Venous Leg Ulcers Specialist
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Ocala Infectious Disease and Wound Center
Infectious Disease Physicians & Wound Care Specialists located in Ocala, FL
You may be tempted to ignore a venous leg ulcer when it first appears, shrugging it off as a bug bite or abrasion. But these ulcers rapidly expand, and they’re difficult to heal without wound care from a specialist like Haris Mirza, MD, at Ocala Infectious Disease and Wound Center. Dr. Mirza provides comprehensive treatment for slow-healing venous leg ulcers, from advanced dressings to hyperbaric oxygen therapy when needed to accelerate healing. If you live around The Villages, Citrus County, Lake County, and Sumter County, schedule an appointment by calling the office in Ocala, Florida, or using the online booking feature.
Venous Leg Ulcers Q&A
What causes venous leg ulcers?
Venous leg ulcers, or venous stasis ulcers, develop on your lower leg or foot. These slow-healing wounds are caused by a condition called chronic venous insufficiency.
Venous insufficiency occurs when one-way valves in your leg veins weaken and stop working. The valves are designed to keep blood flowing up your leg toward your heart. When a valve fails, however, blood flows backward and builds up in the vein.
As the blood accumulates, you may develop varicose veins. But with or without varicose veins, venous insufficiency increases the pressure in the vein. High venous pressure forces fluids out of the vein and into the surrounding tissues, where it damages your skin and causes an ulcer.
Why do venous leg ulcers need specialized wound care?
Once an ulcer develops, it doesn’t heal well and doesn’t improve with over-the-counter treatments. Instead, the tissues around the edge of the ulcer progressively deteriorate and the ulcer gets larger.
Venous leg ulcers are susceptible to infections that spread, resulting in a serious skin or bone infection.
What symptoms develop due to a venous leg ulcer?
Venous ulcers typically occur in your lower leg around the ankle. The ulcer is generally shallow but can get quite large and ooze blood. Though the ulcer tends to be painless until an infection develops, you may experience:
- Leg pain
- Inflammation
- Swelling
- Thickened, leathery skin
- Reddish-brown skin discoloration
- Eczema-like rash (stasis dermatitis)
Leg pain that feels better when you elevate your leg is an early sign of chronic venous insufficiency.
How are venous leg ulcers treated?
Early treatment with specialized wound care at Ocala Infectious Disease and Wound Center can accelerate healing and help prevent infection.
Treatment for a venous leg ulcer includes therapies such as:
- Compression therapy
- Cleaning the ulcer
- Debriding damaged tissues
- Antibiotic therapy (oral or infusion therapy)
- Advanced and specialty dressings
- Bioengineered tissue substitutes
- Hyperbaric oxygen therapy
- Nutritional counseling
Dr. Mirza teaches you and your family members how to take care of your venous leg ulcer at home, showing you how to clean the wound, protect the skin, and change the dressing.
The healing process places extra demands on your body, often depleting essential nutrients. Dr. Mirza talks with you about your diet and recommends changes to provide extra nutrition.
If you have a nutrient deficiency, he may recommend IV nutrient infusion therapy to quickly give your body what it needs to fight infections and heal wounds.
To receive exceptional wound care for venous leg ulcers, call Ocala Infectious Disease and Wound Center or book an appointment online.