What is wound care?
Although venous ulcers begin as a small, painful area, they quickly become inflamed and progressively worsen into a large open sore. Ongoing ulcers put you at risk for problems like skin and bone infections.
The team at Florida Lakes Vein Center offers comprehensive wound care. They clean out the wound and use the most innovative, interactive dressings to promote healing.
What causes a vascular wound?
Vascular wounds, called venous ulcers or stasis ulcers, develop in your leg, often over bony areas such as your ankle. Venous ulcers demand diligent and specialized wound care because they’re difficult to heal and often recur.
These wounds are caused by underlying problems in your blood vessels, most often due to a condition called chronic venous insufficiency.
What is chronic venous insufficiency?
Chronic venous insufficiency develops when the valves inside your leg veins don’t work properly. Valves open to let blood flow up as it returns to your heart, then they close to stop it from flowing backward.
When the valves are weak or damaged, they let blood go back down the vein, where it accumulates, enlarges the vein, and leads to increasingly high pressure in the vein.
As a result of the pressure, small blood vessels rupture and leak fluids into the surrounding tissues. This damage gradually makes your skin break down, creating an ulcer.
What are some wound care treatments?
You need to take an active role in your wound care. Your provider may recommend you wear a compression stocking. Compression stockings help to normalize pressure in the blood vessels and gently squeeze your legs to promote healthy blood flow.
You’ll receive detailed instructions about how long you need to wear the stockings every day, as well as tips for putting on the tight stockings.
Your provider also shows you how to clean the wound, change the dressing, and protect the healthy skin around the wound to prevent the ulcer from enlarging.
If you have a venous ulcer, you’ll receive exceptional wound care at Florida Lakes Vein Center. Call one of the offices or book an appointment online today.
