If you have an open sore on your leg that doesn’t seem to be going away, you have probably developed a leg ulcer.
Don’t worry, you are not alone! Every year, thousands of people especially those who are over 50 years of age and have a family history of venous disorders develop leg ulcers.
Despite being so common and extremely painful, leg ulcers remain to be one of the most neglected health condition. You must know that any delay in the treatment of leg ulcers can worsen the condition and lead to other medical complications.
In this blog, we will discuss what causes leg ulcers and how you can get rid of them. Stay with us till the end as we will also share details about how you can get them treated through a painless and non-surgical procedure.
What Causes Leg Ulcers?
8 out of 10 times, leg ulcers are caused due to a problem in the leg veins. Leg ulcers that develop just above the ankle are usually caused due to a vascular disorder.
Leg veins are blood vessels that have one-way valves to transport blood from the legs to the heart. Due to growing age and various other risk factors, the one-way valves of some leg veins may begin to malfunction.
These damaged veins prevent blood from flowing back to the heart and cause extreme blood pooling due to reflux (backward flow of blood). This is the primary cause of active venous leg ulcers.
The area around the ulcer is usually swollen. The skin also becomes thickened and discoloured due to varicose eczema which is a clear sign of the development of a leg ulcer due to improper blood circulation in the affected area.
How to get rid of leg ulcers?
The treatment for leg ulcers is a 2 part process. At first, the doctor focuses on healing the ulcer as quickly as possible. The longer you have the ulcer the bigger it becomes and the tougher it is to cure it.
To be able to heal the ulcer, it is essential to get the blood flowing. Doctors are likely to recommend compression stockings that are tight around the ankle and lose around the knees. These support stockings help achieve graduated compression i.e. the pressure exerted by the bandage is highest at the ankles and progressively less as we move up the legs. This graduated compression helps regulate blood flow back to the heart and encourages the healing of the venous ulcer.
Once the ulcer is completely healed, in the second phase of the treatment process, the doctors aim to identify and treat the underlying cause of these leg ulcers in order to prevent the formation of any new ulcer.
Faulty leg veins are identified with the help of a colour doppler scan and surgery is done to remove the damaged veins permanently and restore blood circulation in the affected leg.
Nowadays, non-surgical laser treatment for venous disorders is feasible and has a high success rate. It is a painless and minimally invasive procedure that is performed as an out-patient procedure.
A small incision is made to pass a laser fibre along with a camera. The heat from this laser fibre is used to burn off the damaged veins. The body absorbs these dead veins and re-routes blood to neighbouring healthy veins.
How to get the best treatment for leg ulcers?
As soon as you have any early signs of a leg ulcer, you must seek medical assistance. Take all prescribed medicines and use compression garments as suggested by the doctor for the ulcer to heal.
Remember, leg ulcers once healed can re-appear on the same or a different spot. You must not stop treatment for venous ulcers as soon as it heals. It is essential to undergo the colour doppler scan and identify all damaged veins that need to be removed in order to achieve the desired blood flow.
Schedule your appointment with an interventional radiologist to undergo the endovenous laser treatment and get rid of all damaged veins. This will also help you prevent the formation of new leg ulcers.
To get your damaged veins removed through the painless laser treatment by the distinguished healthcare practitioner Dr. Rajah V Koppala, schedule your consultation at Avis Vascular Centre, the best vascular health centre in Hyderabad.
It has world-class medical amenities and the most experienced team of vascular surgeons that ensure appropriate treatment and faster recovery for patients of all age groups.
Avis Vascular Centre is also offering free colour doppler scan to all deserving patients, book your appointment for your first consultation today! Visit https://www.avisvascularcentre.com/ today!
