What Causes Leg Ulcers?

Hypertension

Leg ulcers may be caused by long-term high blood pressure, which is also referred to as hypertension. Blood pressure is the measurement of the amount of force blood is placing on the blood vessels as it is moving through them. Leg ulcers are a complication that can occur in individuals who have poorly controlled hypertension. The exact mechanism of leg ulcer development from hypertension is not well established, but it is thought to involve the narrowing of the small capillaries responsible for supplying nutrients and oxygen to the skin and underlying fatty tissues. The narrowed capillaries that feed the skin cause an increased amount of resistance to the blood that needs to flow through them, which causes a reduction in the amount of blood affected tissues receive. It is thought to be an ischemic process that occurs in hypertension patients that causes the skin cells to die, resulting in the development of sores and ulcers in the legs.

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