LITTLE ROCK – Free screenings for varicose veins will be held by appointment from 8 a.m. – 3 p.m. Oct. 18 at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS).

The screenings will be held in the Surgery Clinic on the fourth floor of the UAMS Outpatient Center. For an appointment, call (501) 686-6176. Free parking is available in the UAMS outpatient parking deck at the intersection of West Capitol Avenue and Jack Stephens Drive.

Nearly 55 percent of American women and 45 percent of men suffer from some form of vein problem. Common symptoms of varicose veins include aching pain, tired or swollen legs, darkening of the skin, numbness or irritated rash in the legs.

If diagnosed, there are several modern, less-invasive treatments available for varicose veins. Let the experts at UAMS help you determine whether they are present and explain what treatment options are available.

UAMS is the state’s only comprehensive academic health center, with five colleges, a graduate school, a medical center, six centers of excellence and a statewide network of regional centers. UAMS has 2,652 students and 733 medical residents. Its centers of excellence include the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, the Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute, the Myeloma Institute for Research and Therapy, the Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute, the Psychiatric Research Institute and the Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging. It is one of the state’s largest public employers with about 10,000 employees, including nearly 1,150 physicians who provide medical care to patients at UAMS, Arkansas Children’s Hospital, the VA Medical Center and UAMS’ Area Health Education Centers throughout the state. UAMS and its affiliates have an economic impact in Arkansas of $5 billion a year. Visit www.uams.edu.