Stasis dermatitis treatment, diagnosis & prescriptions

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Yes, they can. The healthcare practitioner will want to discuss the symptoms and signs of stasis dermatitis that you’re experiencing, as well as examine the skin on your legs.

In some cases, the healthcare practitioner may suggest additional testing to check the blood flow in your legs.

Once the healthcare practitioner can provide a clear stasis dermatitis diagnosis, they’ll be able to suggest appropriate treatments for your stasis dermatitis.

Stasis dermatitis, also known as gravitational dermatitis, venous eczema, and venous stasis dermatitis, is a form of dermatitis resulting from venous hypertension (poor blood flow). Due to the fact that poor blood flow usually affects the lower legs, symptoms and signs of stasis dermatitis appear most often near the ankles.

When blood pools in the veins of your lower legs, the pressure on these veins increases, which damages your capillaries. Eventually, this damage can allow proteins to leak into your tissues, which causes excess buildups of fluid, proteins, and blood cells.

In turn, this causes a swelling in the legs, known as peripheral edema. Experiencing this leaking is a condition called venous insufficiency. When people with venous insufficiency experience fluid pooling in their legs, it becomes stasis.

Symptoms and signs of stasis dermatitis most often appear on the lower legs and feet. They can appear on other areas of the body, but it’s much less commonly occurring.

The most commonly seen stasis dermatitis symptoms include:

• Swelling of the ankle or foot
• Orange-brown speckles of skin discoloration (sometimes called “cayenne pepper spots”)
• Changes in lighter skin tones (redness, brown, purple, gray, or ashen)
• Scaling
• Itching
• Dryness
• Achy or heavy feelings (especially after long periods of sitting or standing)

In some cases, stasis dermatitis can be identified with the associated symptoms of venous insufficiency, including:

• Leg swelling
• Calf pain or tenderness

The most direct cause of stasis dermatitis is poor circulation. Typically, this is the result of venous insufficiency, which is a chronic condition.

There are a number of other conditions that are known to also cause stasis dermatitis, or increase the risks of experiencing it, such as:

• Deep vein thrombosis (blood clots)
• Traumatic leg injuries
• Varicose veins
• Congestive heart failure
• Certain surgeries (e.g., bypass surgery removing a leg vein)
• Severe obesity
• Kidney failure
• Hypertension (high blood pressure)
• Pregnancy
• Not exercising
• Sitting or standing without moving for long periods of time

In order to provide a diagnosis for stasis dermatitis, a healthcare practitioner will want to evaluate the signs of stasis dermatitis you’re experiencing. This will involve examining the skin on your legs.

In some cases, the healthcare practitioner may suggest additional testing, such as a doppler ultrasound, to test the blood flow in your legs.

Once you have a clear diagnosis for stasis dermatitis, the healthcare practitioner will suggest treatments for stasis dermatitis based on its cause. This will include any prescription stasis dermatitis medications that may be required.

In many cases, stasis dermatitis treatments start at home. Making changes to your lifestyle can be very helpful for managing this condition. This includes:

• Elevating your feet when sitting
• Avoiding long periods of sitting or standing without movement
• Wearing loose-fitting clothes to minimize skin irritation
• Wearing compression stockings
• Exercising as recommended
• Walking briskly for 10 minutes after each hour of sitting
• Losing excess weight

When stasis dermatitis symptoms are severe, the doctor may suggest trying prescription stasis dermatitis medications like corticosteroid creams and ointments.

In cases where stasis dermatitis is caused by an underlying condition, treating the underlying condition will be part of the stasis dermatitis treatment plan.

If you’ve begun showing signs of stasis dermatitis, it’s a good idea to talk to a healthcare practitioner from Maple.

A healthcare provider can help provide a clear diagnosis for stasis dermatitis, and suggest stasis dermatitis treatments that will help you manage your symptoms.

Stasis dermatitis symptoms can be uncomfortable and embarrassing, but they won’t go away on their own. A healthcare provider from Maple can suggest lifestyle changes that will let you manage your symptoms. They can also provide prescription stasis dermatitis medications that are required as part of your treatment plan.