Helpful Therapy for Venous Ulcers
Therapy for venous ulcers is essential to the patients state of health and frame of mind. Venous leg ulcers are painful, and open the body up to further infection if not treated properly and immediately. These ulcers can be caused by Chronic Venous Insufficiency, varicose vein disease, or a combination of the two.
There are some risk factors for developing venous insufficiency and ultimately a venous ulcer, including varicose veins, deep venous disease, incompetent perforating veins and post-thrombotic syndrome. The patient presents with a non-healing ulcer usually of the medial (inner) aspect of the distal leg or ankle area, but the ulcer could be located in other areas as well. Frequently, there is brown discoloration of the skin, as well as swelling, pain, and sometimes redness and dry, itchy skin.
Treatments
The goal of therapy for venous ulcers is to heal the wound, and correct the underlying problem, which caused the ulcer to form. Oral antibiotics are prescribed if there is an infection, and topical steroids are sometimes used for the surrounding skin irritation. The leg may also be wrapped in a bandage that offers medication which is soothing to the skin, as well as compression.
The backbone of treatment for people with venous ulcers and CVI is compression stockings that offer gradient compression. Once the ulcer is healed, the patient will need to wear a prescription calf high gradient support stocking to control swelling and correct venous incompetence. The patient may also benefit from vein ligation, stripping and tying off of perforating veins.
