VARICOSE VEINS
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Varicose veins, also called varicosities,
are seen most often in the legs, although they can be found in other
parts of the body. Most often, they appear as lumpy, winding vessels
just below the surface of the skin. There are three types of veins,
superficial veins that are just beneath the surface of the skin,
deep veins that are large blood vessels found deep inside muscles,
and perforator veins that connect the superficial veins to the deep
veins. The superficial veins are the blood vessels most often
affected by varicose veins and are the veins seen by eye when the
varicose condition has developed.
The inside wall of veins have valves that open and close in response
to the blood flow. When the left ventricle of the heart pushes blood
out into the aorta, it produces the high pressure pulse of the
heartbeat and pushes blood throughout the body. Between heartbeats,
there is a period of low blood pressure. During the low pressure
period, blood in the veins is affected by gravity and wants to flow
downward. The valves in the veins prevent this from happening.
Varicose veins start when one or more valves fail to close. The
blood pressure in that section of vein increases, causing additional
valves to fail. This allows blood to pool and stretch the veins,
further weakening the walls of the veins. The walls of the affected
veins lose their elasticity in response to increased blood pressure.
As the vessels weaken, more and more valves are unable to close
properly. The veins become larger and wider over time and begin to
appear as lumpy, winding chains underneath the skin. Varicose veins
can develop in the deep veins also. Varicose veins in the
superficial veins are called primary varicosities, while varicose
veins in the deep veins are called secondary varicosities. |
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| VARICOSE VEINS RELATED ITEMS |
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