Compression stockings are widely used to maintain proper pressure, physiologically, on a person's lower extremities. Such socks are used in the complex treatment of varicose veins, as well as for the prevention of this disease. In medicine, special underwear for veins is called medical sweater. Also called internal compresses or anti-varicose, medical sweater.
Tights, socks, as well as knee-high compression for varicose veins are recommended to be worn by phlebologists. Such underwear should also be worn for thrombosis, thrombophlebitis, lymphedema and other problems with the blood vessels of the extremities.
What kind of internal compression is, which is better - compression tights or socks, the doctor will show and recommend during the appointment.
The therapeutic effect when using such underwear is manifested by the fact that socks, leggings or tights support the vessels, squeeze the varicose vein. This, in turn, evenly redistributes blood flow from dilated vessels to healthy ones.
Such underwear helps to activate blood circulation, improve tissue nutrition.
Choosing the right compression sock can help reduce the risk of blood clots.
Another important argument in favor of the use of such underwear is that there is almost no contraindication to the use of medical knitwear. It does not cause side effects, but at the same time it is a good method to prevent the progression of varicose veins and helps to keep the veins in physiological condition.
How does varicose vein compression dressing work?
In the past, when medical knitwear was not produced, elastic bandages were used for varicose veins. However, their use has some significant disadvantages.
- First of all, elastic bandages should be applied for a long time and to get the desired effect, this should be done correctly.
- A significant disadvantage is the inability to hold an elastic bandage at all times. The non-aesthetic look does not allow you to wear it every day, while, for example, the compact underwear and knitwear of other modern manufacturers look very beautiful and aesthetically pleasing.
- Despite the fact that bandages have a low price, it will not be possible to save money when wearing them. After all, such a bandage very quickly becomes unusable. Therefore, it is better to learn how to choose high quality knitted garments and buy compression underwear for varicose veins.
What are compression underwear for and what is their effect? By compressing varicose veins, this knitted fabric accelerates blood flow through the deep veins. As a result, the venous stasis is eliminated, which is a prerequisite for the development of varicose veins. Those who are interested in which compression underwear is best for varicose veins, should keep in mind that it is worth buying high quality products. After all, high-quality branded knitwear offers a gradual, i. e. a gradual reduction of pressure from the wrist to the shoulder or from the lower leg to the thigh.
For example, a good online store for varicose vein compression underwear offers socks that provide maximum pressure (100%) on the lower leg and partial (40%) on the thigh area. It is this distribution that is most physiologically accurate and therefore provides the greatest therapeutic effect. With this way of distributing the pressure, the blood flow is normalized due to the following effect:
- The operation of the valve apparatus improves and returns to normal.
- The dilated lumen of the peripheral veins of the thighs and the lower part of the legs, especially the subcutaneous ones, decreases.
- The effect of the muscle pump is increased. When muscles contract during exercise, blood is pushed upwards.
Effective compression underwear for pregnant women. But during pregnancy, you should choose such a T-shirt, guided by the individual recommendations of a doctor.
How to choose compression socks?
Before choosing compression stockings for varicose veins, you should clearly understand that such underwear can not eliminate the serious causes of venous insufficiency. Therefore, it is used before radical treatment. The medical jersey simulates the situation as if veins that have been dilated, removed or closed.
In addition, it is important to understand that non-surgical treatment of foot diseases should always be comprehensive. Only in this case the effect will be maximum. It is very important not only to wear compression underwear, but also to use ointments and creams prescribed by a doctor, to practice folk remedies for the prevention and treatment of varicose veins, as well as to lead a healthy lifestyle.
For the effect to be more noticeable, it is important to choose the right medical underwear. In this case, not only the reviews that can be read on the net, and the prices of linen, but also its quality, compression classes should be taken into account.
Compression stockings are usually divided into three types:
- hospital - meaning one that is used exclusively in the hospital;
- medical;
- prophylactic.
But, regardless of whether the sweater is needed for treatment or prevention, it should be purchased exclusively at specialty stores or outlets that are official dealers of such underwear manufacturers recognized by doctors. It is important that in such stores consumers should be assisted in choosing the right size for the jersey, as the effectiveness of the treatment depends on this. To find the perfect underwear, the seller initially measures the foot in four places. Next, a specially sized chart is used, according to which socks or sweaters are selected.
You can buy underwear in four degrees of compression:
- First class compression(18-21 mm Hg) - preventive jersey, the wear of which is indicated in the following cases:
- during pregnancy;
- with a tendency for varicose veins;
- in the presence of the initial symptoms of varicose veins: if the veins are visible under the skin, after prolonged or sitting, the legs ache, you can distinguish pronounced spider veins in the legs and edema appears in the evening;
- if a person leads a lifestyle in which he is forced to sit or stay long - in the office, driving a car, behind the counter, etc.
- Second compression class(23-32 mm Hg) - the most popular underwear. Compression stockings of the second class of compression are used for the treatment of varicose veins, thrombophlebitis. The hospital also uses Class 2 compression hospital knitwear.
- Third compression class(34-46 mm Hg) - compression stockings of this class are used for patients with trophic disorders and severe venous insufficiency.
- Fourth compression class(from 49 mm Hg) - this class is rarely used - for men and women with lymphedema.
Before buying stockings or tights for varicose veins, you need to decide exactly what kind of underwear is best to buy. Those who buy anti-varicose tights for the first time should not immediately choose the second grade of compression. After all, it can happen that this is very strong compression for the vascular system.
First, it is better to buy cheap underwear - the price of first-class compression jerseys from some companies will be quite acceptable. Once you have worn it and gradually get used to such underwear, you can later buy more expensive orthopedic tights for varicose veins.
For prevention purposes, only grade 1 underwear is used. If a person is already developing varicose veins, then a phlebologist will help you choose tights. You should also ask your doctor how to choose compression tights for pregnant women, so that the expectant mother feels good when wearing such underwear. In this case, it is important to choose the size of the tights or socks against varicose veins so that they do not cause obvious discomfort.
But, no matter how enthusiastic the reviews are about this or that underwear, you should understand that it will not work to cure varicose veins with its help, as wearing underwear does not eliminate the causes of the disease. Compression stockings help stop the development of the disease and prevent the appearance of new varicose veins.
In hot summer weather, it is impossible to wear such underwear, so during the summer you should use medicines for varicose veins and use other methods to fight this disease.
In order not to damage the product and get the greatest effect, you need to know how to wear compression tights correctly - this is indicated in the instructions.
Regardless of the price of such a linen, it can hold the compression for about 5-7 months.
What do you need to know when buying compression stockings?
Before buying such underwear, you should clearly know how to choose the right compression stockings for varicose veins. Specific quality standards have been set for compression garments. The most important and strictest of them is the European RAL-GZ-387.
Any manufacturer looking to produce matching knit garments must first go through very strict certification in Switzerland or Germany. Therefore, if elastic orthopedic socks for varicose veins have such a certificate, it indicates its high quality. Knitwear with such a certificate offers pressure that is distributed over the limbs (40-70-100%) and is curative. The standard is evidenced by the packaging of the products, as well as the presence of a special label.
To choose a good product, you need to focus not only on the cost of such knee-length footwear or socks, but, above all, on the manufacturer and the proven point of sale of the goods. Indeed, in the domestic market it is very easy to go wrong and buy fake socks or medical tights. Moreover, in specialty stores, the buyer will definitely be prompted on how to determine the size, for both men and women. In trusted stores, you should buy compression stockings for pregnant women.
Since medical underwear is worn every day, it is very important to choose a hypoallergenic model. Therefore, you should not focus on user ratings, but, above all, on personal feelings. The Oeko-Tex Standard 10 mark of the European standard of eco-friendliness should be present in the linen - this guarantees that the product is made from a non-allergenic material.
How to properly wear compression stockings?
When buying medical t-shirts, you need to know how to wear and how to wear such underwear properly.
Most often, people seeking to prevent the progression of varicose veins wear class 2 compression stockings After all, both the efficacy and the price of class 2 compression stockings are often the most acceptable to the patient. However, it often happens that 2nd degree compression products are very uncomfortable for a person to wear. Moreover, more often than not the second class of compression for men and women turns out to be inappropriate precisely because a person does not wear such a product correctly. After all, it can not be dressed like tights for a child, gathered in an accordion and pulling the sock up to the thighs. Both knee-length tights and socks should be worn slowly, gradually running over the foot.
Such underwear will be difficult for obese people to wear. To facilitate this process, special tools can be purchased in the store. How much such devices cost depends on the manufacturer. Compression knitwear should be worn with gloves so as not to damage the loose nails. In addition, if a person wears medical gloves or other gloves, then the linen slips better.
If second-class compression underwear is uncomfortable to wear, in some cases you may be limited to first-class. Moreover, the price of class 1 compression stockings for women and men is lower. However, the price of socks for varicose veins in the legs depends on other factors.
A person wearing a medical T-shirt should have smooth feet - without rudeness, calluses. Cut your toenails and stuff them to avoid bulging your clothes.
It is better to wear such underwear in the morning, on rested limbs and, accordingly, not swollen. In this case, both feet and shirts should be completely dry.
For those who are interested in whether it is possible to sleep in such socks, you should understand that there is no need for this, as during sleep the load on the limb is minimal.
If the phlebologist has prescribed the patient to wear grade 3 products, it will be more difficult to put them on and, accordingly, more time will have to be spent on this. For this, it is better to use special equipment.
If the size chart given in a given place seems vague, it is best to ask a specialist how to choose the size of compression stockings for surgery or for everyday wear. After all, if the size is chosen incorrectly, wearing and wearing such underwear will be extremely inappropriate.
It is important to take proper care of these items and to know how to wash and dry them.
Care for compression garment
When buying orthopedic underwear for women and men, you should keep in mind that it is more appropriate to have at least two pairs of such sweaters. After all, you need to wash it daily to get rid of dust, debris and dead skin particles, which can damage the fibers of clothes very quickly.
Washing is performed only by hand, using baby soap. Such linen can not be machine washed. You should wash it at a temperature no higher than 40 ° C. It is forbidden to iron and bleach it. Also, do not use air conditioners and rinses. After all, they also destroy the structure of the connective tissue.
Dry compression socks by spreading them on a horizontal surface. You can not twist and squeeze it, you can easily wet it with a towel. Drying the flannel in the sun, the battery in the vertical position is not allowed.
You have to be very careful with silicone straps, which are important for arranging clothes. When washing it is better not to wet them and wipe them with a disinfectant napkin.
What to wear with such products depends on the taste of the woman. But, as a rule, knitted dresses from modern manufacturers are very beautiful and elegant.
Contraindications to wearing compression underwear
Before choosing knee compression for varicose veins, you need to know clearly if the patient has contraindications to wearing them. Medical T-shirt has several such contraindications.
There are categorical contraindications, as well as relative ones, in which it is allowed to wear such a T-shirt after consulting with doctors - a cardiologist, dermatologist, endocrinologist.
Wearing a medical shirt is absolutely contraindicated for such diseases:
- atherosclerosis;
- endoarthritis;
- orthoarthritis;
- thromboangiitis obliterans.
Under such conditions, the lumen of the vessels decreases, and the systolic blood pressure drops to 80 mm. rt. Art. , therefore, it is strictly forbidden to reduce the pressure in the lower extremities.
Compression garments should be worn very carefully for those who have skin problems and high skin sensitivity.
You should not wear socks or tights for allergic manifestations and inflammatory processes in the skin, as well as for dermatitis, sores, eczema, thrombophlebitis, open sores.
If varicose veins manifest as a result of diabetes, such underwear should also not be used. Compression stockings are not used in case of septic phlebitis, severe cardiopulmonary insufficiency, if resting blood circulation problems appear.
You may also find the opinion that sweater can provoke atrophy of the muscular layer of the vein walls. When a person ceases to wear medical underwear, the opposite effect is likely, as a result of which the venous wall will stretch and the varicose veins will progress even further.
Of course, there is no way to check the condition of each vein in a person wearing such underwear. However, most phlebologists consider this theory to be wrong, citing the following evidence in favor of it:
- a person cannot wear a medical T-shirt all the time;
- if the veins are congested, then the blood flow in them is reduced but not stopped;
- as a rule, muscle wall atrophy develops if a person has a genetic predisposition, as well as if a specific local inflammatory process develops with venous stasis, and when you use knitwear, these phenomena are reduced;
- sometimes, after stopping the use of flax, the person initially feels a little worse, as for a while the tone of the venous wall decreases, but we are not talking about atrophy.
Also, after the end of the period of wearing such underwear, people with varicose veins may feel that it has become more difficult for them to walk. Therefore, many people choose not to give up wearing it.
Thus, compression stockings, which have been used for many decades, are a convenient and effective method of preventing and treating varicose veins. However, before you start using it, you should consult a phlebologist. The doctor will determine what the patient's condition is and will assist in choosing the most suitable product.