Venous Ulceration

What is a Venous Ulcer?

At Advanced Vein Therapy, we have physicians who are experienced at treating individuals suffering from venous ulcers. Ulcers are sores that are slow to heal and develop on your skin or inside your body. A venous ulcer is a type of shallow wound that occurs on your legs when the veins fail to return blood back to the heart. They usually form on the sides of your leg, above your ankle, and below your calf. They can be extremely painful, especially when moving, and when the ulcer comes in contact with something like clothing. Venous ulcers take a long time to heal and often, even if they have gone away, they return swiftly.

What Causes Venous Ulceration?

Venous ulcerations form when the veins in your legs are unable to move blood back up toward the heart. The veins in your legs have one-way valves that keep the blood from staying in your legs and help it to flow back up toward your heart. Venous ulcers occur when the veins become weak and blood pools. This condition is also often referred to as venous insufficiency.

Venous ulcerations are most often caused by poor circulation. When you suffer from venous insufficiency, the valves are usually damaged and because the blood is unable to get back to your heart, it begins to pool in your legs. As the pressure builds and your blood begins to breakdown, fluid starts to leak out of your veins. As the fluid leaks into the surrounding tissue, it causes your tissues to breakdown as well. This tissue breakdown begins forming an ulcer. As more and more fluid leaks, the damage continues to grow and the ulcers enlarge.

Venus ulcerations can also be caused by a blockage in your veins. If the blood cannot reach your heart it pools and begins to form ulcers. At Advanced Vein Therapy, we provide treatments that can help you reverse the progression of your ulceration. The physicians at Advanced Vein Therapy in Boise specialize in helping patients with venous ulcerations heal. Contact us today to find out how we can help you find relief fast.

What are the Factors that Lead to Venous Ulceration?

If you don’t have venous ulcerations, there are things you can do to reduce your risk and avoid ulcerations in the future.

• Don’t Smoke: Smoking has been proven to play a role in the development of venous ulcerations. If you smoke there are a number of treatments that will help you quit. Seek support from your family doctor.
• Avoid Obesity: Added weight on your legs creates stress on your veins. If you are overweight and want to reduce your risk for venous ulcerations, find a fitness and healthy eating plan that works for your unique lifestyle.
• Incorporate Exercise: Regular exercise is extremely important as lack of physical activity can increase your risk of forming venous ulcerations.
• Adjust Your Lifestyle: If you have a job that requires long hours on your feet, find ways to get chair breaks and kick up your legs as often as possible.

Advanced Vein Therapy

If you have venous ulcerations, you can find relief. At Advanced Vein Therapy, we offer specialized treatments and superior care. We can help repair damage to veins without invasive surgeries. Our physicians use special localized methods that are designed to help your body heal. Our treatments do not require stitches and are out-patient so that you can recover in the comfort of your own home.

At Advanced Vein Therapy in Boise, our goal is to help you reclaim your life so that you can do all things you enjoy most the people you love most. Call today to find out how we can help you.