Stasis dermatitis, also known as venous stasis, is a condition that can lead to infection and leg ulcers if left untreated. Prevention is key to controlling the factors that lead to this condition, which is usually secondary to peripheral edema, or edema of the lower extremities. Get off the couch, put on a pair of walking shoes or dust off your bicycle and begin moving those legs. Consult your health care provider before beginning any new exercise or physical activity regimen.
Stasis dermatitis is a skin condition that develops secondary to fluid build-up in the lower extremities. This fluid build-up is referred to as edema with the primary condition referred to as peripheral edema. Any part of the lower leg can present with stasis dermatitis, with the most common area involved being on the outer portion of the ankle.
Stasis dermatitis often presents as an area of thickened, discolored skin. Itching may be present. There may also be open areas or ulcers within the area.
To control stasis dermatitis, you need to first control the underlying problem--the fluid build-up in your lower extremities. Other factors such as sweat and stress can aggravate stasis dermatitis, but without the presence of edema first, stasis dermatitis is unlikely to occur.
Understanding Vein Circulation
DermNetNZ refers to stasis dermatitis as "gravitational dermatitis" because the swelling in the legs that leads to the dermatitis symptoms is from the effects of gravity. During activity, the valves in the leg veins work to push circulating blood back toward the heart. Inactivity, such as standing or sitting too long with feet dangling can lead to pooling of fluid in the feet, ankles and even calves due to restricted return blood flow. Movement, such as walking, bicycling and running, aids the valves in the leg veins to work better, allowing blood to flow as it should and preventing fluid build-up.
Prevention
Recommendations for preventing peripheral edema include regular physical activity involving the legs, including walking, bicycling, jogging, running, or even moving legs and feet when seated at a desk. Increase your activity levels slowly to promote increased circulation. When sitting, if feet or legs are swollen, elevate feet above the level of your hips to aid in return blood flow. Elevate the foot of your bed at night if swelling in lower extremities is an issue. Your health care provider may recommend graduated compression stockings to be worn daily to aid in increased return circulation.
Precautions
Edema of the lower extremities may be a symptom of other medical conditions such as a deep blood clot in the leg, congestive heart failure or varicose veins. Consult your health care provider if leg edema is a new symptom for you, or if edema worsens. Monitor the condition of your stasis dermatitis for signs of infection, such as increased redness, swelling to the immediate area or increased warmth to the area. If open areas develop, monitor them closely and consult your health care provider. If you are a normally physically active person who engages in walking, running or bicycling and develop stasis dermatitis, consult your health care provider.
Member Comments