Why veins look green

Or, make an enquiry via the Contact Us page. September 22, Posted in Blog Category. September 22, The Vein Institute. Why are varicose veins green? Mixed with the yellowish colour of the skin, it shows up green.

In the case of humans, the skin serves as a filter for the colour red, and the colour is therefore perceived as green.

The exact colour spectra is determined by the relative levels of oxygenated iron HbO and carbon dioxide in the blood. High levels of oxygen reflect red, and high levels of carbon dioxide reflect blue, which, when mixed with the yellowish colour of fat and or the skin, end up looking green. Spotlight Blockchain a game changer for seed funding? See below for a list of common vein disease symptoms and the visual illustration of the impact different vein diseases have on your body, including spider veins, venous leg ulcers, hyperpigmentation, and more.

This ensures that any problems are nipped in the bud at the first sign of problems. And luckily, it is typically something that can be treated with a minimally-invasive outpatient procedure at a vein clinic near you. Have a Vein Clinics of America network physician examine your legs and recommend a treatment program customized to your specific condition. Why Are Veins Blue? Reviewed by: Dr. Satish Vayuvegula. Share this post. Blood is therefore prevented from entering that portion of the vein and is forced to flow through other, healthier veins.

Deeper varicose veins can be treated with ultrasound guided sclerotherapy UGS. The doctor is able to use a duplex ultrasound to see the vein on a screen, enabling them to guide the needle within the vein.

The majority of people who have had sclerotherapy treatment achieve good results with minimal side effects. However, sclerotherapy is not suitable for everyone.

Factors such as pregnancy, pre-existing clotting disorders, and allergy to the sclerotherapy solution are contraindications for this treatment. Endovenous thermal ablation A small incision is made at one end of the affected vein and a catheter tube is inserted, guided by an ultrasound scanner. Once in place, heat generated by a laser or radiofrequency emitter is used to seal or destroy the vein.

If the vein junction where the varicose vein originates has been shown by an ultrasound scan not to be working properly, then the most common surgical treatment is to tie off the varicose vein at this junction most commonly the upper thigh, behind the knee, or in the calf muscle.

Surgery involves making a small incision in the leg, locating the vein junction, and tying off the varicosed vein. The vein is left in place but blood is prevented from flowing into it. A small incision is made in the skin at either end of the affected vein and the junction where the affected varicose vein joins a larger vein is tied off.

A flexible wire is then inserted into the varicose vein and withdrawn — removing the vein in the process. Both types of surgery can be performed under general or spinal anaesthetic and a stay in hospital may be required. This will be determined by the surgeon performing the surgery.

A range of alterative surgical techniques may also be used under different circumstances.