How does blood circulate in our body what is the role of arteries and veins?
The heart pumps blood through arteries all over the body and veins bring the blood back to heart. The arteries and veins therefore act like one way streets.When we walk our leg muscles particularly calf muscles contract and work like a pump to push blood up the veins against the gravity. There are valves in the vein which prevent the blood to flow towards the feet.
There are two systems of veins in the legs. Superficial system and deep system.
Superficial veins are located just under the skin surface and are visible when become abnormal and varicose.
Deep veins are located well below the skin and within muscles and are not visible. Superficial veins are connected to deep veins through junctions and perforating veins. The blood flows from superficial to deep veins through these connections and then back to the heart. There are two main superficial veins 1 Greater saphenous vein 2 Small saphenous vein. Greater saphenous vein is the longest vein in the body it travels from inner ankle to groin and located on inner aspect of the leg. This vein is commonly affected in varicose vein disease and is most commonly stripped in varicose vein surgery. Small saphenous vein travels from outer ankle to back of the knee or back of the thigh and located in the calf.
Abnormal or Varicose veins.
There are three types of visible abnormal veins.
1 Spider veins
2 Reticular veins
3 Varicose veins
1 Spider veins
Spider veins are fine, superficial and usually have a red or bluish colour and appear on the surface of the body, particularly the legs and occasionally the face. They may be visible as short, unconnected lines about the size of a large hair, they may be connected in a scraggly “star burst” pattern, or they may resemble a spider web. In some people, they occur in a small area and are not particularly noticeable. In others they may cover a large area of skin and be quite unsightly.
2 Reticular veins
Reticular veins are usually the feeder vein for spider veins. They are usually blue in colour and under the skin.
3 Varicose veins
Varicose veins are the largest dilated veins which are usually blue in colour and bulge above the skin surface. They are formed due to a weakness in the vein wall causing dilatation and later damage vein valves. These vessels can become unsightly and can produce a dull aching of the legs after prolonged standing. They often occur in association with reticular veins and spider veins. A characteristic of dilated blood vessels in many sufferers is pain. This can be associated with a dull throbbing burning sensation, especially with prolonged standing. A great majority of dilated blood vessels are not necessary to the circulatory system and can be unsightly. These can be treated by various non surgical techniques that will cause them to disappear or at least become smaller. Treatment will also relieve any discomfort caused by the veins.
Overview of veins and treatments available in brief
Spider veins are the smaller threadlike or “star burst” vessels appearing on the surface of the skin.
Varicose veins are bulging veins that become enlarged when they fail to circulate the blood properly.
Doctors use a variety of methods to treat venous disease. These include Sclerotherapy and Microsclerotherapy, Ultrasound guided sclerotherapy and Endo Venous Laser Treatment. The other option is surgical removal.
Varicose veins and spider veins may reoccur following treatment by any method. New varicose and spider veins also may appear.