Understanding Venous Ulcerations

What Are Venous Ulcers and Venous Ulcerations

Venous ulcers, commonly referred to as venous stasis ulcers, are a form of vascular ulcer and are caused by problems with blood circulation within your body. Vascular ulcers can form anywhere on the body, but are primarily prevalent on the lower legs and feet. A form of chronic wound, vascular ulcers can take a very long time to heal, if at all, and usually require specialized medical treatment. Vascular ulcers can develop from either poor circulation within your arteries (arterial ulcers), or from poor circulation within your veins (venous ulcers). The most common type of vascular ulcer is a venous ulcer, and they represent approximately 70-90% of all chronic wounds.

Chronic venous insufficiency is a leading cause of venous ulcers, and specifically venous leg ulcers. Venous ulcers, also known as venous stasis ulcers, occur when oxygen-poor blood can’t flow from your extremities back to your heart and instead, it pools, creating pressure in your veins. The pooling of this blood damages skin tissue and leads to the development of an ulcer as the blood vessels begin to leak and ultimately burst. These venous ulcers often occur on the legs and near the ankle and are therefore recognized as venous leg ulcers. Being a chronic wound, a venous ulcer is a wound that can take several months to heal and in severe cases, the ulcer never heals. Venous ulcers can worsen quickly, putting you at risk for additional complications that can cause you to lose your limb if undiagnosed and left untreated.