Overview
Vascular System
Your vascular system is composed of capillaries, arteries and veins.
Capillaries
- Tiny blood vessels that supply oxygen to tissues of the body.
- Carry away waste products.
- Connect the smallest arteries and veins.
Arteries
- Bring oxygen-rich blood from your heart to the rest of your body.
- From the arteries, blood flows through tiny blood vessels called capillaries, giving up its oxygen to nourish the body’s tissues.
Veins
- Return the oxygen-poor blood back to your heart where the blood can pick up more oxygen.
- Veins have one-way valves to channel blood back to your heart. The valves are particularly important in veins of the legs, because blood could otherwise flow the wrong way – downwards -- when you are standing.
Three Kinds of Veins
You have three kinds of veins in your legs:
Superficial
Superficial veins are the ones closest to your skin.
Deep
The deep veins lie in groups of muscles. The deep veins lead to the vena cava, your body’s largest vein, which runs straight to your heart.
Perforating
The perforating veins connect the superficial veins to the deep veins.
Leg Vein Conditions
Spider Veins
Spider veins are similar to varicose veins, but they are smaller. Dilated or broken capillaries are similar to spider veins, but are smaller yet.
Varicose Veins
The superficial leg veins can develop what are known as varicose veins.
- These are swollen veins that can be seen through your skin.
- They often appear blue, twisted and bulging.
- Varicose veins develop when the valves of the veins become damaged. This causes blood to pool in the veins, enlarging them and causing them to be able to be seen through the skin.
Venous Ulcers
Leg veins that have veen damaged can also develop ulcers -- sores or wounds that recur or will not heal. They typically form on your skin near varicose veins, especially near the ankles.
