Guide To The Causes Of Leg Ulcers

Diabetes

Leg ulcers are commonly found in diabetes patients. Diabetes is a disease where an individual's body does not produce a hormone called insulin or does not respond to the insulin the body does produce. Insulin is a hormone secreted by the pancreas when an individual's blood sugar begins to rise. This mechanism in the body is essential because high blood sugar is known to cause progressive damage to the kidneys, blood vessels, nerves, and other tissues. In diabetes, the body cannot effectively regulate blood sugar due to a malfunction of the natural blood sugar regulation process in healthy individuals.

High blood pressure induced by poorly managed diabetes can cause leg ulcers to develop due to an ischemic process that occurs in the skin tissues. Neurotrophic ulcers are a type of leg and foot ulcer that can develop in a diabetes patient due to diabetes-precipitated neuropathy. The nerves become damaged from unregulated high blood sugar, leading to circulation problems and reduced pain signals. A diabetes patient may develop a small ulcer from secondary causes that can become enlarged and infected due to the unintentional neglect that occurs with an inability to sense pain.

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