Venous Ulcer and How to Treat It

So you have noticed that you have an area on your ankle that is discolored, feels swollen and the skin is irritated. If you see a cluster of red and blue little veins, then you most likely have a venous ulcer on your leg.

A venous ulcer is the result of venous insufficiency in which your veins are damaged and do not work properly. The veins that send blood back to your heart and lungs to get oxygenated have valves within them that will not let the blood run back the opposite way. With venous insufficiency, those valves are damaged and do not work correctly. The result is blood that pools in the area of the veins and under the skin.

Causes of a venous ulcer include diabetes, hypertension, smoking, heredity, obesity, age, poor circulation, and injury. Most people who suffer from this condition are over the age of 60 years old. There are some things that you can do to help prevent these painful, and unsightly, ulcers from forming.

• Try to elevate your legs whenever possible. This takes the pressure off of the veins from gravity.
• Try to lose weight if you are carrying extra pounds. Individuals who are obese tend to more prone to having leg ulcers since the extra weight puts more pressure on the veins.
• Try not to sit or stand for long periods of time. This can lead to venous ulcers and also varicose veins, which are painful.
• Ask your physician about compression stockings. He or she can recommend the level of stocking that will work best for you. These are a great support to the veins in your legs by helping to squeeze the blood up the leg.
• Go to a vein specialist to have them fix the ulcer through surgical means.

If you feel like you have venous insufficiency, contact your doctor and you can also go to EVeinScreening.com for a FREE evaluation.