|
There are two sets of veins in our legs. Deep veins and superficial veins.
The deep veins are large and located deep between the muscles, and carry most of the venous blood up towards the heart.
The superficial veins are located under the skin and are connected to the deep veins through a number of connecting channels called perforators. There are two main trunks of the superficial veins called saphenous veins. The greater saphenous vein is on the inner side of the thigh and joins the deep veins (femoral vein) on the groin. The lesser saphenous vein is located on the back of the leg and joins the deep veins (popliteal vein) behind the knee.
The function of the veins is to return the blood from the body to the heart.
Our heart is a mechanical pump that forces the blood to flow through the arteries into the body, but we do not have a pump in our feet to return the blood to the heart.
When we walk or run our calf muscles contract and squeeze the deep veins pushing blood to flow upwards. This is known as calf muscle pump.
Nature has provided the major veins of the legs and thighs with a number of one way valves which allow the blood to flow towards the heart and not away from the heart.
Spider veins appear as small red, blue, or purple threads easily visible on the surface of the skin, often creating unsightly and unpleasant appearances. Occasionally they cause symptoms such as pain, burning and itching. Spider veins are often considered a cosmetic problem and not a real disease, although in reality they are tied to the same mechanisms involved in varicose veins disease. Spider veins can not be treated effectively unless the problem of high venous pressure is addressed.
Veins can become large and dilated for a variety of reasons, such as obesity, pregnancy and genetic predisposition. In this case, the valves can no longer do their job properly. The blood tends to back up towards the legs, raising the pressure in the veins and causing the veins to become larger, tortuous, tense and bulging. These are called varicose veins.
 When varicose veins are not treated properly, they may stick to the undersurface of the skin and eventually break through the skin and bleed.
The skin covering a tense, bulging varix is usually thinned and has a bluish discoloration.
Bleeding can happen spontaneously or as the result of a minor trauma, often creating panic for patients and family, and frequently resulting in a trip to the Emergency Room.
 When varicose veins develop, the valves can no longer hold the blood from coming down in the wrong direction, thereby causing very high pressure and congestion in the lower leg area. This condition is called venous insufficiency and has very serious consequences.
These patients develop chronic swelling of the leg with skin discoloration and inflammation.
When venous valves are not working or are destroyed, the pressure in the veins of the lower legs is higher than normal. High venous pressure will cause the fluid and certain chemicals to seep through the wall of the capillaries and accumulate under the skin, causing swollen legs (edema). The health of the skin is therefore badly damaged because oxygen and nutrient materials cannot reach the skin easily. This will result in the thickening and discoloration of the skin which is known as stasis dermatitis. Finally a segment of the skin dies and ulceration develops.
|
