WHAT IS A VENOUS ULCER?
A venous ulcer is a long-lasting (chronic) sore that takes more than four to six weeks to heal. They usually develop on the inside of the leg, just above the ankle. The symptoms of a venous leg ulcer include pain, itching and swelling in the affected leg. There may also be discolored or hardened skin around the ulcer, and the sore may produce a foul-smelling discharge. Come in and see us today at the Alpha Vein Clinic Las Vegas if you think you have a leg ulcer, as you will need a vein specialist and treatment to help it heal. If left untreated it can be life threatening! Dr. Sassan Kaveh here at the Alpha Vein Clinic will examine your leg, any problems he may see he will carry out additional tests to rule out other conditions.
A skin ulcer is a type of wound that develops on the skin. A venous skin ulcer is a shallow wound that occurs when the leg veins don’t return blood back toward the heart the way they should. This is called venous insufficiency. These ulcers usually form on the sides of the lower leg, above the ankle and below the calf. Venous skin ulcers are slow to heal and often come back if you don’t take steps to prevent them. A venous skin ulcer is also called a stasis leg ulcer.
What causes leg ulcers?
The most common underlying problem causing chronic leg ulcers is disease of the veins of the leg. Venous disease is the main reason for over two thirds of all leg ulcers.
- Venous Disease (caused by veins not working) – about 80 percent of leg ulcers
- Arterial Disease (caused by the arteries not working) – about 15 percent of leg ulcers
- Other causes (includes diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis as well as some rare conditions) – about 5 percent of leg ulcers
In some cases two or more conditions may be causing damage at the same time. Your doctor will examine you and do some tests to see what sort of ulcer you have. The following advice applies to venous ulcers and may not be appropriate for other sorts of ulcers.
How does venous disease cause ulcers?
The veins in your leg are tubes that carry the blood back from the foot towards your heart. The veins in your legs have one-way valves that make sure the blood flows up the leg and not back down. In some people, these valves are not very effective or can be damaged by thrombosis (clots) in the veins. If the valves are damaged, blood can flow the wrong way down the veins, which results in a very high pressure in the veins when standing up. This abnormally high pressure in the veins damages the skin and leads to the ulcers. Here in Las Vegas at the Alpha Vein Clinic we take pride in helping many people get their sore, tired legs back to great conditions with as least pain as possible. We take time to evaluate your legs and many other aspects of venous disease so we can then fix the underlying issue to treat the problem at the root cause, so you will have the least chance of the problem recurring! Call us today at 702-430- 7661. Our caring and dedicated staff will take care of you. Let us take care of all your worries and concerns.
Alpha Vein Clinic
3150 N. Tenaya Way Ste. 400
Las Vegas, NV, 89128
(702) 430 7661
Dr. Sassan Kaveh
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