Venous ulcers are uncomfortable and painful open skin sores on the legs. People with poor blood flow in their leg veins are at a higher risk of developing venous ulcers, especially older people who live sedentary lifestyles.
Since the body’s healing process requires steady blood circulation throughout the veins, any area with poor blood circulation won’t heal quickly. That is why the body cannot heal venous ulcers on its own.
What Causes Venous Ulcers?
Venous ulcers and poor blood flow in the legs result from damage to the leg vein valves. All veins have valves inside of them to control their blood pressure based on the actions you take.
For instance, when you walk outside, the valves in your leg veins will lower the blood pressure under normal circumstances. However, if the valves are damaged and unable to lower the blood pressure appropriately, it will cause you to develop sustained venous hypertension. Once that happens, the blood pressure will rise in your legs as you walk. If the pressure remains high for too long, your legs will develop venous ulcers.
Of course, sustained venous hypertension is not the only cause of venous ulcers. You can also develop them from other leg vein problems, such as varicose veins and chronic venous insufficiency. Check with your doctor to determine the cause of your venous ulcers. Then, your doctor can recommend the best treatment options, like hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
How to Prevent Venous Ulcers
Preventative care is the best treatment for venous ulcers because it can prevent you from developing them altogether. That way, you won’t need to deal with any of the symptoms or hardships associated with venous ulcers if you never develop them.
Most preventative care methods require you to develop healthier lifestyle habits. Here are some of the most effective preventative care tips for avoiding venous ulcers:
- Maintain an active lifestyle where you perform at least 30 consecutive minutes of cardiovascular exercise daily, such as walking, jogging, running, or swimming.
- Move around as often as possible, primarily if you work a desk job or live a sedentary lifestyle filled with inactivity.
- Try to lose weight if you are overweight or obese. Maintaining a healthy body weight will take the stress off your legs so that blood can flow steadily in them.
- Quit smoking tobacco products.
If you believe you’re at a high risk of developing venous ulcers, you could start wearing compression stockings to increase blood circulation and reduce leg swelling. Ask your doctor how often and how long you should wear the stockings.
How to Treat Venous Ulcers
Treatments are available if you already have venous ulcers in your legs. Try to seek advanced wound care treatment as soon as possible to prevent the venous ulcers from worsening and causing an infection.
The potential treatment options include:
- Cleaning the wound daily
- Applying a medical dressing to the ulcer
- Wearing compression stockings to accelerate the healing process and prevent blood pooling in the legs
- Taking oral antibiotics
- Avoiding any skin products with harsh chemicals for sensitive skin
- Applying antibacterial ointment to the ulcers to prevent infection
You can purchase most of these treatments over the counter. First, consult your doctor to learn which treatments are most effective for your venous ulcers.
