The first sign of a venous ulcer is skin that turns dark red or purple over the area where the blood is leaking out of the vein. The skin may also become itchy, thick and dry.
If you do not feel comfortable changing your own dressing, that’s okay! Ask your doctor if you qualify for a home-care nurse to come by and help you once a week. You can also visit a wound care clinic weekly.
The compression bandage may feel painful at first. This will improve in about 10-12 days. Ask your doctor for a pain medicine like paracetamol, or ask how best to manage the discomfort. Call your nurse if you have any problems with your compression bandage. Don’t try to take it off yourself. There are several different kinds of compression bandages, and none are proven to be better than the others.
Severe pain in the front of your ankle Severe pain on the bottom of your foot Swelling in your toes that turn your toes blue
Tell your doctor if you have kidney problems, take any blood thinners, are pregnant or want to get pregnant, have an upcoming surgery, or are allergic to caffeine.
This may speed up your healing time if you also use your compression bandage.
Surgical “debridement” is scraping away dead tissue in the ulcer, which can help promote healing. Skin grafting can improve healing of really large ulcers, and involves covering the ulcer with skin from your own body, from someone else, or with artificial skin. This won’t help if you have a lot of swelling, though. Other surgeries are on the veins themselves, to improve blood flow.
Worsening pain Green or unpleasant, possibly foul-smelling discharge from the ulcer site Red, swollen skin around the ulcer High body temperature
Elevate the end of your bed about six inches so that your leg is elevated while you sleep. You can use boxes or books for this. [7] X Research source
How many hours a day should I wear my stockings? Should I take them off at any point in the day? When shouldn’t I wear them? Can I wear them while my ulcer is still healing? What size and tightness should I wear? (If you don’t get them from the doctor directly)
Try to go on daily walks. Stay away from fast food, processed food, and foods that have high sugar and simple carbohydrate contents, such as white bread. Create circulation by doing ankle rotations and raising and lowering your foot when you’re sitting. Standing still and sitting without elevating your leg can make swelling worse. Talk to your doctor before starting any exercise regime to find out what’s safe for you.
If that doesn’t help, ask your doctor for recommendations – they may give you a steroid cream to improve the itchiness. Keep your skin well moisturized to prevent breaks in the skin that can turn into ulcers. Do not put lotion on an open wound or between your toes, however.
