Therapy
Depending on the cause of the open leg, a different therapy for the patient results. For this reason, the exact differentiation of the type at the time of diagnosis by a doctor is of great importance for further treatment. Venous ulcers cruri, which mostly occur on the ankle (usually on the inside of the foot) and are often preceded by many years of suffering from varicose veins and/or venous thrombosis, should be treated with strong compression.
Firm bandages or compression stockings are suitable for this. Regular walking training and the possible removal or interruption of varicose veins or poorly functioning veins complete the therapy concept. However, the latter measure requires a surgical intervention.
The situation is completely different for open legs with arterial causes; these wounds, which often occur for the first time on the toes, the heel or the balls of the feet and can be very painful, should under no circumstances be compressed any further. Compression would also reduce the last remaining blood flow and thus worsen the symptoms. In the treatment of this type of ulcer cruri, the main focus is on the dilation of the arterial vessels.
Surgical expansion or bridging of the constriction with vascular prostheses or bypasses are conceivable. However, these operations are not always feasible and sensible. An experienced doctor should carefully determine the indication for therapy and advise the patient in detail.
With all forms of open legs it is of course at least as important to treat the wound itself at the same time.It must be cleaned regularly and covered with special dressing material that keeps the wound bed slightly moist (not wet!) at all times and can thus promote healing. It may be possible to approach the wound surgically: under light anesthesia or local anesthesia, the removal of the old wound surface is followed by cleaning of the wound bed (debridement).
It may then be advisable to close the defect with a skin graft. However, this type of treatment is only possible if the vascular supply in the affected leg is still so good that the operating surgeon can be sure that the skin graft will grow. If the blood circulation is very poor and no improvement in the healing process can be achieved at all, the application of specially bred fly maggots (free or packed in special bags) is recommended.
These only eat away the dead tissue and clean the wound very effectively. The healthy tissue remains complete. Since all these factors have to be considered when deciding on a therapy and decisions in this regard are not always easy to make, self-selected self-therapy is strictly discouraged; on the one hand, the reason for the open leg must be clearly defined and also treated and on the other hand, a doctor can prescribe specific aids and give precise instructions for the treatment and the further procedure.
Many over-the-counter medicines or household remedies are also suspected of triggering severe allergies or even worsening the symptoms of those affected.
- Therapy of peripheral arterial occlusive disease
- Removing varicose veins
An open leg, which is not caused by an acute injury, is usually caused by changes in the vascular system. Due to these diseases, open areas develop, which subsequently heal very poorly and slowly.
To protect the open tissue, bandages must be applied. However, wound dressings and ointments should first be applied to the tissue. Since an open leg is usually the symptom of a serious illness and the open leg in turn carries many dangers such as infections, the open areas should definitely be treated professionally.
Experimenting around without prior medical advice should be avoided at all costs. Experts usually use a zinc paste to treat the open leg. This is primarily intended to protect the surrounding tissue from infection.
In most cases, a wound dressing is also applied to the open area. This contains a gel or foam that provides molecular structures in which newly formed tissue can find a hold. This supports the self-healing powers of the body.
Materials such as hydrocolloids, gels, alginates or polyurethane foam are used. Maggots are often used in the treatment of an open leg. Due to the poor nutrient supply of the tissue, many cells die there.
However, the body cannot eliminate them all. Maggots, on the other hand, like to eat away this dead tissue, but leave the still intact tissue alone and are therefore ideally suited to clean the open areas. The maggots are not brought directly into the wound but are placed in special bags at the open places.
Home remedies can be a good addition to the professional wound treatment. For example, you can use a pad with witch hazel extract. Envelopes with curd or fenugreek can also be helpful.
A pad soaked with a marigold infusion can also be used. Other herbal remedies that are used are fenugreek, comfrey, oak bark tea and arnica. Medical honey can be used to treat an open leg.
This is put on a wound dressing so that it can be applied directly to the open area. Many manufacturers sell wound dressings soaked in medical honey. The honey can also be purchased as wound gel. The effect of honey is both wound cleansing and antibacterial. In addition, the honey can cover and eliminate unpleasant odor.
