Foot and Leg Ulcers
Ulcers are breaks in the layers of the skin that fail to heal. The most common cause of chronic leg ulcers is poor blood circulation in the legs.
People with diabetes are at special risk of developing foot ulcers, and care is an important part of diabetes management.
Diabetes also increases the likelihood of narrowing of the arteries. This means people with diabetes have a much increased risk of developing arterial ulcers. This is when the tubes that carry blood from the heart to the body's tissues. The tissues receive oxygen and nutrients from the blood. The used blood, which now contains carbon dioxide and other by-products, is carried via the veins from the tissues back to the heart.
You can treat leg ulcers depending on the factors that caused the ulcer. Once these factors are under control i.e. the blood sugar level in diabetes, the ulcer should heal by itself. Treatment may also involve wound cleansing, anti-inflammatory treatment and application of dressings.
Sometimes it's necessary to close the ulcer by means of plastic surgery. This involves taking skin from somewhere else on your body and placing it over the ulcer.
Ulcers are serious warning signs, and if left untreated, they may cause further complications and require surgical intervention.
