Whether it is a skinned knee, a pierced ear or a small cut, we all get to see a little bit of our blood from time to time. And no matter who you are, it's red. But, the veins that carry our blood aren't red, they're blue.
If a vein suddenly and rapidly turns blue, it could be a sign of blood pooling in your circulatory system or deep vein thrombosis. If the vein color is changing. Seek medical help if your vein color changes from blue to a darker blue, purple, or even green as this can mean you are suffering from venous insufficiency.
If your visible blue veins are not accompanied with any additional symptoms, they are likely spider veins. Although they are not a cause for medical concern, spider veins may cause people to feel self-conscious about the areas where they appear. Luckily, spider veins can easily be treated to be less visible.
Sometimes blood can look blue through our skin. Maybe you've heard that blood is blue in our veins because when headed back to the lungs, it lacks oxygen. But this is wrong; human blood is never blue. The bluish color of veins is only an optical illusion.
Arterial blood is the oxygenated blood in the circulatory system found in the pulmonary vein, the left chambers of the heart, and in the arteries. It is bright red in color, while venous blood is dark red in color (but looks purple through the translucent skin). It is the contralateral term to venous blood.
Veins are closer to the surface of your body, and arteries are deep inside your muscles. The walls of a vein are thinner than an artery. Veins carry blood from your organs and towards your heart. Arteries carry blood away from your heart.
Since arteries carry oxygen-rich blood away from the heart and veins carry oxygen-depleted blood back to the heart, some people believe that veins appear blue because blood without oxygen is blue. But it's not true! Blood is always red. Oxygen-rich blood is bright red as it leaves the heart.
The primary reason veins are blue is the way wavelengths of light hit the skin. White light can carry colors and waves with varying lengths. Red has the ability to travel the farthest. Violet waves are the shortest, and all the other colors fall somewhere in between.
It is a common myth that veins are blue because they carry deoxygenated blood. Blood in the human body is red regardless of how oxygen-rich it is, but the shade of red may vary. The level or amount of oxygen in the blood determines the hue of red.
Flip Your Wrist For More Info
Blue or purple wrist veins typically indicate that you have cool undertones, while green or olive equates to warm, and blue-green veins suggest that neutral undertones are in effect. Cool = Veins on the underside of your wrist appear blue/purple.
The answer lies in the physics portion of this lesson – light refraction. The blue and purple hue of the veins stems from the way light is refracted on the skin. Because the veins may be located at slightly different depths under the skin's surface, the color of the veins may be somewhat different in different areas.
Veins themselves are typically fairly colorless. So don't panic if your veins look a little bit blue, that's not uncommon. If however, your veins or arteries suddenly begin bulging or turning a dark color, those may be warning signs of underlying health conditions.
Spider veins usually disappear in 3 to 6 weeks. Varicose veins take 3 to 4 months. To get the best results, you may need 2 or 3 treatments. A dermatologist can perform these treatments during an office visit.
The blood vessels that carry blood to the body are known as arteries (shown in red). The blood channels that return blood to the heart are called veins (blue).
Bulging veins can occur due to: Temporarily rising blood pressure and/or body temperature. When you're exercising or working with your hands, blood flow in the area increases. Veins also swell in warmer conditions, as the body sends blood toward the surface of the skin to cool down.
The two leading causes of blue breast veins are age and hormonal changes in the body, but there are many others: Vigorous exercise – Regular and vigorous activity can cause the appearance of veins throughout the body. In women, it shows up prominently in the upper to middle breast area.
Human blood is red because hemoglobin, which is carried in the blood and functions to transport oxygen, is iron-rich and red in color.
In most cases, there is no need to worry if your veins appear green because it usually indicates that blood vessels are working well. Green veins on the hand or legs are superficial veins that lie close to the surface of your skin.
If you have pale skin it's not uncommon to see blue veins traveling across your arms, neck, chest and legs. In fact, visible veins that show through the skin's surface are just a part of life. But if you have big, blue, bulging veins you have varicose veins—and a red flag for vein health.
Darkened blood color is often observed in critically ill patients generally because of decreased oxygen saturation, but little is known about the other factors responsible for the color intensity. In addition, quantitative blood color examination has not been performed yet.
Generally, veins carry deoxygenated blood from the body to the heart, where it can be sent to the lungs. The exception is the network of pulmonary veins, which take oxygenated blood from the lungs to the heart.
Anatomy and Physiology
Thus, drawing blood from veins is preferred compared to arteries. This is because veins run superficially. Furthermore, arteries tend to have thicker walls and have more nerves associated with them, resulting in increased pain should they be punctured.
A CT coronary angiogram can reveal plaque buildup and identify blockages in the arteries, which can lead to a heart attack. Prior to the test, a contrast dye is injected into the arm to make the arteries more visible. The test typically takes 30 minutes to complete.
Complications of entering the artery with a large cannula intended for venous cannulation can result in complications such as temporary occlusion, pseudoaneurysm and haematoma formation. [6] Unrecognized arterial injection of anaesthetic drugs can cause tissue ischaemia and necrosis.