Introduction
A leg ulcer is a long-lasting (chronic) sore that takes more than 2 weeks to heal. It usually develops on the inside of the leg, between the knee and the ankle.
The symptoms of a venous leg ulcer ↗ include pain, itching and swelling in the affected leg.
There may also be discoloured or hardened skin around the ulcer, and the sore may produce a foul-smelling discharge.
See your GP if you think you have a leg ulcer, as it'll need specialist treatment to help it heal.
Your GP will examine your leg and may carry out additional tests to rule out other conditions.
A venous leg ulcer is the most common type of leg ulcer, accounting for more than 60% of all cases.
Venous leg ulcers can develop after a minor injury, if persistently high pressure in the veins of the legs has weakened the skin.
Find out more about the causes of venous leg ulcers ↗
Venous leg ulcers are estimated to affect around 1 in 500 people in the UK, although they become much more common with age.
It's estimated around 1 in 50 people over the age of 80 has one.
You're more at risk of developing one if you previously had deep vein thrombosis (DVT) ↗ or find it difficult to walk because of a problem such as:
- osteoarthritis ↗
- a leg injury
- obesity ↗
- paralysis ↗
You're also more at risk if you recently had an operation on your leg, such as a hip replacement ↗ or knee replacement ↗.
People with swollen and enlarged veins (varicose veins) ↗ also have a higher risk of developing venous leg ulcers.
Most venous leg ulcers heal within 6 months if they're treated by a healthcare professional trained in compression therapy for leg ulcers.
But some ulcers may take longer to heal, and a very small number never heal.
Treatment usually involves:
- cleaning and dressing the wound
- using compression, such as bandages or stockings, to improve the flow of blood in the legs
Antibiotics ↗ may also be used if the ulcer becomes infected, but they do not help ulcers heal.
But unless the underlying cause of the ulcer is addressed, there's a high risk of a venous leg ulcer coming back after treatment.
Underlying causes could include immobility, obesity, previous DVT or varicose veins.
Find out more about how venous leg ulcers are treated ↗
There are several ways to help prevent developing a venous leg ulcer in people at risk.
These include:
- wearing compression stockings
- losing weight if you're overweight
- exercising regularly
- elevating your leg when possible
- stopping smoking if you smoke
These measures are particularly important if you previously had a leg ulcer.
This is because you're at increased risk of having another one in the same leg within months or years.
Find out how to prevent venous leg ulcers ↗
Other common types of leg ulcer include:
- arterial leg ulcers – caused by poor blood circulation in the arteries
- diabetic leg ulcers – caused by the high blood sugar associated with diabetes ↗
- vasculitic leg ulcers – associated with chronic inflammatory disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis ↗ and lupus ↗
- traumatic leg ulcers – caused by injury to the leg
- malignant leg ulcers – caused by a tumour of the skin of the leg
Most ulcers caused by artery disease or diabetes occur on the foot rather than the leg.