12/08/2026
The cause of venous ulcers is high pressure in the veins of the lower leg. The veins have one-way valves that keep blood flowing up toward your heart. When these valves become weak or the veins become scarred and blocked, blood can flow backward and pool in your legs. This is called venous insufficiency. This leads to high pressure in the lower leg veins. The increase in pressure and buildup of fluid prevents nutrients and oxygen from getting to tissues. The lack of nutrients causes cells to die, damaging the tissue, and a wound can form.
đ
Signs and symptoms of venous ulcers include:
Shallow sore with a red base, sometimes covered by yellow tissue
Unevenly shaped borders
Surrounding skin may be shiny, tight, warm or hot, and discolored
Leg pain
If the sore becomes infected, it may have a bad odor and pus may drain from the wound
