3 key problems of living with leaky wounds – and how the right dressing can help

Life with leg ulcers is “like hell”, says Beryl, who has hard-to-heal leg ulcers.

“I just feel very frustrated that I can’t do what I want. I used to like going to cowboy dances. I just lived life to the full.”

Beryl’s experience is not unusual. About one or two people in every 100¹ will be affected by leg ulcers at some stage in life, making leg ulcers the most common wounds in Australia.

While some leg ulcers can start healing within four weeks, others can take much longer and become chronic, hard-to-heal wounds. Because leg ulcers affect many layers of the skin, they become “leaky”, as the naturally occurring fluid produced by a wound seeps out.

Living with wounds like these can be challenging. Here are some of the issues faced by people with hard-to-heal wounds, and how a hospital-quality wound care dressing can help them heal right at home as well as hospital.

 

1. Embarrassing leakage impacts everyday life

Malcolm, who has leaky ulcers on both legs, says: “I suffer with a lot of leakage on both ulcers, which ends up leaking through the bandages, and they tend to smell, which is embarrassing for me.”

The embarrassment causes people to avoid social situations.

Cilla says: “I had to go to a birthday party, but I couldn’t go because the more you walk about the more it leaks.”

Anne tends to hide away: “You don’t have enough in you to cope with other people and the pain that you’re going through so I try to isolate myself away so people don’t have to deal with it, it’s just me.”

For Cilla, concerns about damaging her wound also affects how she lives her life: “It really gets difficult because you never know what to do because you need to have exercise but then if you have exercise, you’ve got a chance that it’s all going to open up again. Then you’re back to square one so you can’t really win.”

Leaking exudate causes a burden at home as well as socially.

Anne says: “It’s not nice. It goes through your clothes. It goes on your bedsheets. When you put your legs up, you’ve got to be careful that you’ve covered your furniture.”

People with leaky wounds often have to replace ruined socks, trousers, shoes and bed linen, so there is also a financial cost.

 

How Mepilex Up can help

Mepilex Up is a highly absorbent, low-profile soft silicone foam dressing that’s intended for a wide range of acute and hard-to-heal wounds with low to high wound fluid such as leg and foot ulcers, pressure injuries and traumatic wounds.

Mepilex Up has a patented dimpled construction, which makes it a highly comfortable dressing that absorbs both low and high viscous wound fluid, maintains a moist wound environment and minimises the risk of maceration.

People who have used it report reductions in wound fluid levels.

“I’ve noticed a big improvement in the leakage, plus it’s easier for me to put on.” says Pam, who has started managing her leg ulcers with Mepilex Up in conjunction with her health care team.

 

2. Problem: Pain

Anne says: “It may not look a lot physically, but the pain is something completely different to any other pain. I find it impacts my family as well because when I have an ulcer and it’s very sore, the day-to-day things like housework, going out with the kids, going out to the park with the grandchildren – I can’t do it. It’s too painful.”

Pain can make changing the wound dressings challenging.

“When they try to take the dressings off it’s painful. Very painful, in fact,” Malcolm says.

 

How Mepilex Up can help

Utilising Safetac® Technology, Mepilex Up adheres gently to the skin without sticking to the wound bed, minimising pain and trauma during dressing changes.

“The nurse put Mepilex Up on to my leg for the first time last week, and I found it so lovely the way it stuck to my leg. It’s been really comfortable all the week,” Margery says.

Another benefit is that the dressing conforms well to body contours, enhancing mobility and comfort.

“What impressed me most about Mepilex Up is that they are very soft,” says Herminia.

 

3. Problem: Creating the right healing environment

Chronic (hard-to-heal) wounds like leg ulcers are often accompanied by a high risk of infection. The open nature of these wounds makes them susceptible to bacterial invasion, which can complicate the healing process.

Wounds heal more efficiently in a moist environment, but the problem with leaky wounds is that if the wound gets too wet from the exudate, there’s a risk of poor healing as lengthy exposure to wetness causes the skin to soften and break down (maceration).

 

How Mepilex Up can help

The dressing’s absorbency helps maintain a moist wound environment, which is essential for optimal wound healing, while its low profile ensures comfort and discretion for the wearer.

Pam says: “Mepilex Up has helped me to gain a lot more confidence in going out and dressing the leg myself.”

By addressing the challenges associated with leaky wounds, Mepilex Up dressings can help people with leaky wounds on the path to healing and recovery, whether healing in hospital or at home.

References:

1. Health Direct. Leg ulcers. Available online:

   https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/leg-ulcers

Accessed 22/8/25.
2. Weir D and Davies P. The impact of venous leg ulcers on a patient’s quality of life: considerations for dressing selection. Wounds International 2023;14(1):36–41.