Understanding Veins

The ongoing flow of blood from the heart to the body and back to the heart again is called circulation. Blood vessels carry blood throughout your body. Veins are the vessels that return blood to the heart.

3 types of veins

• Superficial veins collect the blood just beneath the skin.

• Perforating veins carry blood from the superficial veins to the deep veins.

• Deep veins run through the muscles and carry 90% of the blood back to your heart.

Anatomy of a vein

Veins have cup-like flaps called valves spaced along their inside walls. Valves open upward, so blood can move up the vein. Valves close to keep blood from falling back down the vein.