Three Main Categories of Veins
You may often hear mention of vein disease, varicose veins and other vein-related terms, but you may not realize that all veins are not created equal. While they may all look the same to you underneath your skin, they’re actually very different. In fact, there are three main types of veins, with some being more prone to weakening and damage than others. Read on for a quick anatomy lesson that will help you understand the various veins in your body and the role each plays.
The first category of veins, deep leg veins, are located in the muscles and are found in the center of the leg near the bones. They carry blood directly from the bottom of the body to the heart. They have one-way valves that percent the backward flow of blood to ensure it reaches the heart, thanks to the surrounding muscles, which compress the veins to direct the blood in the proper direction. They are responsible for most of the blood flow to the heart, transporting 90 percent of the blood that travels from the legs to heart. They are called Femoral Vein.
The next group, superficial leg veins, are located just beneath the surface of the skin. Unlike the deep leg veins, they don’t receive as much support from the nearby muscle and bone, and because of this they are susceptible to weakness in the wall, If the wall becomes weak, the vein can balloon out, thus creating a varicose vein. Because superficial leg veins aren’t compressed by the muscles the way the deep leg veins are, the blood they carry travels more slowly. They primarily direct blood to the deep leg veins instead of to the heart via connecting valves. They are called Great Saphenous vein and Small Saphenous vein.
The last category, perforator veins, connect the superficial leg veins to the deep leg veins, and allow blood from the former to flow into the latter. Their valves prevent blood from flowing from the deep leg veins to the superficial leg veins so that blood maintains its proper direction of flow. They run up and down the legs, with more of them located in the calves instead of the thighs.
At Alpha Vein Clinic, we’re the experts in diagnosing and treating vein-related diseases. If you want to lean more about vein health protect your vein health for years to come, book an appointment with our knowledgeable are caring staff today for a complete evaluation and a treatment plan designed just for you.
Alpha Vein Clinic
3150 N. Tenaya Way Ste. 400
Las Vegas, NV, 89128
(702) 430 7661
Dr. Sassan Kaveh
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