What causes veins in the arms and hands to bulge sometimes, in addition to a feeling of “fullness” or pressure without physical activity?
In: Biology
One of the main functions of veins is to serve as a reservoir for extra blood. If you had just enough oxygenated blood in your arteries for when you are at rest, then you would have a big problem as soon as you were active. So, your veins are like balloons that can expand when needed to hold extra blood. When you work out, the veins are distended because a lot of blood is going to the tissues, and it needs to get back to the heart quickly. When you’re resting, they can be distended with all the extra blood. Lots of other things affect how distended they are–such as gravity, if you’re relatively dehydrated, etc.
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