Compression stockings are widely used to maintain the correctness in terms of physiology, pressure in the lower extremities 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 medical jersey. It is also called compression or anti-varicose underwear, medical jersey.
Tights, socks and compression knee-high trousers 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 in the extremities.
What kind of compression underwear is, which is better - compression tights or stockings, the doctor will tell and recommend during the appointment.
The therapeutic effect of using such underwear is manifested due to the fact that stockings, leggings or tights support the vessels, squeezing the dilated vein. This in turn evenly distributes the blood flow from dilated vessels to 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 for using such underwear is that there are almost no contraindications to the use of medical knitwear. It does not cause side effects, but it is also a good method to prevent the growth of varicose veins and helps to keep the veins in a physiological state.
How does compression clothing work on varicose veins?
In the past, where no medical knitwear was produced, elastic bandages were used for varicose veins. However, their use has several significant disadvantages.
- First of all, elastic bandages must be applied for a long time, and to get the desired effect, this must be done correctly.
- A major drawback is the inability to wear an elastic bandage at all times. The non-aesthetic look does not allow to wear it every day, while for example, compression underwear and knitwear from other modern manufacturers look very beautiful and aesthetic.
- Despite the fact that the bandages have a low price, it will not be possible to save money when you wear them. Such a bandage becomes useless very quickly. Therefore, it is better to learn to choose high quality knitwear and buy compression underwear for varicose veins.
What are compression underwear for and what is its effect? This knitted fabric compresses the dilated veins and accelerates the blood flow through the deep veins. As a result, venous stasis is eliminated, which is a prerequisite for the development of varicose veins. Those who are interested in which compression underwear is better for varicose veins should take into account that it is worth buying high quality products. After all, high-quality branded knitwear provides a graduated, that is, a gradual decrease in pressure from the wrist to the shoulder or from the lower leg to the thigh.
For example, a good online store with compression underwear for varicose veins offers socks that provide maximum (100%) pressure in the lower leg and partial (40%) in the thigh area. It is this distribution that is the most correct from a physiological point of view, and therefore provides the greatest therapeutic effect. With this pressure distribution condition, the blood flow is normalized due to the following effect:
- The work of the valve device improves and returns to normal.
- The dilated lumen of the peripheral veins of the thighs and lower legs, especially the subcutaneous ones, decreases.
- The muscle pump effect is increased. When the muscles contract during exercise, the blood is pushed upwards.
Effective compression underwear for pregnant women. However, during pregnancy, choose such a sweater, guided by the individual recommendations of a doctor.
How to choose compression stockings?
Before choosing compression stockings for varicose veins, clearly understand that such underwear can not eliminate serious causes of venous insufficiency. Therefore, it is used before radical treatment. Medical sweater simulates the situation as if the veins are enlarged, removed or sealed.
In addition, it is important to understand that non-surgical treatment of bone diseases should always be comprehensive. Only in this case the effect 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 practice folk medicine for the prevention and treatment of varicose veins and also to lead a healthy lifestyle.
For the effect to be most noticeable, it is important to choose the right medical underwear. In this case, one must take into account not only the reviews that can be read on the network, and the prices of linen, but also its quality, compression classes.
Compression stockings are usually divided into three types:
- hospital - that is, one used exclusively in a hospital;
- medical;
- prophylactic.
However, whether the jersey is necessary for treatment or prevention, it should be purchased only in specialty stores or in stores that are official retailers of manufacturers of such underwear that are recognized by doctors. It is important that consumers in such stores should be helped to choose the right size for the shirt as the effectiveness of the treatment depends on this. To find the perfect underwear, the seller first measures the leg in four places. Next, a special size chart is used, after which socks or tights are selected.
You can buy underwear in four degrees of compression:
- First-class compression(18-21 mm Hg) - preventive shirt, the use of which is indicated in the following cases:
- during pregnancy;
- with a tendency to varicose veins;
- in the presence of the first symptoms of varicose veins: if the veins are noticeable under the skin, after prolonged standing or sitting, the legs hurt, you can distinguish pronounced spiders on the legs, and edema appears in the evening;
- if a person leads a lifestyle where he is forced to sit or stand a lot - in the office, driving a car, behind a counter, etc.
- Second class of compression(23-32 mm Hg) - the most popular underwear. Compression stockings of 2nd class of compression are used to treat varicose veins, thrombophlebitis. The hospital also uses compression class 2 hospital knitwear.
- Third class of compression(34-46 mm Hg) - compression tights of this class are used for patients with trophic disorders and severe venous insufficiency.
- Fourth class of compression(from 49 mm Hg) - this class is used very rarely - for men and women with lymphatic edema.
Before buying socks or tights for varicose veins, you should decide exactly what kind of underwear is better to buy. Those buying anti-varicose tights for the first time should not immediately opt for 2nd grade compression. It may well be that this becomes too 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. After using it and gradually getting used to such underwear, you can later buy more expensive orthopedic tights for varicose veins.
Only class 1 underwear is used for prevention purposes. If a person is already developing varicose veins, 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 she wears such underwear. In this case, it is important to choose the size of anti-varicose tights or stockings so that they do not 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 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, therefore during the summer you should use medication for varicose veins and use other methods to combat this disease.
In order not to damage the product and get the greatest effect, you need to know how to put on compression tights correctly - this is stated in the instructions.
Whatever the price of such 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 need to clearly know how to choose the right compression stockings for varicose veins. Specific quality standards for compression garments have been defined. The most important and strictest among them is the European RAL-GZ-387.
Any manufacturer looking to produce knitwear that matches it must first undergo a very strict certification in Switzerland or Germany. Therefore, if elastic orthopedic stockings for varicose veins have such a certificate, this indicates its high quality. Knit with such a certificate provides pressure that is distributed over the limb (40-70-100%) and is healing. The standard is documented by the packaging of products as well as the presence of a special label.
To choose a good product, you need to focus not only on how much such knee heights or socks cost, but first and foremost on the manufacturer and the documented point of sale for the goods. In the domestic market, it is actually very easy to make a mistake and buy fake medical socks or tights. In addition, the buyer in specialty stores will definitely be asked how to determine the size, both for men and women. In trusted stores, buy compression stockings for pregnant women.
Since medical underwear is worn daily, it is very important to choose a hypoallergenic model. Therefore, do not focus on user reviews, but first and foremost on personal feelings. The Oeko-Tex Standard 10 sign for the European environmental friendliness standard must be present on the linen - this guarantees that the product is made of an allergy-free material.
How to wear compression stockings correctly?
When buying medical jerseys, you need to know how to put on and how to wear such underwear properly.
Most often, individuals seeking to prevent the development of varicose veins wear class 2 compression stockings. Both the efficiency and the price of compression class 2 compression stockings are often the most acceptable for the patient. Nevertheless, it often happens that products of 2nd degree of compression are very uncomfortable for a person to wear. Moreover, 2nd class compression for men and women most often proves to be inconvenient, precisely because a person does not wear such a product properly. It can not be worn as tights for a child, gathered in an accordion and pull the sock up to the thigh. Both tights and knees or socks should be put on slowly and gradually straighten over the leg.
Such underwear will be difficult for overweight 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 linen with nails. In addition, if a person wears medical or other gloves, then the linen slides better.
If the underwear in the second compression class is uncomfortable to wear, in some cases you can limit yourself to the first class. In addition, the price of compression class 1 compression stockings for women and men is lower. However, the price of varicose veins on the legs depends on other factors.
A person wearing a medical shirt must have smooth feet - without roughness, hard skin. Cut your toenails short and file them to avoid puffing on your laundry.
It is better to wear such underwear in the morning, on rested and consequently not swollen limbs. In this case, both legs and sweaters must be completely dry.
For those who are interested in whether it is possible to sleep in such socks, understand that there is no need for this as the load on the limbs is minimal during sleep.
If the phlebologist prescribed the patient to wear class 3 products, it will be more difficult to put them on and therefore more time should be spent on this. For this it is better to use special devices.
If the size chart in a particular place seems unclear, it is better to ask a specialist how to choose the size of compression stockings for surgery or for everyday use. After all, if the size is chosen incorrectly, both putting on and wearing such underwear will be extremely inconvenient.
It is important to take proper care of these items and know how to wash and dry them.
Care of compression garments
When buying orthopedic underwear for women and men, consider that it is most convenient to have at least two pairs of such jersey. You have to wash it daily to get rid of dust, dirt and dead skin particles, which can very quickly damage the laundry fibers.
Washing is only done by hand with baby soap. Such linen cannot be washed in a typewriter. You must wash at a temperature not exceeding 40 ° C. It is forbidden to iron and bleach it. Also do not use conditioner and fabric softener. After all, they also destroy the structure of the constricting tissue.
Dry the compression stocking by spreading it out on a horizontal surface. You can not twist and wring it out, you can easily get wet with a towel. Drying of jersey in the sun, battery in vertical position is not allowed.
You need to be very careful with the silicone strips, which are important for fixing the laundry. During washing, it is better not to wet them and wipe them with a disinfectant wipe.
What to wear with such products depends on the taste of the woman. But as a rule, knitwear from modern manufacturers is very beautiful and elegant.
Contraindications to wearing compression underwear
Before choosing compression knee-high pants for varicose veins, you must clearly know if the patient has contraindications to wearing them. Medical jersey has several such contraindications.
There are categorical contraindications as well as relative, where it is allowed to wear such a shirt after consultation with doctors - a cardiologist, dermatologist, endocrinologist.
Wearing a medical shirt is absolutely contraindicated for such diseases:
- atherosclerosis;
- endoarteritis;
- orthoarteritis;
- thromboangiitis obliterans.
Under such conditions, the lumen of the vessels decreases and the systolic blood pressure drops to 80 mm. rt. Nature. , therefore, it is strictly forbidden to reduce the pressure in the lower extremities.
Compression clothing should be worn very gently for those who have skin problems and high skin sensitivity.
You should not wear socks or tights for allergic manifestations and inflammatory processes on the skin as well as for dermatitis, bedsores, eczema, thrombophlebitis, open sores.
If varicose veins manifest as a result of diabetes, such underwear should not be worn either. Compression stockings are not used in cases of septic phlebitis, severe cardiopulmonary insufficiency, if circulatory problems are manifested at rest.
You may also find the view that jersey can induce atrophy of the muscle layer in the walls of veins. When a person stops wearing medical underwear, the opposite effect is likely due to which the vein wall will stretch and varicose veins will develop even more.
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 erroneous, citing the following evidence in favor of it:
- a person can not wear medical jersey around the clock;
- if the veins are compressed, then the blood flow in them decreases, but it does not stop;
- usually atrophy of the muscle wall 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 elastic, these phenomena decrease;
- sometimes, after stopping the use of linen, a person initially feels a little worse as the tone of the vein wall drops for a while, but we are not talking about atrophy.
Even 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 garments, which have been used for many decades, are a convenient and effective method of preventing and treating varicose veins. But before you start using it, consult a phlebologist. The doctor will determine what the patient's condition is and will help choose the most suitable product.