Compression stockings are widely used today to maintain physiologically correct pressure in the lower extremities, in complex therapy and prevention of varicose veins.
In the medical literature, such special underwear is also called medical socks, anti-varicose, compression underwear or medical compression socks.
These are socks that phlebologists recommend as a treatment and prevention of various problems of the blood vessels of the legs. Compression underwear is mainly used for varicose veins, thrombosis, epithelializing trophic ulcers, thrombophlebitis, lymphedema.
- The therapeutic effect of compression underwear is due to the action of props, compression of the varicose vein, which contributes to the redistribution of blood flow from altered, varicose veins to healthy ones.
- Improves tissue nutrition, increases blood circulation
- The most important thing is that such a jersey, when used correctly and with the appropriate size, reduces the risk of blood clots.
- And what is also important, in the absence of contraindications to compression underwear to its use, there are no side effects, this is a safe and simple method of preventing varicose veins, maintaining the veins in a natural, physiological state.
The therapeutic effect of compression leggings for varicose veins?
Earlier, before the large-scale production of high-quality medical cloth, elastic bandages were widely used, the use of which has a number of disadvantages:
- first, they need to be applied very correctly each time, which does not always work and takes a lot of time
- second, the appearance of the bandage does not allow it to be worn, for example, to work
- third, the low price for them proves deceptive, because the bandages break down very quickly, which negates all the savings.
What is the effect of using a medical medical jersey? When squeezing varicose veins, compression garments for varicose veins accelerate blood flow through the deep veins, thus eliminating venous congestion. Moreover, modern high-quality compression stockings allow a gradual or gradual reduction of pressure from the lower leg to the thigh, or from the fist to the shoulder.
For example, in the lower part of the leg, the pressure created by compression stockings or tights is a maximum of 100%, and in the upper part of the thigh 40%. This is the most expedient and physiologically determined change in pressure, which has a therapeutic effect. This way of distributing the pressure on the veins stimulates and normalizes the ascending blood flow due to:
- improvement and normalization of the valve apparatus
- reduction of the dilated lumen of the peripheral, especially saphenous veins of the thighs and lower legs
- increase the effect of the muscle pump - when the muscles contract from physical exertion, the blood is pushed upwards.
However, it should be borne in mind that compression cloth treatment for varicose veins does not eliminate the deep causes of venous insufficiency, and is used before radical, surgical treatment. This jersey mimics the situation - that varicose veins are sealed or removed.
In addition, non-surgical conservative treatment of foot disease should be comprehensive. You can achieve the maximum effect if you use creams, ointments recommended by your doctor, lead a healthy lifestyle, wear compression stockings or tights every day, and use folk remedies to treat varicose veins.
Contraindications to the use of compression stockings
As with any treatment, every drug or medication has a number of contraindications, and the medical medical jersey is no exception. Some people should absolutely not use a compression garment, others should use it with caution after a detailed diagnosis and consultation with a doctor. If there are relative contraindications, you should consult a dermatologist, cardiologist, endocrinologist.
- Such underwear is absolutely contraindicated for atherosclerosis, thromboangiitis obliterans, endoarteritis, orthoarteritis. With such chronic diseases of the arteries of the legs, which leads to a decrease in the lumen of blood vessels and systolic blood pressure less than 80 mm. rt. Art. it is categorically impossible to reduce the pressure in the lower extremities with the help of a medical jersey.
- People with hypersensitive skin should use medical jerseys with caution.
- Compression underwear is not recommended for inflammatory skin diseases, allergic skin reactions, various dermatitis, pressure ulcers, open wounds, acute thrombophlebitis and eczema.
- Diabetes mellitus is a relative contraindication, because in case of damage to the blood vessels of the legs due to diabetes, such underwear should also not be used.
- In septic phlebitis and severe cardiopulmonary failure, when circulatory disorders occur at rest, compression stockings should also not be used.
Many people are afraid to start wearing compression underwear due to the fact that there is an opinion that the jersey causes the development of atrophy of the muscular layer of the vein walls, and when their use is stopped, the opposite negative effect can occur - when the venous wall cannot resist blood pressure in the blood vessel lumen. . Therefore, due to the atrophy of the vein walls, the existing varicose veins will progress even more.
Unfortunately, it is impossible to conduct clinical studies on every vein that is subject to compression, but phlebologists believe that this opinion is wrong, because:
- The patient cannot wear a compression suit 24 hours a day
- In veins that are subject to compression, blood flow is reduced, not stopped completely.
- Muscle wall atrophy most often occurs with a genetic disposition and a local specific inflammatory process with venous congestion and venous filling. And all that decreases when the jersey is used.
- This can only happen according to the initial feelings of the patients when the use of bedding is stopped. In this case, there is a temporary deterioration of the condition and well-being for a while, which is explained not by atrophy and progression of varicose veins, but by a temporary decrease in the tone of the venous wall.
- Patient reviews and feelings at the end of using compression underwear with varicose veins - most find it difficult to get used to starting to walk after using compression stockings. Many claim that when they use a medical product, the legs become almost light and many no longer want to give up their use.
How to choose a compression garment
Medical compression underwear, jersey are divided into: hospital, which is used only in hospitals, prophylactic and therapeutic. We will discuss in detail the compression classes of medical anti-varicose compression stockings, how to choose compression underwear, how to wear it and how to take care of it.
The most important thing is to buy compression stockings, tights, knee socks exclusively in specialized, orthopedic salons or dealers of well-known brands. The staff trained in them knows how to choose the size of the bedding precisely, because the wrong size can make the treatment absolutely ineffective. In a special store, the seller will measure the leg in 4 places and choose the size of tights or socks according to a special table.
There are 4 degrees of compression:
- 18-21 mm. rt. Art. Class 1 compression is a prophylactic compression that can and should be worn constantly by people: prone to varicose veins, pregnant women, people with initial signs of varicose veins, when the subcutaneous veins are very prominent, if there is pain in the legs after prolonged sitting or standing, if the veinscobwebs are pronounced and at the end of the day edema appears in the area of the feet and ankles, healthy people whose way of life and work force them to sit or stand for a long time - to office workers, drivers, hairdressers, salesmen.
- 23 - 32 mm. rt. Art. Compression class 2 is the best, popular class used to treat thrombophlebitis and varicose veins.
- 34 - 46 mm. rt. Art. Compression class 3 - used for trophic disorders and severe venous insufficiency.
- 49 and more 4 classes of compression - used extremely rarely, with lymphedema.
Those who choose anti-varicose knitwear for the first time should not immediately buy expensive underwear of the 2nd degree of compression, it is possible that your circulatory system will not be able to withstand it. When you walk in cheap underwear for a while, you get used to it, if you are comfortable in it, then you can pick up better and more expensive compression underwear.
For prevention, of course, it is worth using only underwear of the 1st compression class, and already with the development of varicose veins, the compression class is determined by a phlebologist. Compression underwear cannot cure varicose veins, because the reasons for its occurrence are very deep and the external influence can only be suspended, not allowing further development, ie compression stockings for varicose veins are designed to prevent the appearance of new varicose veins. In summer, of course, it is impossible to wear knitwear, so in the warm season you should take oral medications or use other methods of treatment.
You should also know that every compression underwear keeps compression for no longer than 5-7 months.
Opinions of some women about the quality of compensating underwear from various manufacturers show that expensive models are not always of better quality than cheap ones. Bedding made in Germany is of good quality and the prices are quite reasonable.
What should you pay attention to when buying and how to avoid counterfeiting?
There are quality standards for medical compression underwear for varicose veins, and one of the most important and strictest is the European standard RAL-GZ-387. In order for a manufacturer to use the logo of this standard, it must pass strict certification in Germany or Switzerland. If the underwear has such a certificate, it means that it is really high quality, creates a distributed pressure of 40-70-100% and that it is therapeutic, you can learn about this standard from the packaging and label on the product.
It is worth choosing the manufacturer very carefully, because there are a lot of counterfeits in our market, so it is better to buy compression socks or compression socks either in stores or in specialized stores, where experts will precisely choose the right model according to your measurements.
Since such knitwear should be worn every day, it must be hypoallergenic, and in order to determine this, the purchased product must bear the label of the European environmental safety standard Oeko-Tex Standard 10.
Are there any special features when wearing compression stockings, tights, golf?
You need to be aware that even the second class of compression stockings, which is considered the most common, is sometimes "out of power" for the patient:
- This often happens due to the discomfort and difficulty of putting underwear on the feet. The peculiarity of such knitwear is that it cannot be worn as children's tights, gathered into an accordion, and then pulled upwards. Both socks and tights should be put on gradually, spreading on the leg. If a person has a big belly, and tying lace on a boot is already a problem, then it will be difficult to wear underwear.
- For easier dressing, many use special devices that are offered in the same salons. And gloves, which must be worn, can be both home and medical, because expensive underwear can ruin a manicure and underwear will slip better if your hands are in gloves.
- Of course, the toenails should be trimmed, sanded, there should be no corns, roughness, otherwise the bedding will crack quickly or there will be a lot of swelling.
- It is also important that the feet are dry, as well as underwear, that compression stockings are worn in the morning, when the feet are not swollen and rested.
- It is especially difficult to wear compression class 3 products - this is a lot of work, and if the patient trusts his phlebologist and is sure that he needs such treatment, then you need to be patient, otherwise you should not start treatment from this class. It is usually recommended to wear class 3 and 4 compression using a special device.
How to take care of a compression garment?
- It is best to have 2 pairs of compression tights, because they need to be washed every day - it is necessary to get rid of the smallest stains, dust, skin particles, because they can damage the fibers of the laundry faster than detergents.
- It should be washed exclusively by hand with baby soap, because it cannot be washed in washing machines. The temperature of the water during washing should not be higher than 40 C, and it is also impossible to iron and bleach the laundry.
- Any rinse aid and conditioner have a destructive effect on the structure, so they should also not be used for washing.
- Dry the laundry in a flattened form on a horizontal surface, in any case do not drain it, but just lightly press it into the towel. Do not dry the knitwear on batteries, in a classic dryer in an upright position, in the open sun or with a hair dryer.
- You should also take care of the silicone strips on the socks, they quickly lose their fastening properties after contact with water, try not to wet them when washing, but wipe them with an alcohol wipe.