Patient Information
What are Venous Ulcers?
About 70% of people with ulcers have this type which are the result of venous disease. They tend to occur in the so-called Gaiter Area - halfway up the calf and down to just below the ankle. Veins drain blood from the feet & lower leg uphill to the heart. This blood has to be re-cycled through the heart and lungs to get rid of waste products and pick up oxygen. This system is important to keep the legs and feet healthy. Two mechanisms assist in this uphill flow of blood.
Muscles used for walking and exercise act as a pump by contracting and relaxing and helping to force blood uphill towards the heart.
The veins in the legs have one-way valves which prevent blood flowing back downhill.
If the valves do not work properly and do not close in the normal way blood will flow back downhill and cause congestion. This may lead to legs which are swollen and tender to touch. The skin may feel dry and itchy and have mottled brown or black staining, and may appear crusty in the gaiter area. The legs may become painful when sitting down. Venous ulcers can develop in this type of leg.
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