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A mouth ulcer or canker sore is a painful open sore inside the mouth caused by a break in the mucous membrane. The condition is also called aphthous stomatitis.
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Skin Ulcers
Usually when we hear the term ulcers we think of stomach ulcers or perhaps canker sores. It is very rarely that we hear about ulcers in conjunction with the skin. This type of ulcer is obviously called a skin ulcer. A skin ulcer is considered as an open sore that is often accompanied by the shedding of inflamed tissues.
Skin ulcers can be caused by many different factors such as trauma, exposure to heat or cold and problems with poor blood circulation. There is also the possibility of a skin ulcer being caused by the skin being exposed to corrosive materials that are known to irritate the skin.
Skin ulcers can develop as a result of the body’s blood supply being reduced to certain areas which then find it impossible to maintain a balanced, healthy level. These areas can develop a skin ulcer because of the prolonged pressure that has been applied to that part of the skin such as when someone experiences confinement to bed or a chair. People who need to wear hard braces or a plaster cast may also develop a skin ulcer.
Pressure ulcers which are also called decubitus ulcers or as we know them bedsores are an obvious type of skin ulcer. There is a risk of infections occurring easily if you have skin ulcers and these infections can in turn lead to serious health repercussions.
Some of the health conditions that can cause skin ulcers to develop are mouth ulcers, chronic venous insufficiency, diabetes, infection and peripheral vascular disease. The best way to identify if you have
a skin ulcer is to check for symptoms such as a reddened area of skin. Advanced skin ulcer conditions will have open sores and a watery discharge emitting from the open skin ulcer.
Anyone who is suffering from skin ulcers may buy over the counter topical antibiotics that can be use to help alleviate this condition. Popular topical applications include neosporin, and Baciguent. It is also possible to use a combination of these two ingredients in medications such as polymyxin B, with Neosporin and Polysporin. These two are commonly used to treat various skin infections.
There are prescription strength topical antibiotics like metronidazole or MetroGel and also mupirocin or Bactroban. These topical antibiotics can be beneficial in the treatment of skin ulcer infections.
Various health care providers have found evidence that shifting the body position of a person confined to bed rest, at least every two hours, will avoid ulcers by reducing the pressure being applied on the same parts of the body for a long period of time. There are some people who will find that using a special mattress or bed supports can also help to reduce their skin ulcer development.
In general skin ulcers need to have wound dressings changed very frequently. In severe skin ulcer cases surgery might even be required so that the diseased tissues can be removed. This surgery can eventually help to heal the skin ulcer wound as the new tissue growth is facilitated by the debridement of the diseased tissue.
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