Choosing the right compression garments to protect your blood vessels

compression socks for varicose veins

Varicose veins continue to conquer the world.

He may have reached your house. If not, it may happen in the future.

Remember that in developed countries in Europe and North America, varicose veins affect up to 35% of adults. Moreover, with age, the number of patients only increases.

How to be?

See phlebologist. He or she will prescribe treatment and may advise you to buy linens for varicose veins. We'll tell about him later.

Do you think varicose veins are harmless?

Let's see if this is true.

Vena varicose veins- This is an enlargement of the leg veins, which occurs due to weakness of the venous valve. It interferes with blood circulation.

Surprisingly, the disease itself is not life -threatening for patients. Yes, it is uncomfortable. For example, with varicose veins, symptoms appear:

  • Edema
  • Itching and burning
  • Tired legs
  • Skin discoloration
  • Convulsions
  • vascular cobwebs

It doesn't sound scary. Not surprisingly, many people ignore the symptoms of the disease for years, and sometimes decades.

We understand why they are doing this. But this does not mean these people are right.

The main danger with varicose veins is not the symptoms, but complications.

Trophic ulcers - necrosis of certain areas of the skin due to circulatory disorders. Such defects take a very long time to heal. Ulcers are more likely to reappear after therapy.

A blood clot is a blood clot that occurs when the walls of a vessel are damaged. They are useful in some situations. For example, if you cut yourself, a blood clot will prevent a lot of bleeding.

There are also less pleasant examples.

When the venous wall is damaged, blood clots accumulate on it. The problem is that they block blood flow and affect the supply of nearby tissues.

But even this is not so bad.

When the blood clot breaks and moves through the body along with the blood, the real game with death begins. If a blood clot enters the heart or brain and blocks the blood vessels there, the patient may die.

After such varicose veins are no longer seen as a harmless disease.

Of course, the disease does not kill in a few days. Dangerous complications sometimes appear only after a few years, but this does not mean that they do not need to be treated. See your doctor as soon as possible.

To combat varicose veins, an integrated approach is used. This means it is impossible to get rid of diseased blood vessels just with the help of medications or exercise. Even the treatment of varicose veins with compression stockings will not solve the problem on its own. But it will be an important part of the therapy and will alleviate the symptoms of the disease.

You may not believe that underwear will help you. After all, how does knitwear relate to ships?

We will tell you about this now.

Healing stress - how compression garments help blood vessels

Dilated veins do not pump blood to the heart well. Knitwear produces pressure on certain parts of the foot. This improves blood circulation and reduces pressure on the venous wall.

Underwear with varicose veins creates a kind of frame around the vessel. This support prevents weak vein expansion and keeps its walls in good condition.

The choice of pressure force depends on the foot area. For example, a maximum pressure jersey is usually worn on the ankle. In this area, blood begins to rise to the heart and a lot of effort is required to overcome the force of gravity.

But on the hip side, the jersey is applied with a pressure of 40% of the maximum. Here, the blood in the veins moves more easily and does not require strong support.

Consult a phlebologist for proper compression garments. Improperly chosen jerseys will not help your ship, but will harm it.

Here are situations where certain types of underwear are used.

Types of compression socks

type of compression socks

In order for anti-varicose underwear to have a good effect on the veins, you need to choose them correctly. We are talking about medical devices that are not always useful for blood vessels. Again, too much pressure from washing will only worsen the condition of the veins.

If you buy a jersey for the treatment of varicose veins, then first go through a doctor's examination. He or she will check the condition of the blood vessels and determine which compression garment is right for you.

It is divided into 3 main types:

  • Stockings
  • Tights
  • Knee stockings

The choice of knitwear depends on the location of the diseased vein, your lifestyle, and other factors.

We will talk about the benefits of socks, tights and golf in more detail.

Compression stockings

This is the name of a product for the prevention and treatment of varicose veins. It is used mainly in the early stages of the disease. Stockings against varicose veins tightly wrap the legs and press on the walls of blood vessels, improving blood circulation. They also:

  • Prevents blood clotting
  • Relieves swelling
  • Relieves pain after long standing
  • Protects against varicose veins

Knitted stockings for the treatment of varicose veins are also used during pregnancy. When carrying a child, the ducts in a woman’s body are exposed to great stress and often swell. Therefore, for the 2-3rd trimester, doctors advise pregnant women to wear these underwear.

Compression stockings are versatile. They help varicose veins even above the knee, but they are more comfortable to wear than tights.

Compression tights

This type of jersey completely covers the legs from the tip of the foot to the waist. Tight pants from varicose veins do not slip when walking and are comfortable to wear. However, you must remember that you need to take it off several times in a day, and this takes time.

These panties are often recommended for pregnant women because they not only protect the veins, but also support the abdomen.

If the problem with the blood vessels has spread above the hips, tights against varicose veins will help better than stockings or knee level. Their functions:

  • Improves blood circulation
  • Leg muscle massage
  • Venous wall support
  • Removal of excess lymph fluid

Compression tights are used for the prevention and treatment of varicose veins. They are also prescribed for recovery from foot surgery.

Knee -high compression

Stockings for varicose veins are prescribed for people who have diseased veins in the lower legs. If problems with blood vessels have arisen below the knee, then such underwear will help you.

They do not restrict movement. Therefore, in golf you can practice or walk. Many people take them with them on their travels.

These underwear perform the following functions:

  • Narrows blood vessels
  • Strengthens the walls of veins
  • Eliminates edema

Stockings against varicose veins are comfortable to wear under clothing. If necessary, they can be removed quickly, for example, during an examination by a doctor.

Remember - the effectiveness of a knitwear depends on how much it presses on your feet. This is the so -called compression class. We will talk about them further.

Knitwear class against varicose veins

knitwear class against varicose veins

The laundry compression class is measured in millimeters of mercury or mmHg. Art. As we have said, the pressure is maximum on the feet. It decreases from the bottom up. Therefore, the top of the jersey puts almost no pressure on the legs.

There are 4 classes of compression:

class 1: Pressure from 18 to 22 mmHg. Art. It is used for the prevention of varicose veins and the treatment of the early stages of the disease.

standard 2: Pressure from 23 to 32 mmHg. Art. It is prescribed for the treatment of grade 2 varicose veins and thrombophlebitis. Wear it and your ulcer will heal faster.

standard 3: Pressure from 33 to 45 mmHg. Art. Doctors prescribe these underwear to patients suffering from trophic disorders and venous insufficiency.

degree 4: Pressure from 46 to 50 mmHg. Art. Such knitwear helps fight lymphostasis and edema in case of varicose vein complications. Usually prescribed after surgery.

You can buy knitwear for self -prevention, without consulting a phlebologist. He didn't squeeze his legs too much and it wouldn't hurt. But underwear classes 2-4 should be chosen only by a doctor.

How to choose compression garments to prevent varicose veins

If you are going to buy knitwear for the prevention of varicose veins, then start by taking measurements. When you wake up, don’t get out of bed. Measure the girth of your calves, thighs and ankles immediately. You also need to know the length of the legs and feet. When shopping for underwear, these measurements will come in handy.

Choose knee -highs, stockings, or tights based on the location of the problematic vein. If they are below knee level, knee level will suit you. To stop the development of varicose veins in the upper legs, buy anti-varicose stockings or tights.

Pay attention to the fabric of knitwear. Give preference to cotton products - they are easy and comfortable to wear. Some manufacturers produce underwear with antibacterial and antifungal coatings. It will not bother you with unpleasant odors.

Manufacturers produce various types of compression socks. You just have to choose the socks, tights or knee level that suits you.

Postoperative care - how much to wear knitwear after treatment

If you have end -stage varicose veins and have undergone vascular surgery, then for full recovery you need to wear special underwear. A phlebologist will tell you how long you need to walk in it.

Do not break the knitwear routine.

Remember, doctors prescribe these underwear for you for a specific reason. The effectiveness of the treatment directly depends on whether you wear knitwear or not.

Imagine, you’ve decided to do without tights that have been making teeth on the edges for just one day. It doesn't seem to matter.

But this did not happen.

The jersey covers the wounds left after surgery. It prevents air from entering and prevents blood poisoning. Also, underwear protects blood vessels from the formation of blood clots.

Do not endanger your health. You have already undergone surgery, and now full recovery does not depend on the doctor. Take a few months and you can return to a satisfying life with healthy veins.

The phlebologist decides how long the jersey should be worn. You cannot take off your clothes for a long time without consulting him.

We will tell you in detail how much to wear compression socks after phlebectomy and sclerotherapy.

After miniflebectomy

After surgery, the treated leg must be covered with an elastic jersey. It has been shown to reduce intradermal bleeding and pain. Also, special underwear helps prevent vein thrombosis.

Compression stockings after miniflebectomy should be worn for at least a week. The maximum duration is 6 weeks. During this period, 2nd class knitwear was usually given, but there was no point in using it any further. Class 1 linen is enough to support the ship.

After sclerotherapy

The duration of wearing of compression socks depends on the number of vessels treated. For example, if the doctor heals 1-2 veins, then you need to wear stockings or tights only for 3-4 months. During this time, a healthy new ship will emerge.

If the phlebologist has healed 5-6 veins, it will take longer to walk in a class 2 knitwear, up to 6 months. Then the doctor will conduct an examination and if recovery is successful, you will be allowed to use lower compression class underwear.

7 signs you should wear compression socks

Such underwear is useful not only for varicose veins. We recommend considering buying a preventative jersey if you have one of these signs:

  • Overweight
  • Pregnancy
  • Vascular asterisks
  • Strong load on the legs
  • Passive lifestyle
  • diabetes
  • Predisposition to vascular disease

With obesity, elastic stockings from varicose veins help to lose weight faster. They remove excess fluid, smooth out fat folds and refresh the skin.

For pregnant women, underwear helps support the abdominal muscles. This prevents many problems, such as uterine prolapse.

Who is contraindicated to wear compression socks

Unfortunately, not everyone can benefit from the benefits of special intravenous clothing. In some diseases, this is dangerous. Here is a list of them:

  • Severe angiopathy and diabetic polyneuropathy
  • Trophic ulcers are not associated with vascular disease
  • Acute soft tissue infections
  • Cardiopulmonary failure
  • Septic phlebitis

Another treatment of varicose veins with stockings is contraindicated for people with chronic disease of the arteries of the legs, if the upper pressure drops below 80 mm Hg. Art.

Prolong the life of knitwear - the rules of care

If you want compression underwear for varicose veins to work until recovery, you need to take care of it properly. For example, it needs to be washed every day.

You might ask: "Why, because I didn’t stain it? ".

Even so, dust accumulates on the socks during the day. In addition, dead skin cells settle on it. So you can't do without washing.

Use baby soap or other products made for delicate fabrics. Wash your clothes by hand.

But what you can't do with it:

  • Boiling
  • Blush
  • Dry on a horizontal surface

This will damage the stockings and make them useless for treatment.

By following these simple rules, you can use one jersey until your recovery.

If you’ve read this far, you’ve probably learned a lot about compression garments. It is up to us to tell you where you will be assisted to choose it.

The doctor will quickly diagnose and select compression socks

If you need to choose underwear not for prevention, but for the treatment of varicose veins, then you can not do it without the help of a phlebologist. We recommend making an appointment with a specialized clinic.

The doctor will review the medical history and conduct an examination. Then he will do an ultrasound diagnostic - it will show the diseased duct down to the smallest detail.

After the diagnosis is made, the doctor will determine if you need knitwear, and if so, which one. To choose it, the doctor must know the size and shape of the foot, as well as your daily routine.

To find out how to buy compression stockings, just consult a phlebologist at a medical center.