Leg Ulcers
Wednesday, April 23, 2008

In today’s 60 Second Housecall, Dr. Ken Davis diagnoses and treats leg ulcers.

Leg ulcers are wounds or open sores that will not heal or keep returning.

The three most common types of leg and foot ulcers include:

Venous stasis ulcers – affecting 500,000 to 600,000 people in the USA every year and account for 80 to 90 percent of all leg ulcers.  A failure of the valves in the veins causes poor blood circulation.

Arterial or ischemic ulcers – from blockage in the arteries to the legs, and

 Neurotrophic – from diabetic damage to the nerves

Treatment options of leg ulcers depend on the cause. Common treatment may include:

 Antibiotics, if an infection is present

 Blood thinners to prevent a blood clot

 Topical wound therapies, and

 Compression therapy to improve the venous flow

If you have leg ulcers, have your physician examine you, diagnose the cause of your leg ulcers and start you on the correct treatment program.

For North Mississippi Medical Center, I’m Dr. Ken Davis.