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What are Venous Leg Ulcers?

The body has several types of fluid circulating through it. Sometimes in persons that have difficulty walking, venous blood flow can be affected, which can result in lower-leg swelling (or edema). When a swollen leg is injured the swelling can interfere with normal healing and lead to a venous leg ulcer.

How can they be prevented?

Prevention of edema in the leg is the best way to prevent this problem.  However, if the leg is edematous (meaning it is swollen because of a build-up of fluid), prevention of injury caused by banging into things, such as coffee tables, is important.

What is the usual treatment?

If appropriate, a health-care professional will support reducing the leg edema through exercise and the use of tight stockings known as pressure garments. If a wound on the leg is present it will have lots of fluid drainage and needs to be managed with guidance from a health-care professional.

When should one seek professional help?

Any time there is an inability to control the cause of the injury or an increase in pain, odour, swelling or wound size a health-care professional should be consulted.

Preventing and Managing Venous Leg Ulcers

Preventing and Managing Venous Leg Ulcers

From our popular Care at Home Series: Do you, or someone you are caring for at home, have swollen legs? This resource outlines possible causes of leg swelling, provides information on what you can do at home to prevent or manage swelling should it occur and outlines when to call a health-care professional for help.

Prévention et gestion des ulcères veineux de la jambe

Prévention et gestion des ulcères veineux de la jambe

De notre populaire Série Soins à Domicile : Avez-vous, ou une personne dont vous vous occupez à domicile, ont des jambes gonflées ? Cette ressource décrit les causes possibles de l'enflure des jambes, fournit des informations sur ce que vous pouvez faire à la maison pour prévenir ou gérer l'enflure si elle se produit et indique quand appeler un professionnel de la santé pour obtenir de l'aide.

Venous Leg Ulcer

Venous Leg Ulcer

From our DIY Skin Health Series: Blood flow from the lower leg back up to the heart is called venous blood return, and it uses something called the calf-muscle pump to move blood upward against gravity. Poor venous blood return occurs when either the valves or the calf-muscle pump are not working as well as they should. This causes swelling of the legs and if the skin is traumatized, it results in poor wound healing. Exercise is the key to getting that calf-muscle pump going!