Venous Leg Ulcers
Mobile Wound Care & Wound Care Specialist located in Greater Phoenix, AZ
If you have venous ulcers or painful open sores on your skin, contact Annette Kietur, M.Ed., MSN, FNP-C, WCC, DAPWCA, at Getting Well in Peoria, Arizona. She offers a variety of wound treatments through her mobile service to accelerate healing for venous leg ulcers and reduce your risk of infection and other complications. Call the office to learn more about treatment options or book an appointment online today.
Venous leg ulcers are open sores in your legs caused by blood flow problems. Some venous ulcers don’t heal properly without medical intervention. At the first sign of non-healing sores, see the Getting Well for an initial evaluation.
Common signs and symptoms associated with venous leg ulcers include:
If ulcers get infected, they might drain pus or have a foul odor.
Venous leg ulcers often appear near your ankles because of damaged veins in your legs. Your risk of developing ulcers increases with:
CVI occurs when leg veins don’t efficiently pump blood back up to your heart, causing the blood to pool in lower leg veins.
To evaluate venous leg ulcers, Annette checks your vital signs, discusses your medical history and symptoms, and completes a physical exam.
She then evaluates your legs, ankles, and feet to look for signs of vein problems and sores. She may also recommend you undergo an ultrasound to get a more in-depth picture of your vein health.
Common treatments for venous leg ulcers include:
Lifestyle changes that may reduce your risk of venous leg ulcers include:
Properly managing diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol are also vital.
Ensuring that you take your prescribed medication for other underlying conditions (such as for hypertension, diabetes, ect.) is essential for proper healing.
Venous wounds usually drain a lot, and a wound specialist will be able to select the most appropriate dressing and frequency of dressing changes for this situation.
Venous insufficiency usually requires compression. Annette will assess your arterial status first to ensure compression doesn’t harm you, and then initiate treatment with compression wraps.
Surgery or other minor procedures can improve blood flow or remove diseased veins linked with venous leg ulcers.
Annette collaborates with other specialists for surgical care or other additional treatments as necessary (if healing doesn’t improve within 2-4 weeks).
Call Getting Well to request an initial evaluation of venous leg ulcers or book an appointment online today.