Leg ulcers
Leg ulcers are a disorder which usually affects the elderly. While there are many different causes the most common, called veinous ulceration, is a result of high pressure in the superficial veins of the leg (which are dilated and tortuous, known as varicose veins) which causes leakage of blood cells into the tissues. This sets up an inflammatory reaction, the skin becomes fragile, minor trauma causes an ulcer (which is a break in the underlying dermis) which may be very slow to heal, particularly if it becomes infected. Healing may be helped by extra zinc, Vitamin C and small doses of aspirin besides the use of compression bandaging. Those ulcers which are a complication of other underlying disorders such as arterial disease or diabetes mellitus may respond more quickly after attention to the underlying disorder.
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