| Varicose veins
are twisted, enlarged veins, often dark blue in color,
near or raised above the surface of the skin. Varicose
veins are often a symptom of an underlying condition called
venous insufficiency.
Veins are the blood vessels that return deoxygenated
blood to the heart. Valves in the vein open to allow
the blood to pass through and close to prevent reflux,
or the backward flow of blood.
There are three types of veins.
- Deep veins are located deep in the leg between
muscle and tough fibrous tissue. They are responsible
for returning 90-95% of the deoxygenated blood back
to the heart.
- Superficial veins are small veins at the skin's
surface, responsible for taking blood from the skin
and directing to the deep veins.
- Perforator veins link the deep and superficial veins
together.
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