Ulcers are body sores that are caused due to breaks in the skin or the mucous lining. These take enormous time to heal and often keep returning back thus leading to chronic ulceration.
Ulcers can occur anywhere on the inside or outside of the body but leg ulcers are the most common, painful, and unpleasant form of ulcers found on the skin. These affect the lower region of the legs along with the feet and are caused due to poor blood circulation owing to injuries, infections, diabetes, certain skin diseases, tumours, or even vascular diseases like stroke, heart attack, angina, etc.
Types and Causes
- Diabetic Ulcers – Also called neuropathic ulcers, these are found on the under surface of the foot, under the fingers and under the toes. Patients with years of diabetic history develop poor blood circulation and loss of sensation due to nerve damage that leads to pressure ulcers.
- Arterial Ulcers – These occur on the tips of the fingers or the tips of the toes that become black, ugly, dry and edged out. Patients who have an arterial disease and get an injury that does not heal develop arterial ulcers over time.
- Venous Ulcers – These ulcers are very painful and occur around the medial or lateral part of the ankle. Most commonly found in patients with varicose veins, these are black in colour and are accompanied by massive fluid discharge.
Prevention
Leg ulcers are mainly caused due to improper blood circulation in the legs and feet. Hence, eating a balanced diet with low fat intake and regular exercise to enhance movement of the calf muscles is the best form of prevention.
Also, addressing any health issues like obesity, diabetes or varicose veins that are a leading cause of leg and foot ulcers can help in early detection of the symptoms and thus prevention of ulceration. In some patients with varicose veins, doctors may also recommend using the compression stockings on a daily basis to prevent leg ulcers.
Diagnosis
Patients can self-diagnose the case of leg ulceration if they notice redness or swelling on the skin around the ulcer, foul smell, ever-growing pain, green unpleasant discharge, and/or high temperature.
In most cases, doctors are able to rightly determine the type of the leg ulcer by merely analyzing its location and appearance. To evaluate the severity of restricted blood flow due to ulceration, doctors may compare blood pressure in legs to that in the patient’s arms. Furthermore, examinations like the Duplex Ultrasound can help bring to notice any medical issues of serious concern.
Treatment
The experienced team of doctors led by Dr. Rajah V Koppala at Avis hospitals has aided a record number of patients complaining of the most difficult types of leg ulcers. Before any form of treatment, they understand the cause of leg ulceration and treat not just the ulcers but also suggest the medical regime to cure the underlying cause.
While wound cleaning and anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed to almost all patients, some may need to undergo vascular surgery as well. For irregular blood flow to the vessels in the leg, the doctors at Avis Hospitals perform angioplasty stent to repair it. There is also a cure for patients suffering from leg ulcers due to diabetes or varicose veins where blood is restricted from coming back.
Avis Hospitals cure an average of 75-80 leg ulceration patients every month and have a huge array of happy patients who are satisfied with the offered treatment. If you have early symptoms of leg ulcers or are already in pain, book an appointment with Dr. Rajah V Koppala for world-class treatment.
