A leg ulcer is a break in the skin on the lower leg that takes more than four to six weeks to heal. Leg ulcers can develop for a variety of reasons, including problems with the veins, poor circulation and other less common causes.

Venous leg ulcers

Around 70 per cent of leg ulcers are venous leg ulcers, making them the most common type of leg ulcer.

What causes a venous leg ulcer?

Normal veins

Veins are blood vessels that carry dirty blood back to the heart through the lungs, where it is re-oxygenated. The legs contain a network of veins, some are deep within the muscles and others lie just beneath the skin.

The veins in the legs contain one-way valves. In healthy legs, these valves prevent blood from flowing in the wrong direction. Walking helps the calf muscles pump blood back towards the heart.

Abnormal veins

Venous leg ulcers arise from venous valve incompetence and calf muscle pump insufficiency, leading to venous stasis. This causes the veins to stretch and leak fluid into the tissues around the ankle. This can be caused by:

Signs of infection

Look out for:

• increased redness
• heat
• increased swelling
• increased discharge
• increased odour
• increased pain
• feeling generally unwell.

If any of these signs occur, contact your GP or uut of hours, call NHS 111.

Pre-tibial skin tears (on the shin)

• skin tears on the shin have a risk of becoming ulcerated
• your risk will be fully assessed at the wound clinic
• a support stocking, or padding and bandaging, may be applied from toe to knee to help prevent swelling and improve circulation.

How you can help yourself

• carry on with your normal daily activities
• walking is the best way to improve your circulation
• when resting, keep your leg elevated.

How to reduce the risk of further injury

• protect your legs with trousers or stockings
• gently apply emollients to your legs
• try to avoid hazards
• if you are experiencing repeated falls, let us know. You may be referred to the Medway Community Healthcare Falls Service, which will assess your needs and help reduce your risk of falls.