What Are The Symptoms Of A Leg Ulcer?
A leg ulcer is simply a deep break, injury, or open wound in the skin or membranes of the legs which takes a longer time to heal, for example, 3 to 4 months, and requires advanced medical care & attention.
These are common in people who are old-aged or are bedridden for a long time as it is a result of poor blood circulation. If they are treated early by bedside wound care, the foot ulcer can be cured without inviting any medical complications.
Let’s know how a foot ulcer occurs.
Why does a Leg Ulcer Occur?
Venous insufficiency is the most common cause of developing a leg chronic ulcer. Some other causes of leg ulcers include:
● Poor blood circulation
● Arterial disease
● Diabetes
● Venous disease
● High blood pressure
● Obesity ie. high cholesterol
● Skin conditions
● Cancer
● Kidney disease
● Increased pressure in the legs
● Smoking habits
● Lack of physical movements
● Infections in an existing open wound etc.
Older people or people suffering from diabetes or high BP are at more risk of developing a leg wound. Early treatment can help avoid amputation or infection. Thereby, it is recommended to consult with awound care specialistif a patient is having any of these conditions.
Symptoms of A Leg Ulcer
Symptoms of a leg wound depend on the cause of the ulcer. For example, leg ulcers are painful but sometimes a patient doesn’t feel any pain due to nerve damage from uncontrolled diabetes.
This lack of pain is the foremost reason behind the misdiagnosis of the ulcer. So, it is essential to know the cause of the foot ulcer first.
Here are the symptoms of a leg ulcer:
● Skin discoloration
● Redness
● Swelling
● Pain in the affected area
● Enlarged veins
● Pus or foul odor from the wound site
● Fever
● Dry or irritated skin etc.
Make an appointment withwound care expertsif a patient notices any of these warning signs.
The professional team visits the patient’s location and evaluates the condition of the wound.
Depending on the symptoms and severity of the wound, they generate an appropriate treatment plan focused on the effective recovery of the patient.
How to recognize if an ulcer is infected?
Treating a foot ulcer gets difficult if the wound gets infected. It is critical to check the wound regularly to see any signs of infection including:
● Unbearable pain
● Bad odor and drainage from the wound site
● Redness and swelling etc.
If a patient notices any signs of infection in avenous leg wound, he/she should immediately seek wound care surgeons near me.
Prevention Of Leg Ulcer
Since leg injury is mostly developed due to poor blood circulation, taking take care of these conditions that cause disrupted blood circulation, can help prevent the development of a foot ulcer such as:
● Hypertension ie. high BP
● Uncontrolled diabetes
● Raynaud’s disease etc.
Apart from this, the patients are required to make some lifestyle changes such as:
● Working out on a daily basis
● Take nutrient-rich diet
● Decrease extreme intake of salt
● Quit smoking etc.
Advanced wound care & treatment are effective in recovering leg ulcers but if they don’t get treated on time, the wound may become infected. In severe cases, it might lead to amputation. It is vital to consult with a doctor as soon as the symptoms get noticed.
