Why are weeping wounds on the legs and how to properly treat them

2023 Author: Alfred Shackley | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-21 13:14

A wet wound is a damage to the skin that is constantly moisturized. At the same time, an amount of liquid is released, as with rubbed corn. The inflammatory and healing process proceeds in the same way as in other wounds.

But the root cause of inflammation is the ingress of bacteria under the skin. Let's figure out what it should be if weeping wounds on the legs appear, treatment and what is the reason for their appearance.

Causes of occurrence

Modern scientists claim that any damage to the skin is accompanied by the ingress of microbes. But the process of suppuration occurs in a slightly different way. The fact is that each organism is individual, therefore, the threshold of infection for each person is different.

Wounds begin to fester when the individual threshold is crossed. In this case, the body begins to fight infection in an enhanced mode. The features of the healing process depend on the type of bacteria.

Weeping wounds appear in the following cases:

• dermatitis of various types;
• trophic ulcers;
• burns;
• varicose veins (not always).

In medicine, a wound is identified as mechanical damage to soft tissues. In this case, the degree of damage can be completely different. For example, severe, when the damage even reaches the bone. However, there is a distinction: external injuries of a mechanical type are considered wounds, while doctors refer to the introduction of bacteria into the inner part of tissues as ulcers.

The difference between the two types of damage can be seen with the naked eye - carefully examine the damaged skin.

Wet-like injuries are distinguished by the fact that lymph flows from a trophic ulcer. That is, the blood plasma filtrate flows out of the upper layer of the wound.

The most common causes of wet wounds are burns of various types:

• sunburn;
• burns from steam or boiling water;
• burns from interaction with chemicals;
• burns from hot surfaces;
• eczema or different types of dermatitis;
• corns or other types of rubbing;
• fungal infection of the epidermis;
• violation of blood flow;
• irritation from uncomfortable clothing (tights, tight underwear, etc.);
• burns caused by cosmetic procedures;
• burns from electricity;
• diaper rash (often occurs in overweight people, as well as in pregnant and lactating mothers;
• diaper rash in people undergoing the rehabilitation period (bedsores appear after surgery);
• open wounds that have been infected.

Often wet wounds and trophic ulcers occur on the legs, especially on the lower leg.

How to treat?

The process of release of lymph from an ulcer has a twofold basis. The enzyme released from damaged tissues consists of dead cells of microbes that have entered the body. Therefore, its release contributes to the removal of foreign bodies from the body. But such a process also marks a serious infection. The peak of this type of infection may be its spread to neighboring tissues and even to the entire body.

Even if you do not fully understand the type of skin damage, you still need to take the first disinfecting measures:

• Apply a bandage to the damaged area of the skin. Best of all - a sterile napkin, but in the absence of one, a clean piece of cloth or tightly twisted bandage will do;
• lubricate the wounds with an antiseptic healing agent - iodine or brilliant green. This will disinfect the affected area and relieve inflammation. But it is necessary to apply brilliant green and iodine carefully - it is forbidden to lubricate the exposed affected tissues. These funds have a drying effect, which means that the released lymph will not get an outlet. If the enzyme does not get a release, it is absorbed back into the skin, and this causes the processes of suppuration and inflammation.

Drugs that can be used to treat and disinfect fresh wounds, regardless of the degree of damage:

• desmistin;
• bactosin;
• chlorhexidine;
• ectericide;
• mountainous.

There are many antiseptic preparations less aggressive than alcohol and iodine. If the pharmacy does not have the above drugs, ask the pharmacist for analogues to dry the wound.

To treat weeping trophic ulcers on the legs at home, lubricate the leg with the following products:

• 3% hydrogen peroxide. The advantage of this remedy is that it promotes blood clotting, and also cleanses the tissues, although it is inferior to the antiseptic properties of other remedies;
• prepared solution of furacilin - to stop blood or lymph, dissolve one tablet of the drug in a glass of boiled water.

To dry a trophic ulcer, it is recommended to lubricate the skin with a solution of boiled water and salt in the proportion: a glass of water to half a teaspoon.

Use the same preparations to moisten the skin when removing the bandage. In order not to irritate an already weeping trophic ulcer, the bandage must be moistened with an antiseptic solution. Next, you need to remove dried discharge from the edges of the wound.

To do this, take clean tweezers and a piece of gauze (roll into a ball), dampen the cloth in the solution and gently wipe the edges. It is important to carry out the procedure in a sterile environment: wash hands and tweezers and disinfect with alcohol. Do not use cotton wool - it will leave fibers.

After washing the damaged skin, it is recommended to sprinkle the ulcer with pharmacy powder. It is important to remember that while the weeping wound is fresh and the skin swells under the lymph, then treatment with a healing ointment should not be applied - your goal is to dry, not moisturize. In this case, change the dressings as often as possible.

Treatment of a weeping wound that has been infected should be carried out in a slightly different way:

1. First of all, the infection process should be stopped on damaged soft tissues. Drying powder is regularly applied to wounds, especially if they are on the legs or feet, which is also a topical antibiotic. This will help prevent the spread of infection and gently dry the skin around the affected area.
2. Doctors recommend regular streptocide or penicillin as an antiseptic powder for treating trophic ulcers and other injuries. An alternative to these drugs will be chloramphenicol and sulfanilamide.
3. Apply a layer of powder with a cotton swab, spreading evenly over the surface, but do not overdo it.
4. Cover the applied medicine with a bandage or gauze, but always clean, and tie it around the lower leg.
5. Treatment of weeping skin lesions is a painstaking and protracted business. The dressing needs to be changed every few hours. In this case, the dressing tissue must be moistened with saline so as not to damage the already healed skin surface.
6. To remove pus and phlegm, hourly rinsing is no longer required. It is enough to change the bandages, but do not overdo it - if you overtighten the lower leg, blood flow will be disrupted.
7. The treatment does not end with dressings and washing. The attending physician will prescribe oral medications. If the wounds are infected, then they need to be treated not only externally, but also to suppress the infection inside the body.

With systematic and correct treatment, infectious lesions disappear within a maximum of 10 days.

Prophylaxis

Since this ailment has many reasons for its occurrence, there is no need to talk about general prevention. Nevertheless, it is recommended to lubricate the affected areas with oak bark and poplar buds ointment, as well as fir oil.

The most effective prevention and treatment will be prescribed by the attending physician, depending on the cause of the formation of weeping wounds.