What causes veins to sometimes pulsate?

1 Answer
Jun 17, 2018

Although veins pulsate, you cannot feel them through your skin. You feel the arteries’ pulse.

Explanation:

The pulsating is caused by the heart’s pumping of the blood to the rest of the body. Each pulse comes with each heartbeat. The artery expands and contracts in response to the blood flow.

An artery brings oxygenated blood to the body.
A vein brings back deoxygenated blood to the heart to be reoxygenated.

Arterial walls are much thicker than the walls of veins to withstand the pressure of the blood being pumped. If you can feel your pulse, you are feeling your artery expanding and contracting.

Hope this helps!