedside appointment needs to be scheduled with veins specialists who also provide wound VAC treatment, g tube replacement services, and many more. To prevent a venous leg ulcer, the patient needs to make some lifestyle changes including - quitting smoking, losing weight, exercising regularly, and many more.
