Have You Ever Heard About Unna Boots?
By Marsha
@MarshaMusselman (38865)
Midland, Michigan
December 2, 2016 11:37pm CST
Years ago a friend of mine got an ulcer on her leg that wouldn't heal and had to wear a unna boot for several months until it got better. I thought it was similar to a boot cam, but it's actually a bandage soaked in zinc oxide and calamine and wrapped up the leg. Usually, an Ace bandage is wrapped up the leg as well. The zinc and calamine are to promote healing and help the area not dry out.
I got an open wound several months ago that was deeper than most sores. I think I may have hit it with a stump of a bush, but I'm not really sure where it came from. I have venus insufficiency which means varicose veins, I think which is the result of the valves in the legs not closing properly and blood pooling in the lower legs. This makes healing more difficult.
I'd been monitoring the sore but it wasn't healing so I went to my doctor several times to get prescription meds which did help but not completely. Last week I needed to see the vascular doctor to make sure I could have the knee replacement. While there they asked if I'd like my leg wrapped in this manner to help that area heal. Although they did wrap the Ace bandage around my leg too, it was too tight and I removed it this morning.
The unna boot dries so it's similar to a lightweight cast. I'll get it removed on Monday and decide then whether I should continue that treatment or not.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unna%27s_boot
4 people like this
4 responses
@LadyDuck (502729)
• Italy
3 Dec 16
@MarshaMusselman The bandage applied to Mom leg is not tight and the products and the nurse who comes home to change the bandage every two days are fully covered by the Italian health system.
1 person likes this
@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
3 Dec 16
So you'd probably understand the problems legs can have from venous insufficiency even more. I'm not sure that I'm going to have them continue applying it because with my left knee not working correctly, the right leg is needed even more. With the compress/bandage on that leg almost becomes my worse leg. I'm going to see how much this is costing me first, and then see whether they can either wrap it a bit less tight so I can do things without almost losing my balance. Otherwise, maybe they can do just a band around the ulcer and I can get back into wearing support hose more often again.
Although, I'm not sure that I could get the support hose on for a few days since I think I sprained one of my hands in a fall yesterday.
1 person likes this
@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
4 Dec 16
@LadyDuck It might not seem so tight if my other leg worked correctly and if I didn't work two jobs. I'm thinking that most patients with leg ulcers are of retirement age and can get around when they want or not as they so choose. I'll know more once I go back this coming Monday.
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@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
3 Dec 16
I never saw it on my friend, but always thought it would be like a boot cam. She wore the unna boot for several months if I am remembering correctly. When she wasn't wearing it, the vein would burst while in the shower. I found out from the PA (physicians assistant) that veins that pop out on the lower legs can do that also quite easily and I have a lot of them in my lower legs. They look a bit like varicose veins do on the upper portion, but instead of seeing the whole ropy section it's just little bits and pieces of veins sticking out.
The PA said these could burst just because the skin is so thin there even while I shower, so they may eliminate them before my knee surgery to make sure that doesn't happen to me too. I'm wearing the unna boot because I have a sore that's been there for several months already. It's called an ulcer because it's a bit deeper than most sores would be on healthy limbs.
Support stocking would also make a big difference on making sure those veins don't pop, but even though I plan on getting better wearing them again, I may have to wait until the swelling in my right hand goes down so I have full use of that hand. I sprained it yesterday in a fall while fainting.
1 person likes this
@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
4 Dec 16
@JudyEv I'm not diabetic, but with vein issues on the legs that can be a problem with healing too. It may not take quite as long as it would with someone being diabetic, but I'm not sure if there's a difference with length of healing time or not.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382412)
• Rockingham, Australia
3 Dec 16
@MarshaMusselman Goodness, it sounds like you're having a bit of a rough time at the moment. I know if you are diabetic, ulcers can be very slow and very difficult to heal.
1 person likes this
@amitkokiladitya (171988)
• Agra, India
3 Dec 16
Yes these are special shoes that can help you cure
1 person likes this
@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
5 Dec 16
It's actually a wrapping up the leg from the ankle. It's also to help the valves in the veins as mine don't work correctly anymore and tend to pool the blood.
