Feb. 8, 2013 Rabbi Berel Wein: Lofty ideals must be followed with grounded applications Clifford D. May: Letter from the West Bank Steve Rothaus: Judge OKs plan for gay man, lesbian couple to be on girl's birth certificate Gloria Goodale: States consider drone bans: Overreaction or crucial for privacy rights? Environmental Nutrition Editors: Don't buy the aloe vera juice hype Michael Craig Miller, M.D.: Harvard Experts: Regular exercise pumps up memory, too Erik Lacitis: Vanity plates: Some take too much license The Kosher Gourmet by Susie Middleton: Broccoflower, Carrot and Leek Ragout with Thyme, Orange and Tapenade is a delightful and satisfying melange of veggies, herbs and aromatics Feb. 6, 2013 Nara Schoenberg: The other in-law problem Frank J. Gaffney Jr. : A see-no-jihadist for the CIA Kristen Chick: Ahmadinejad visits Cairo: How sect tempers Islamist ties between Egypt, Iran Roger Simon: Ed Koch's lucky corner Heron Marquez Estrada: Robot-building sports on a roll Patrick G. Dean, M.D.: Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: How to restore body's ability to secrete insulin Sharon Palmer, R.D.: 3 prostate-protecting diet tips The Kosher Gourmet by Emma Christensen 7 principles for to help you make the best soup ever in a slow cooker Feb. 4, 2013 Jonathan Tobin: Can Jewish Groups Speak Out on Hagel? David Wren: Findings of government study, released 3 days before Newtown shooting, at odds with gun-control crusaders Kristen Chick: Tahrir becomes terrifying, tainted Curtis Tate and Greg Gordon: US keeps building new highways while letting old ones crumble David G. Savage: Supreme Court to hear case on arrests, DNA Harvard Health Letters: Neck and shoulder pain? Know what it means and what to do Andrea N. Giancoli, M.P.H., R.D.: Eat your way to preventing age-related muscle loss The Kosher Gourmet by Diane Rossen Worthington Baked Pears in Red Wine and Port Wine Glaze: A festive winter dessert Feb. 1, 2013 Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb: Redemption Clifford D. May Home, bloody, home Christa Case Bryant andNicholas Blanford Why despite Syria's allies warning of retaliation for Israeli airstrikes, the threats are likely hollow Rick Armon, Ed Meyer and Phil Trexler Ex-police captain cleared by DNA test is freed after nearly 15 years Harvard Health Letters: Could it by your thyroid? Sharon Palmer, R.D.: When 'healthy food' isn't Sue Zeidler: Coke ad racist? Arab-American groups want to yank Super Bowl ad (INCLUDES VIDEO) The Kosher Gourmet by Nealey Dozier The secret of this soup is the garnish January 30, 2013 Allan Chernoff: Celebrating 'Back from the Dead Day' America isn't a religious country? Don't tell Superbowl fans! Mark Clayton Cybercrime takedown! Germany remembers Hitler rise to power Israel salutes U. N. --- with the one finger salute Sharon Palmer, R.D.: Get cookin' with heart-healthy fats Ballot riles Guinness World Records The Kosher Gourmet by Elizabeth Passarella Potato, Squash and Goat Cheese Gratin January 28, 2013 Nancy Youssef: And Democracy for all? Two years on, Egypt remains in state of chaos Fred Weir: Putin: West is fomenting jihadi 'blowback' Meredith Cohn: Implantable pain disk may help those with cancer Michael Craig Miller, M.D. : Ask the Harvard Experts: Are there drugs to help control binge eating? David Ovalle Use of controversial 'brain mapping' technology stymied Jane Stancill: Professor's logic class has 180,000 friends David Clark Scott Lego Racism? The Kosher Gourmet by Mario Batali The celebrated chef introduces us to PANZEROTTI PUGLIESI, cheese-stuffed pastry from Italy's south

Jewish World Review Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: Treatment for varicose veins By Jerry Brewer, M.D. Finding the right rectification JewishWorldReview.com | DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I have varicose veins in my legs, and they really bother me. What causes them? Is there any reliable way to get rid of varicose veins? ANSWER: Varicose veins are enlarged, bulging veins, usually blue or purple, that commonly appear in the legs. They develop when blood pools in veins, causing them to stretch. Effective treatments are available. But finding the right treatment for your situation depends in large part on where the problem is occurring. Veins bring blood to the heart from the rest of the body. To do this, the veins in the legs must work against gravity. Contraction of lower limb muscles helps to pump blood back to your heart. Valves in the veins open as blood flows toward the heart, then close to stop blood from flowing backward. FREE SUBSCRIPTION TO INFLUENTIAL NEWSLETTER Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". In addition to INSPIRING stories, HUNDREDS of columnists and cartoonists regularly appear. Sign up for the daily update. It's free. Just click here. Varicose veins frequently develop when large veins deep in the legs lose their ability to efficiently return blood to the heart. That causes the blood to back up into other veins closer to the surface and bulge outward. A number of factors can raise a person's risk for varicose veins. As people age, varicose veins become more common because, over time, wear and tear can affect the valves within veins and make them prone to leak. Smoking and obesity are significant risk factors for varicose veins, as is having a job that requires long periods of standing or sitting. Family history seems to play a role. And women are more likely than men to get varicose veins. Varicose veins are usually not dangerous, but many people don't like the way they look. They can also cause symptoms, such as swelling, a feeling of throbbing or heaviness in the leg, and pain after standing. In some cases, skin damage can result from varicose veins. Rarely, a blood clot may form if a large amount of blood pools within a varicose vein. That situation can potentially be serious because a clot that breaks free and travels to the heart or lungs (pulmonary embolism) can be fatal. When considering the best treatment for varicose veins, an important factor is to determine the source of the problem. Using ultrasound to examine veins deep in the leg is often the first step. If those veins are not pumping effectively, treatment needs to be targeted there in order to reduce pressure in the other veins. If a deep vein requires treatment, a common approach is radiofrequency ablation. During this procedure, a thin probe is inserted into the vein and the tip of the probe is heated. The heat causes the vein to collapse and seal shut. This does not cause circulation problems because other veins in the leg can take on larger volumes of blood. In addition to radiofrequency ablation, a procedure called ambulatory phlebectomy may be used to remove varicose veins closer to the skin surface through a series of tiny skin punctures. If the deep veins are not affected and varicose veins are not severe, less-invasive treatment options are usually recommended. Wearing compression stockings may help veins and leg muscles move blood more efficiently. Quitting smoking, exercising, losing weight, avoiding long stretches of standing or sitting, elevating the leg, and wearing loose-fitting clothing can help ease symptoms of varicose veins and may prevent them from getting worse. Before you decide on a treatment for varicose veins, talk to your doctor about your situation, as well as any health risks or possible side effects of procedures you may be considering. Keep in mind that successful treatment of varicose veins can take some time. Multiple treatments may be necessary to effectively eliminate all varicose veins. Be aware, too, that even after treatment, varicose veins may redevelop. -- Jerry Brewer, M.D., Dermatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Interested in a private Judaic studies instructor — for free? Let us know by clicking here. Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here. To comment, please click here. © MAYO FOUNDATION FOR MEDICAL EDUCATION AND RESEARCH. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.