Why is it important? Because the approach to them is completely opposite.
Arterial ulcers
If blood does not flow well through the arteries, the outermost parts of the legs will be deprived. They will suffer, hurt, and if any wound appears, it will take a long time to heal. Simply because there is no blood supply to this place.
Usually the case is atherosclerosis. The plaques block the arteries and the blood supply to the leg decreases.
The farther from the heart, the more often atherosclerotic plaques will come across the blood path, and the more easily ulcers form in that region. And farthest away are the tips of the toes or between the toes. Look for ulcers there.
In addition, insufficient circulation causes ulcers to develop on the parts of the legs where the skin is compressed. Anywhere on protruding ankles, on the sole or on the heels.
In fact, even if an arterial ulcer appears from the side of the sole in the pressed places, then there are rarely corns. Simply because building a corn requires circulation and a continuous supply of building materials. And arterial ulcers with blood flow are strained.
Blood hardly reaches the ulcer itself, so the ulcer will be dry. Neither blood nor pus usually flows from it. This ulcer is more like a hole or a well that goes deeper.
The leg next to the arterial ulcer may be hot or cold. Hot, because there is inflammation with infection, and cold because there is no blood flow.
The arterial ulcer hurts. It hurts more than any other ulcer.
Before the ulcer develops, the person has intermittent claudication. This means that a person walks calmly along the path and after a while stops from wild pain in the leg. It takes a little time, the blood circulates slightly in the sore spot, and the pain goes away. You can go further. After some more meters of walking, pain rolls over again, and you need to stand. This is why this claudication is called intermittent. Accordingly, people with arterial ulcers are more likely to complain not of an ulcer, but of leg pain.
If a person sits cross-legged, then a pulse is visible behind the inner ankle. You don't even need to feel something. You can just see it. So, most likely, with arterial ulcers, the pulse will not be visible. That is, he hid somewhere there, but it is difficult to notice and touch him from the outside.
The skin on a leg with an arterial ulcer will be thin, shiny, and hairless. Like parchment. It seems like poke it and it breaks. This is often the case.
Venous ulcers
They are more common. This is a violation of the outflow of blood through the veins. Somewhere on the ankle or on the back of the lower leg.
Venous ulcers are moist, superficial, red. They're big. Sometimes they even cover the shin roundly. Something is constantly oozing out of them.
Venous ulcers never descend to the foot or rise above the knees.
These ulcers are superficial and soft. There are no blisters around them. Around them will be fat, dark age spots and dilated saphenous veins.
There is a lot of blood. Even in excess. Therefore, a leg with a venous ulcer will be hot and the pulse will be good.
Venous ulcers do not hurt much.
You and I are so different ...
Arterial and venous ulcers are antipodes. Arterial ulcers do not like very much when they are pressed or lifted up by a sore leg. So less blood reaches the sore spot.
Venous ulcers, on the contrary, want to rise higher so that the blood flows out. They also love to dress up in compression hosiery, and the pressure doesn't scare them.
Go to the surgeon!
All these wonderful holes in the skin of the legs should be treated by a surgeon. So look for a surgeon, and don't look for magic potions. Without a specialist, a diseased leg can be lost.
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