Ulcer Treatment

So, now that we’ve talked about all of the different types of ulcers, let’s discuss treatment plans. This can be a tricky situation, because everyone’s body deals with an ulcer and its treatment a little bit different. Some of you will take to a certain form of treatment and have no issues, whereas others may require a cocktail of treatments to eventually heal the ulcer. So, what all do we have available?

Well, if the ulcer is related to veins or arteries, then it is important that we treat the vascular problem as well. If you are not getting blood flow to the area, then you are not going to be able to heal the ulcer, because good blood flow is required to bring the cells that heal you to the area.

Once blood flow has been established, treatment of the ulcer can begin. Depending upon the depth of your ulcer and the appearance, your podiatrist may want to do some tests to check to see if it is infected. If it is infected, then you will be prescribed antibiotics to take at home or may need to take IV ones at the hospital.

There are many different treatments out there including lotions, gels, skin grafts to encourage your skin to close over the wound and many other options. Each of these treatments is followed by a dressing to keep the treatment in contact with the skin and keep the ulcer protected. These options range from simple applications clear up to treatments that must be done by your podiatrist in order to treat it the best. The important thing for you to know is that podiatrists have a wide variety of treatments for you to afford you the best care possible. It has been proven that by partnering with a podiatrist the likelihood of an amputation due to an ulcer is significantly reduced. Some wound may take many months to heal, but through aggressive and consistent treatment plans we can work hard to give you the best chance of healing your ulcer.

If your or someone you know living the Dracut, Tewksbury, Lowell or Reading, Massachusetts areas has an ulcer, our office staff would be more than happy to schedule you an appointment. We can be contacted at (978) 794-8406. Dr. Wachtel will be able to work with you to find the treatment plans that work best for you.