Comparing and Contrasting Venous and Arteriosclerosis Ulcers - Essay Example

"Comparing and Contrasting Venous and Arteriosclerosis Ulcers" is a wonderful example of a paper on dermatology.
Chronic ulcers are a major dilemma of any healthcare professional concerned with cutaneous or peripheral vascular illness and they are a quite common issue in general medicine. The aetiology of chronic ulcers could be divided into nonvascular and vascular causes. Ulceration caused by chronic venous incompetent rarely surfaces in the higher portion of the leg and not ever on the thigh (Collins & Seraj, 2010). At times, an ulcer arises on the toes or foot due to the wearing of loose shoes or none at all and, thus, has enabled the development of oedema of the toes and feet. Likewise, the chronic ulcers in arteriosclerosis or ischemic disease commonly develop on the feet or the toes (Collins & Seraj, 2010). When they occur on the leg, they usually are triggered by an injury. Because any portion of the leg could be wounded, there is no usual site for the arteriosclerosis ulcer related to occlusive arterial illness. Nevertheless, most of them develop on the anterior part of the leg, as wound or damage is most prone to happen in this location (Alavi, Mayer, Hafner, & Sibbald, 2012).   

Stasis ulcer, or more commonly known as venous ulcer, is the most widespread cause of lower extremity ulceration. The main risk factors for the development of venous ulcer are pregnancy, sedentary lifestyle, obesity, malnourishment, older age, weak valves, varicose veins, and muscle incompetence of the lower extremities, previous leg wounds, congestive heart failure, and deep venous thrombosis (MacGregor, 2013). The risk factors for arteriosclerosis ulcers are similar to those of venous ulcers, such as obesity, older age, and immobility. However, there are other risk factors for arteriosclerosis ulcers that are not present in venous ulcers, such as hypertension, smoking, renal disorder, poor eyesight, and structural foot abnormality (Alavi et al., 2012).       

Venous ulcers are exposed, normally painful, skin lesions that heal after roughly four to six weeks. Those suffering from venous leg ulcer could also experience these following signs and symptoms: a malodorous discharge from the ulcer, varicose veins, inflamed, flaky, and red skin on the legs, sore legs, desensitized and darkened skin around the ulcer, and oedema or enlarged ankles. The physical indications of venous incompetence are varicose veins, discolouration of the skin, and oedema (Collins & Seraj, 2010). Some of the following signs and symptoms of arteriosclerosis ulcers are the same as those of venous ulcers: darkened sores, deep wound, leg pain, and numbing of the area around the ulcer (Alavi et al., 2012).

Management options for venous ulcers comprise surgical alternatives, medications, mechanical treatment, and conservative management. These include graduated compression (i.e. putting bandages to the leg and raising the pressure at the gaiter and ankle region); dressing; debridement and cleaning; antibiotics; aspirin; and topical steroids.  Generally, the objectives of these management options are to inhibit recurrence, enhance the process of healing, and alleviate oedema (MacGregor, 2013). Even though several management options are available, they have varying success and inadequate evidence to confirm their effectiveness. Management options for arteriosclerosis ulcers are similar to those of venous ulcers. These include enhancement of circulation, occlusive dressings, pain management, and conservative debridement. In addition, treatment targets the disease’s pathogenic causes (Alavi et al., 2012).