Having a wound or open sore on your leg is uncommon. This always indicates a serious health problem that requires timely attention and management. If left untreated they can be debilitating, leading to life-threatening consequences like leg amputation.
Dr. Atur Kasha El Paso and his team’s expertise in thorough evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of leg wounds to reduce your risk of complications.
Table of Contents
Introduction to leg wounds
Leg wounds or leg ulcers are open wounds on your legs between your knee and ankle. Such wounds take more than two weeks to heal despite treatment. Leg wounds often ooze fluid or pus and grow larger if left untreated.
It leads to painful symptoms that can dramatically diminish your quality of life, by impairing your routine activities.
Risk factors for leg wounds
Leg wounds are more likely to develop if you have one of the following risk factors:
- Old age
- Family history of vein problems
- Chronic venous insufficiency
- Peripheral artery disease
- Deep vein thrombosis
- History of blood clots
- Hypertension
- Varicose veins
- Diabetes
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Pregnancy
- Obesity
- Smoking
- Sedentary lifestyle
Symptoms associated with leg wounds
You may notice the following symptoms if you suffer from a leg wound:
- The sore may be red, purple, or brown in color
- Dry, scaly, itchy skin
- Hard bumps on the skin
- Leg pain and heaviness
- Swelling in the lower legs
- Leg cramps
- Burning or tingling sensation
- Non-healing wounds can lead to pus discharge
Diagnosing leg wounds
A vascular specialist will help you manage leg wounds after an in-depth evaluation of the wound.
- Your doctor will assess your symptoms
- A detailed medical history will be recorded to review:
- Conditions like diabetes, hypertension, or blood disorders
- Family history
- List of medications being taken
- A thorough physical examination performed helps to check for skin changes, and drainage from the wound
- Diagnostic tests will be required to confirm the analysis. These include:
- Blood tests
- Ultrasound scan
- Ankle-brachial index test to measure the blood pressure and blood flow in the legs
- Biopsy to check for infections and skin diseases
Effective treatment options to manage leg wounds
The prime focus of the treatment includes wound healing, relief from painful symptoms, and further recurrence.
Treatments include:
- A healthy diet
- Proper wound care
- Medications like painkillers and antibiotics
- Leg elevation
- Compression therapy
- Regular exercise
- Weight loss
- Varicose veins management (sclerotherapy)
- Management of chronic conditions like diabetes, or hypertension
- Surgery to remove the damaged vein in case of venous insufficiency
Summary
Leg wounds in the form of open sores or ulcers can be extremely painful, impairing your routine activities. Consult a vascular specialist at the earliest since leg wounds are often associated with an underlying health issue that should not be ignored.
