Venous and Arterial Ulcers

Wound Care & Hyperbaric Medicine Specialists located in Dallas, TX, Fort Worth, TX, Frisco, TX, Overland Park, KS, San Antonio, TX, The Woodlands, TX, Tyler, TX, & Little Rock, AR

Venous and arterial ulcers are slow to heal. Without medical care, they can continue to enlarge and put you at risk for a serious infection. The experienced team at Wound Evolution in Fort Worth, Dallas, San Antonio, Texas, and Overland Park, Kansas, provide multimodal treatment for venous and arterial ulcers using specialized dressings and advanced options such as hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Call or schedule an appointment online for expert wound care at the first sign of a venous or arterial ulcer.

What Is a Venous Ulcer?

A venous ulcer is a wound that develops when chronic venous insufficiency leads to increased pressure in a vein. Venous insufficiency occurs when one-way valves in the leg vein stop functioning and allow blood to flow backward.

As blood accumulates in the vein, the pressure inside the vein increases. High pressure in your lower leg pushes fluids out of the vein, breaking down the skin and causing a venous ulcer.

What Is an Arterial Ulcer?

An arterial ulcer forms when atherosclerosis, plaque that hardens the arteries, develops in your leg, and blocks blood flow. Without enough blood, skin and other tissue are deprived of oxygen and nutrients — a condition called ischemia. As a result, the tissue dies, and an open wound (or ulcer) develops.

The lack of blood also makes it harder for wounds to heal. You may sustain a minor cut that develops into an ulcer because it cannot properly heal.

What Symptoms Develop Due to Venous and Arterial Ulcers?

The two types of ulcers cause different symptoms:

Arterial ulcers

Arterial ulcers can affect your feet, heels, toes, and ankles. Additional symptoms include hairless skin and leg pain at night. The affected skin feels cold, and your leg often turns red when dangled and white when elevated. These ulcers typically cause significant pain.

Venous ulcers

Venous ulcers typically form around your ankle. You may develop symptoms like swelling in your lower leg, leg pain, discolored skin, and itchy, hardened skin. The actual ulcer may be painful.

Why Do Arterial and Venous Ulcers Need Expert Wound Care?

Ulcers don’t heal on their own. Instead, they continue to get larger or deeper. Wound Evolution can help you find lasting relief from both arterial and venous ulcers.

Ulcers may not heal for many months without medical care. The longer you have a non-healing ulcer, the higher your risk of developing an infection that can spread and cause a bone infection.

How Are Venous and Arterial Ulcers Treated?

Treatment for venous and arterial ulcers takes a two-pronged approach. You need the appropriate treatment for the underlying condition and specialized wound care for the ulcers.

It’s important to keep ulcers clean and properly bandaged. However, venous and arterial ulcers need different types of dressings.

The team at Wound Evolution - Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine chooses the optimal dressing and offers comprehensive care, including services such as:

Debridement
Specialized dressings
Medications
Compression therapy for venous ulcers
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy

Why Choose Wound Evolution?

The team at Wound Evolution provides comprehensive ulcer care, including teaching you how to take care of your ulcer at home. Our highly-trained staff can show you how to keep your wound clean, change the dressing, and protect the healthy skin surrounding it.

If you need a venous or arterial ulcer treatment, call Wound Evolution - Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine or book an appointment online today.