Free screening Friday in Provo for varicose veins

The Vein Center at Riverwoods is offering a free screening for varicose veins from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday.

The screenings are available by appointment only at the Vein Center's office in Riverwoods Interventional Center, 280 W. Riverpark Drive (5200 North), Suite 100, Provo. To make an appointment, call Ginger at 801-229-2002.

Varicose veins are the bluish, rope-like blood vessels that bulge just beneath the skin of the legs. They affect more than 40 million people in the United States, including about 25 percent of women and 15 percent of men.

Although generally not life-threatening, varicose veins can cause fatigue, ankle swelling, itching, throbbing and discomfort in the lower legs and ankles. If left untreated, varicose veins can lead to a rash, skin ulcers or even deep vein thrombosis (a blood clot).

Until recently, surgical vein stripping was the most common treatment for the underlying condition behind varicose veins. But today, more and more physicians provide endovenous laser ablation therapy, a non-surgical alternative to vein stripping that requires only local anesthetic and can be performed in the doctor's office in about an hour.