Relief from varicose veins:
If you’re living with varicose veins, here’s something you may already realize: They can affect more than your appearance. For many people, varicose veins can cause significant discomfort.
Varicose veins are bulging, twisted veins under the skin of the legs. You can usually feel them, which makes them pretty easy to tell apart from tinier spider veins.
“Varicose veins are caused by malfunctioning valves in the veins,” says Aman Khurana, MD, vascular and venous disease specialist with Prairie Cardiovascular. “Normally, these one-way valves let blood flow back to the heart, pumping against gravity and preventing blood from flowing backwards. If the valves aren’t working properly, blood is allowed to pool inside the veins, making them swell.”
Getting older raises your risk for varicose veins. So does:
• Having a family history of varicose veins.
• Sitting or standing for long periods.
• Not exercising regularly.
• Being overweight.
• Having been pregnant and given birth to a baby. The risk increases even more with multiple pregnancies and births.
Bothersome symptoms
Some varicose veins never cause symptoms. But you may want to see your primary care provider if you have larger varicose veins, especially if they’re bothering you.
More than just a cosmetic issue, varicose veins can cause pain, itching, heaviness, cramps and swelling. These symptoms may be worse when you’re on your feet. In more severe cases, open sores and thickened skin can develop over varicose veins. They can also cause blood clots.
Fortunately, treatment can help prevent these and other complications and relieve the symptoms of varicose veins.
First your provider may suggest these lifestyle changes:
• Get regular exercise to help keep blood moving through your veins. Some strenuous activities may make varicose veins worse, so be sure to follow your doctor’s advice.
• Try to avoid sitting for long periods of time — get up and move around.
• Lose weight, if you’re overweight.
• Put your legs up when sitting or resting.
Your provider might also want you to wear compression stockings to reduce swelling.
Minimally invasive procedures that treat varicose veins
If those changes don’t help you enough, you might consider a medical procedure to treat your varicose veins.
Treatments like endovenous ablation and sclerotherapy can be done in a doctor’s office. They use lasers, heat energy or chemicals to close off the veins. Sometimes, instead of sclerotherapy, surgery — which may be done as an outpatient procedure — is used to remove severe varicose veins.
Prairie Vein Clinic offers treatment options for those struggling with cosmetic and medical vein issues in the legs. For more information and to take an online vein assessment, visit Prairie’s website, www.PrairieHeart.org.
Two LLCC biology students awarded summer research internships at UIUC:
Lincoln Land Community College (LLCC) biology students Kayleigh Ambrose of Jacksonville and Anthony Lamb of Chathamare among 10 students chosen from across Illinois to participate in the Phenotypic Plasticity Research Experience for Community College Students (PRECS) at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign this summer.
PRECS, supported by a National Science Foundation grant, will begin with a boot camp on topics ranging from specific laboratory methods to research ethics. Students will then join a research immersion program in phenotypic plasticity, the phenomenon of a single genotype producing multiple phenotypes depending on environment. Ambrose and Lamb will present their research findings at LLCC as well as at an undergraduate research symposium at UIUC. They will each be awarded a $6,000 stipend along with food, housing and travel allowances for the 10-week program.
“The PRECS program is something I have been promoting to my biology students for the past five years,” said Dave Cox, LLCC professor of biology. “Kayleigh’s critical thinking skills will benefit her greatly during her internship this summer.”
“I was happy to recommend Anthony for this unique research internship focusing on phenotypic plasticity,” said Tony Rothering, LLCC professor of biology. “I have no doubt that the solid academic background he received at LLCC, combined with his inquisitive nature, will allow him to thrive in this position.”
Following LLCC, Ambrose plans to transfer to UIUC to pursue a biology major followed by graduate school on the east coast. Lamb plans to attend Southeast Missouri State University after graduating from LLCC; his career goal is in wildlife conservation and management. Both expressed excitement at pursuing their first research experience at UIUC and the opportunities it will present as they continue their education and biological careers.
Another LLCC biology student, Becky Rose, was chosen for the prestigious research internship at UIUC in 2019.
LLCC offers an associate degree in biology, with more information available at www.llcc.edu/biology.
Health System marks 125 years of service:
Memorial Health traces its roots back to a 12-bed facility that opened on this day 125 years ago in a converted house in downtown Springfield. The health system radiates ‘the same spirit of compassion and commitment that (our founders) had 125 years ago,’ Memorial Health CEO says.
On April 19, 1897, the 12-bed Springfield Hospital and Training School opened its doors in a converted private home at Fifth Street and North Grand Avenue. Now, 125 years later, the organization it became – Memorial Health – serves tens of thousands of patients across central and southern Illinois.
Today, the nonprofit health system launched a six-month celebration of its quasquicentennial, or its 125th, anniversary. Activities planned during the next six months include placing time capsules on the five hospitals’ campuses, baskets for babies born at any Memorial Health hospital April 19, an animated historical timeline video on the Memorial Health website and then-and-now photos on the health system’s Facebook page. The observance will conclude with a to-be-announced Memorial Health Day in the fall.
“While our founders would probably be amazed by the technology and facilities we have available today, I think they would recognize in our colleagues the same spirit of compassion and commitment that they had 125 years ago,” said Ed Curtis, president and CEO of Memorial Health.
“While much in health care has changed, we’ve stayed true to their mission and vision.”
Those founders were a small group of German Lutherans and members of the local medical community, united by their vision of establishing a new hospital to care for Springfield’s growing population. By the 1930s, the hospital’s needs began to outstrip the support available from local Lutheran congregations and it became a nondenominational institution with a board made up of members of the Springfield community.
Over the decades, Springfield Hospital continued to grow and evolve to meet the needs of the people it served. It was renamed “Memorial Hospital” in 1943, when a 300-bed facility was constructed on the present site. That hospital, later known as Memorial Medical Center and now as Springfield Memorial Hospital, became the flagship institution of Memorial Health System, which was created in the mid-1990s to better serve patients amid a changing health care landscape.
Today, Memorial Health comprises five hospitals, a network of Memorial Care clinics, behavioral health services and home care. Nearly 10,000 employees across the region serve patients in a variety of settings, providing a full range of inpatient, outpatient and virtual care.
Jacksonville Memorial Hospital, which was founded on Nov. 24, 1875, has been part of Memorial Health since April 1, 2014.
“As part of a health system with a long history of service to the community, we are able to draw upon resources from the system while maintaining our focus to provide local health care to the people we serve,” said Dr. Scott Boston, president and CEO of Jacksonville Memorial Hospital.
Memorial Health’s three other hospitals are Decatur Memorial Hospital, Lincoln Memorial Hospital and Taylorville Memorial Hospital.
“Reaching 125 years is a great achievement, but we haven’t done it alone,” Curtis said. “From our earliest days, we’ve been fortunate to have the support and goodwill of the people of Springfield and our region, and with their help, we continue to fulfill our mission.”
CAPTION: Ed Curtis, president and CEO of Memorial Health, holds a photograph of the original Springfield Hospital at Fifth and North Grand in Springfield, the forerunner of Memorial Health, which today is celebrating its 125th anniversary.
The St. Andrew’s Society of Central Illinois presents the Springfield Area Highland Games:
The St. Andrew’s Society of Central Illinois will present the Springfield Area Highland Games, taking place at the Sangamon County Fairgrounds, located at 318 W. Birch St. in New Berlin on Saturday, May 14 from 8 a.m.-10 p.m. The day will feature performances by Emerald Underground, Turas, Broken Brogue, Exorna and The Prairie Wind Flute Ensemble. Additional performances from Scottish and Irish dancers and bagpipers will take place.
The St. Andrew’s Society of Central Illinois is proud to return the Springfield Area Highland Games to New Berlin in 2022. This event has served the Springfield Area and its surrounding communities for over 30 years, sharing all of the facets of our Celtic culture with its attendees. At the Highland Games you can find: Highland cows, Clydesdale horses, Children’s Area, Clan Row, the British Car Show, Highland Dance Competition, D’Arcy’s Pint VIP Area, Celtic Vendors, Heritage Area, Jurassic Scotland, Springfield Celts Rugby, live entertainment on the Capitol Commercial Stage, Irish Wolfhounds, demonstrations from the SCA and HEMA — and the main event, an Ancient Athletics Highland Games Competition.
General Admission is $8.00 for Children and Seniors, $15.00 for Adults. VIP Admission is $20.00 for Children, $45.00 for one adult, and $80.00 for two adults. All Veteran and military guests are admitted for free. To purchase tickets online or find the schedule of events, please visit our website at www.centralillinoiscelts.com, or visit us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/springfieldhighlandgames. Tickets may also be purchased at the gates the day of the event. We invite you to join us for a day of Celtic fun for all ages!
The Springfield Area Highland Games will comply with all COVID-19 regulations that are in place from the State of Illinois and Sangamon County on the day of the event. We are committed to the safety of all guests, volunteers, performers and vendors.
