The compression sock is widely used to maintain the physiologically correct lower extremity pressure of a person. 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 a medical jersey. It is also called compression underwear or anti-varicose, medical t-shirt.
Tights, socks, and knee-high varicose veins are recommended by venologists. Such underwear should also be worn for thrombosis, thrombophlebitis, lymphedema and other problems with the blood vessels of the limbs.
What kind of compression underwear is it, which is better - compression tights or socks, the doctor will say and recommend during the appointment.
The therapeutic effect when using such underwear is manifested due to the fact that socks, leggings or tights support the vessels, pressing the dilated vein. This, in turn, evenly redistributes blood flow from the dilated vessels to the healthy ones.
Such underwear helps to activate blood circulation, improve tissue nutrition.
Choosing the right compression stockings can help reduce the risk of blood clots.
Another important argument in favor of using such underwear is that there are almost no contraindications to the use of medical knits. It does not cause side effects, but at the same time it is a good method of preventing the development of varicose veins and helps to keep the veins in a normal state.
How does varicose vein compression garment work?
In the past, when medical knits were not produced, elastic bandages were used for varicose veins. However, their use has several significant disadvantages.
- First of all, the elastic bandages must be applied for a long time and in order to have the desired result, this must be done correctly.
- A major drawback is the inability to wear an elastic bandage all the time. The non-aesthetic appearance does not allow you to wear it every day, while, for example, compression underwear and knits from other modern manufacturers look very beautiful and aesthetically pleasing.
- Although bandages are cheap, you will not be able to save money when you wear them. After all, such a bandage quickly becomes useless. Therefore, it is better to learn how to choose high quality knits and buy compression underwear for varicose veins.
What is the purpose of compression underwear and what is their effect? By compressing the dilated veins, this knitted fabric accelerates blood flow through the deep veins. As a result, venous stasis is eliminated, which is a necessary condition 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. In addition, high-quality branded knits provide a gradual, that is, gradual reduction of pressure from the wrist to the shoulder or from the lower leg to the thigh.
For example, a good online compression underwear store for varicose veins offers socks that provide maximum (100%) pressure on the lower leg and partial (40%) pressure on the thigh area. This distribution is the most physiologically correct, so it provides the greatest therapeutic effect. In this way of distributing pressure, the blood flow is normalized due to the following effect:
- The operation of the valve device is improved and returned to normal.
- The dilated lumen of the peripheral veins of the thighs and lower legs, especially the subcutaneous, is reduced.
- The effect of the muscle pump increases. 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 must clearly understand that such underwear can not eliminate serious causes of venous insufficiency. Therefore, it is used before radical treatment. The medical blouse simulates the condition as the veins have been expanded, removed or sealed.
In addition, it is important to understand that non-surgical treatment of foot diseases must always be comprehensive. Only in this case the result will be maximized. It is very important not only to wear compression underwear, but also to use ointments and creams prescribed by a doctor, to apply folk remedies for the prevention and treatment of varicose veins and also to lead a healthy lifestyle.
To make the result 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 should be taken into account, but also their quality, the compression categories.
Compression socks are usually divided into three types:
- hospital - that is, what is used exclusively in a hospital.
- medical;
- prophylactic.
But, regardless of whether the jersey is needed for treatment or prevention, it should be bought exclusively in specialized stores or in stores that are official representatives of manufacturers of such underwear recognized by doctors. It is important in such stores that consumers are helped to choose the right size for the shirt, as the effectiveness of the treatment depends on it. To find the perfect underwear, the seller first measures the foot at four points. Next, a special size chart is used, according to which socks or tights are selected.
You can buy underwear in four degrees of compression:
- First class compression(18-21 mm Hg) - preventive jersey, the use 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 felt under the skin, after prolonged standing or sitting position, the legs ache, you can see strong spider veins in the legs and swelling appears at night.
- if a person follows a lifestyle in which he is forced to sit or stand a lot - in the office, in the car, behind a bench, etc.
- Second class of compression(23-32 mm Hg) - the most popular underwear. The compression sock of the 2nd compression category is used for the treatment of varicose veins, thrombophlebitis. The hospital also uses Category 2 compression hospital knits.
- Third class of compression(34-46 mm Hg) - Compression stockings in this category are used for patients with eating disorders and severe venous insufficiency.
- Fourth compression class(from 49 mm Hg) - this category is very rarely used - for men and women with lymphedema.
Before buying varicose socks or tights, 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 2nd compression category. After all, it may well be that this will be a very strong compression for the vascular system.
First of all, it is better to buy cheap underwear - the price of 1st class compression tights from some companies will be quite acceptable. Once you get used to it and gradually get used to such underwear, you can later buy more expensive orthopedic tights for varicose veins.
For prevention, only category 1 underwear is used. If a person already has varicose veins, then a venologist will help you choose tights. You should also ask your doctor about how to choose compression stockings 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 stockings against varicose veins so as not to cause noticeable discomfort.
But no matter how enthusiastic the reviews about this or that underwear are, you need to understand that it will not work to treat varicose veins with its help, as the use of underwear does not eliminate the causes of the disease. Compression stockings help to 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 varicose vein medications and use other methods to fight this disease.
To avoid damaging the product and getting the most out of it, you need to know how to wear compression stockings properly - this is indicated in the instructions.
Regardless of the price of such linen, it can maintain compression for about 5-7 months.
What you need to know when buying compression stockings?
Before buying such underwear, you need to know clearly how to choose the right compression stockings for varicose veins. Specific quality standards have been set for compression garments. The most important and strict of these is the European RAL-GZ-387.
Any manufacturer seeking to produce a knitwear that matches this must first go through a very rigorous certification in Switzerland or Germany. Therefore, if the elastic orthopedic socks for varicose veins have such a certificate, it indicates their high quality. Knitwear with such a certificate provides pressure that is distributed at the end (40-70-100%) and is therapeutic. The standard is evidenced by the packaging of the products, as well as by the presence of a special label.
To choose a good product, you need to focus not only on how much such socks up to the knee cost, but, first of all, on the manufacturer and the proven point of sale of the products. Indeed, in the domestic market it is very easy to make a mistake and buy fake medical socks or tights. In addition, in specialty stores, the buyer will certainly be asked how to determine the size, for both men and women. In reputable stores, you should buy compression stockings for pregnant women.
Since medical underwear is worn daily, it is very important to choose a hypoallergenic model. Therefore, you should not focus on user reviews, but, first of all, on personal feelings. The Oeko-Tex Standard 10 mark of the European standard of environmental friendliness must be present on the linen - this guarantees that the product is made of material without allergies.
How to wear compression stockings properly?
When buying medicated vests, you need to know how to wear and how to properly wear such underwear.
Most of the time, people who seek to prevent the development of varicose veins wear type 2 compression stockings. Moreover, both the effectiveness and the price of type 2 compression stockings are often the most acceptable for the patient. Nevertheless, it often happens that 2nd degree compression products are very uncomfortable for a person to wear. Moreover, more often than not, the 2nd compression category for men and women proves to be uncomfortable precisely because a person does not wear such a product properly. After all, it can not be worn as leggings for a child, tucked into an accordion and pulling the sock up to the thigh. Knee-high tights or socks should be worn slowly, gradually straightening them over the foot.
Such underwear will be difficult for obese people to wear. To facilitate this process, you can buy special tools in the store. How much such devices cost depends on the manufacturer. Compression knits should be worn with gloves so as not to damage the linen with the nails. In addition, if a person wears medical or other gloves, then linen slips better.
If second-class compression underwear is uncomfortable to wear, in some cases you may be limited to first-class underwear. In addition, the price of compression stockings for women and men is lower. However, the price of socks for varicose veins on the legs depends on other factors.
A person wearing a medical jersey should have smooth legs - without roughness, calluses. Cut your toenails close together and file to avoid spills on your clothes.
It is better to wear such underwear in the morning, in a relaxed and, consequently, not swollen extremities. In this case, both the feet and the shirts must 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 it, as during sleep the load on the limbs is minimal.
If the phlebologist prescribed the patient to wear category 3 products, it will be more difficult to wear them and, therefore, more time will have to be devoted to it. For this, it is better to use special devices.
If the size chart provided at a particular location seems vague, it is best to ask a specialist about how to choose the size of compression stockings for surgery or for everyday use. After all, if the size is chosen incorrectly, both wearing and wearing such underwear will be extremely inconvenient.
It is important to take good care of these items and to know how to wash and dry them.
Compression garment care
When buying orthopedic underwear for women and men, you should keep in mind that it is more convenient to have at least two pairs of such shirts. After all, you need to wash it daily to get rid of dust, debris and dead skin particles, which can very quickly damage the fibers of clothes.
Washing is done by hand only, using baby soap. Such linens can not be machine washed. Wash at a temperature not exceeding 40 ° C. Ironing and bleaching are prohibited. Also, do not use emollients and rinses. In addition, they also destroy the structure of the contractile tissue.
Dry the compression sock by spreading it on a horizontal surface. You can not twist and squeeze it, you can easily get wet with a towel. It is not allowed to dry the shirt in the sun, the battery in a vertical position.
You have to be very careful with the silicone strips, which are important for fastening the clothes. When washing, it is best not to wet them and wipe them with a disinfectant paper towel.
What to wear with such products depends on the taste of the woman. But, as a rule, knits from modern manufacturers are very beautiful and elegant.
Contraindications to the use of compression underwear
Before choosing a knee brace for varicose veins, you need to know clearly if the patient has any contraindications to their use. The medical jersey has several such contraindications.
There are categorical contraindications, as well as relevant ones, in which you are allowed to wear such a T-shirt after consulting doctors - cardiologist, dermatologist, endocrinologist.
The use of a medical jersey is absolutely contraindicated for such diseases:
- atherosclerosis;
- endoarthritis?
- orthoarthritis;
- obstructive thromboangiitis.
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, bed sores, eczema, thrombophlebitis, open wounds.
If varicose veins occur as a result of diabetes, such underwear should also not be used. The compression sock is not used in case of septic varicose veins, severe cardiopulmonary insufficiency, if circulatory problems occur at rest.
You can also find the view that the vest can cause atrophy of the muscular layer of the vein walls. When a person stops wearing medical underwear, the opposite effect is possible, causing the venous wall to stretch and the varicose veins to go even further.
Of course, there is no way to check the condition of any vein in a person wearing such underwear. However, most phlebologists consider this theory to be incorrect, citing the following evidence in favor of it:
- a person may not wear a medical gown around the clock.
- if the veins are compressed, then the blood flow in them is reduced, but it does not stop.
- Typically, muscle wall atrophy develops if a person has a genetic predisposition, as well as if a local specific inflammatory process develops with venous stasis and when you use knits, these effects are reduced.
- Sometimes, after stopping the use of white goods, initially a person feels a little worse, after a while the tone of the venous wall decreases, but we are not talking about atrophy.
Also, after the end of the period 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 stop wearing it.
Thus, compression garments, used for many decades, are a convenient and effective method for the prevention and treatment of varicose veins. However, before you start using it, you should consult a venologist. The doctor will determine the patient's condition and help select the most appropriate product.