Arterial Ulcer Treatment: Care at Home

An arterial ulcer is an open wound thatdevelops when the arteries are unable to deliver enough oxygen-rich blood tothe skin and tissue, most often in the feet and toes. Because healing dependson circulation, these wounds tend to be slow, painful, and vulnerable toinfection, which makes early recognition and consistent care especiallyimportant for patients who are older, living with diabetes, or limited in theirmobility.

What Causes an Arterial Ulcer

Arterial ulcers are usually the result ofperipheral artery disease (PAD), a condition in which fatty deposits narrow thearteries and restrict blood flow to the legs and feet. Several factors raisethe risk, including diabetes, smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol,kidney disease, and advancing age. In patients with neuropathy, reducedsensation can allow a small area of skin breakdown to go unnoticed until it hasalready become a more serious wound.

Symptoms to Watch For

A wound on the toes, heels,outer ankle, or another pressure point of the foot.
A "punched-out"appearance with well-defined edges and a pale, yellow, gray, or dark base,often with little bleeding.
Pain that may worsen at nightor when the leg is elevated and may ease when the foot hangs down.
Skin that feels cool, looksshiny or thin, or has lost hair.
Skin that feels cool, looksshiny or thin, or has lost hair.
A weak or absent pulse in thefoot.
In patients with neuropathy, awound that is more serious than the amount of pain would suggest.
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Why an Accurate Diagnosis Matters

Arterial ulcers can look like wounds causedby other conditions, such as venous ulcers, but the treatment is not the same.Compression therapy, for example, is commonly used for venous wounds, yet canbe harmful when arterial blood flow is poor. A clinician will evaluate thewound, the pulses in the foot, and the overall circulation to determine thecause before choosing a treatment plan.

How Arterial Ulcers Are Treated

Because the underlying problem is bloodflow, treatment typically has two parts that work together:

Improving circulation: Your care team may coordinate with a vascular specialist for testingand, when appropriate, procedures to restore blood flow to the area.
Wound care: This may include keeping the wound clean, using dressings suited tothe wound, removing non-viable tissue when a clinician determines it isappropriate, protecting the area from pressure, and watching closely forinfection.
Managing the underlyingconditions: Blood sugar, blood pressure,cholesterol, and smoking cessation all influence how well the body can heal.

When to Seek Care

Any new sore on the foot or toes in apatient with diabetes or circulation concerns deserves prompt evaluation ratherthan a wait-and-see approach. Increasing redness, drainage, odor, swelling,fever, or tissue that is turning dark are signs that the wound needs attentionright away. A foot that suddenly becomes cold, pale, numb, or severely painfulis an emergency, and you should call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.

Wound Care That Comes to You

For many of our patients, the hardest partof ongoing wound care is the logistics of getting to a clinic: arrangingtransportation, managing mobility limits, and sitting in a waiting room.Allevio Care Anywhere brings licensed clinical evaluation and tailored woundcare directly into the home, with no transportation and no waiting rooms, sothat wounds can be monitored consistently and concerns can be addressed early.