Understanding the Proper Way of Dressing Leg Ulcers

Before you learn about the proper way of dressing leg ulcers, it is important that you know some things about this leg problem so that you will fully understand what the concern is all about.

What are Leg Ulcers?

Leg ulcers are breaks in the skin that do not heal and are commonly accompanied by inflammation. If these problems do not heal, they become chronic. The elderly ones are commonly affected by chronic foot and leg ulcers.

Poor blood circulation is one of the most common causes of a chronic leg ulcer. There are basically two common types of leg ulcers, namely, the arterial leg ulcers and the venous leg ulcers. Common causes of these are injuries, diabetes, because of very poor blood circulation or great nerve damage that result to pressure ulcers, certain skin conditions, vascular diseases such as angina, stroke, or heart attack, tumours, and infections.

When the legs start to swell, and the skin surrounding it starts to feel dry and itchy, infections occur. This is where the importance of dressing leg ulcers comes in the picture.

The Right Choices of Dressing Leg Ulcers

Clean dressing techniques are acceptable enough for chronic leg ulcers. These methods of dressing leg ulcers should be primarily aimed at preventing cross-infection. Normally, strict asepsis is not necessary.

Putting emphasis on the choice of dressing leg ulcers are mostly on allergen avoidance. Simple non-adherent dressings are fine, provided that they do not cause further damage to the wound bed. People with leg ulcers are very prone to contact sensitivity to alcohols, wool, and other rubber mixes. Dressings that contain these products must be avoided in clinical practice. Also, topical antibiotics and products that contain lanolin must be avoided.

In dressing leg ulcers in uncomplicated areas, those simple non-adherent dressings are mostly recommended since there are no specific dressings yet that have been proven to improve healing rates. In exuding ulcers, choose those absorbent dressings to reduce dressing changes. Examples of these are foams and alginate dressings. Foam dressings are appropriate in dressing leg ulcers that are already painful.

Using hydrocolloid is as effective as well. But keep in mind not to use film dressings or hydrocolloids in macerated wounds. Instead, use the Allevy foam. For leg ulcers that are already difficult to heal, consider topical antimicrobials. Silver and iodine dressings are also as effective. Additionally, if signs and symptoms of possible systemic infections persist, choose systemic antibiotics.

When dressing leg ulcers is your concern, you have a lot of options. From foams to topical medicines, these are proven ways to effectively clean areas with problem. Ask your doctor about these dressings if you are not quite sure which one is right for you. With the many types of dressings available, treating leg ulcers is not always a problem.

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