PAIN IN YOUR LEGS?
IT COULD BE YOUR VEINS

Featuring:
Nicole Kennedy, MD, vascular surgeon
Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital
Syed T. Ahsan, MD, vascular medicine specialist
Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital

Swollen, painful veins -
known as varicose veins
- are a common source of
leg pain. As many as 55
percent of women and 45
percent of men have them.
But you don't need to put
up with the pain, which can
also be accompanied by a
feeling of burning or itching.
Doctors at the Vein Center at
Henry Ford West Bloomfield
Hospital provide a variety of
treatments that can put an
end to leg discomfort.

Victor Schoenfeld, chief winemaker at Golan Heights Winery

L'rosh V'lo zanav

Fighting gravity

In most cases, varicose veins
are caused by venous reflux
disease, meaning the small
valves in the veins stop
working. "It occurs most
often in the legs because
those veins are working against gravity to pump blood back up to the
heart," says Dr. Ahsan. "When the valves stop working, the blood pools
up, which causes swelling, pain, and aching tired legs."

Celebrate Israel innovation in the new year.

Emily Litwack
Special to the Jewish News

L

'rosh v'lo l'zanay. It's a well-
known blessing, one of the tra-
ditional simanim (symbols) of
the Jewish New Year—"May God bless
us to be the head and not the tail:'
There is no doubt that modern-day
Israel consistently lives up to its bibli-
cal blessing to strive to always come
out on top.
Israel is a haven for innovators,
offering a unique backdrop and plenty
of opportunities for small organiza-
tions with new ideas who want to
make it big.
"Being at the head and not the tail"
means something different to every
person, but the common thread of
innovation and ambition acts as the
incentive of every Israeli leader in
every field.

A wide variety of treatments

A full range of care is available for people with varicose veins. "We
look at each patient individually to determine a plan of care that's right
for that person," says Dr. Kennedy. In many cases, doctors start with
the most conservative treatment, which can be something as simple
as wearing compression stockings. "If this doesn't help, we can do an
ultrasound right in our clinic to see if a patient might benefit from
other treatments," Dr. Kennedy adds. These treatments may include
vein ablation, which uses high heat to close off the problem vein, or
sclerotherapy, which is done by injecting a salt-based solution directly
into the vein.

Back on your feet

Since the minimally invasive procedures can be performed right in the
doctors' office, patients are back on their feet the same day, although
they need to take it easy for a while. "People are generally very happy
with the results," adds Dr. Ahsan.

The Moral High Ground
The phrase, "being at the head and
not the tail" takes on a poignant sig-
nificance for the soldiers of the IDF,
especially in light of the events of the
past couple of months.
The IDF struggles on a daily basis
with the question of how to efficiently
battle terrorist cells that conceal them-
selves among their own innocent civil-
ians. When the IDF decides to attack
from the air, they send text messages,

For more information or to make an appointment with
a vein specialist at Henry Ford West Bloomfield, call
(248) 325-3434 or visit www.henryfordwestbloomfield.
com/veincenter

HENRY FORD WEST BLOOMFIELD HOSPITAL

64

September 18 • 2014

JN

1920910

make phone calls and drop fliers to
warn civilians that there will be an air
attack in a certain place at a certain
time and that they should clear the
area.
A combat soldier in a special ops
unit describes his time in Gaza as "a
constant battle between being an effi-
cient soldier and hanging onto every
bit of humanity you have ... Every
time we walked into a house, we knew
there was a chance a suicide bomber
was inside waiting to blow us all up...
Every single thing you do requires you
to think twice ... 'If I knock over this
bookshelf, then the family won't have
a bookshelf, but if I don't check behind
the bookshelf then there might be a
terrorist hiding behind it and we could
all die:"
This level of sensitivity comes as
second nature to the soldiers of the
IDF.
In a press conference earlier this
month, Minister of Defence Moshe
(Bogi) Ayalon praised the soldiers of
the IDF for their courage and determi-
nation to achieve their military goals
while maintaining their sense of moral
responsibility.
The Israeli Defense Forces is inno-
vating every day how to run a morally
aware military in a world where the
norm is a polarized view in which the
only two options are guerrilla warfare
or utter destruction.