Compression stockings are widely used today in the complex treatment and prevention of varicose veins to maintain physiologically correct pressure in the lower extremities.
In the medical literature, such special underwear is also called medical socks, anti-varicose, compression underwear or medical compression knitwear.
These are socks recommended by phlebologists as a treatment and prevention of various vascular problems of the legs. Compression underwear is mainly used for varicose veins, thrombosis, epithelial trophic ulcers, thrombophlebitis, lymphedema.
- The therapeutic effect of compression underwear is due to the effect of supporting and compressing the dilated vein, which helps to redistribute blood flow from the altered, dilated vessels to healthy ones.
- It improves tissue nutrition and increases blood circulation
- The most important thing is that such knitwear reduces the risk of blood clots when used correctly and in the right size.
- It is also important that there are no side effects in the absence of contraindications to the use of compression underwear, it is a safe and simple way to prevent varicose veins, to keep the veins in a natural, physiological state.
Therapeutic effect of compression stockings for varicose veins?
Previously, before the large-scale production of high-quality medical linens, elastic bandages were widely used, which had a number of disadvantages:
- First, they must be applied very correctly each time, it does not always give results and takes a lot of time
- second, the appearance of the bandages does not allow them to be worn, for example, to work
- third, the low price for them is deceptive, because the bandages deteriorate very quickly, which also negates all the savings.
What are the effects of using medical jerseys? When squeezing dilated veins, compression garments for varicose veins accelerate blood flow from the deep veins, thereby eliminating venous congestion. In addition, high-quality modern compression knitwear provides a gradual reduction of pressure from the lower leg to the thigh or hand to the shoulder.
For example, the pressure created by compression stockings or tights on the lower leg is a maximum of 100%, and on the upper thigh is 40%. This is the most expedient and physiologically determined change in blood pressure that has a therapeutic effect. This mode of vascular pressure distribution stimulates and normalizes upper blood flow according to:
- improvement and normalization of the valve apparatus
- reduction of the enlarged lumen of the saphenous vessels of the peripheral, especially the thigh and lower leg
- increase the effect of muscle pump - when the muscles contract from physical force, the blood pushes upwards.
However, it should be remembered that treatment with varicose veins with compression stockings does not eliminate the underlying causes of venous insufficiency and is used before radical, surgical treatment. This form mimics the situation - the dilated veins are sealed or removed.
In addition, non-surgical conservative treatment of leg diseases should be comprehensive. The maximum effect can be achieved if you use the creams and ointments recommended by your doctor, lead a healthy lifestyle, wear compression stockings or tights every day, as well as use folk remedies to treat varicose veins.
Contraindications to the use of compression stockings
As with any treatment, each remedy or medication has a number of contraindications and medical form is not an exception. Some people do not necessarily use compression garments, while others should use them with caution after a thorough diagnosis and consultation with a physician. If there are relative contraindications, you should consult a dermatologist, cardiologist, endocrinologist.
- Such underwear is completely contraindicated for atherosclerosis, obliterative thromboangiitis, endoarteritis, orthoarteritis. With such chronic diseases of the arteries of the legs, it causes a decrease in the lumen of the arteries and a systolic blood pressure of less than 80 mm. rt. Art. It is definitely not possible to reduce the pressure in the lower extremities with the help of medical knitwear.
- Medical knitwear should be used with caution by people with extremely sensitive skin.
- It is not advisable to use compression underwear for inflammatory skin diseases, allergic skin reactions, various dermatitis, bed sores, open wounds, acute thrombophlebitis and eczema.
- Diabetes mellitus is a relative contraindication, because even underwear should not be used if the arteries of the legs are damaged due to diabetes.
- With septic phlebitis and severe heart and lung failure, compression stockings should also not be used when circulatory disorders occur at rest.
Many people are afraid to start wearing compression underwear because of the idea that knitwear causes atrophy of the muscular layer of the vascular walls and can have the opposite negative effect when they are stopped. the venous wall cannot resist the blood pressure in the lumen of the vessel. Therefore, due to atrophy of the vessel walls, the existing varicose veins will progress further.
Unfortunately, it is not possible to conduct clinical studies on every vein that is subject to compression, but phlebologists believe that this idea is wrong because:
- The patient can not wear compression garments day and night
- Blood flow in the constricted arteries is reduced instead of completely stopped.
- Atrophy of the muscle wall is most often caused by a genetic predisposition and a local specific inflammatory process with venous stasis and filling of blood vessels. And all this is reduced when using knitwear.
- This can only happen according to the initial feelings of the patients when the use of linen is stopped. In this case, a temporary deterioration of the condition and well-being occurs for some time, which is explained not by atrophy and progression of varicose veins, but by a temporary decrease in the tone of the venous wall.
- Feedback and feelings of patients at the end of the use of compression underwear with varicose veins - for many it is difficult to get used to walking after using compression stockings. Many claim that when using a medical product, the legs seem to be relieved, and many no longer want to give up use.
How to choose compression garments
Medical compression underwear, knitwear are divided into: hospital, prophylactic and therapeutic, used only in hospitals. We will take a closer look at the compression classes of medical anti-varicose compression stockings, how to choose compression underwear, how to wear it and how to care for it.
The most important thing is to buy compression stockings, tights, knee-highs only in specialized, orthopedic salons or dealers of famous brands. Their trained staff knows how to choose the right size of canvas, because the wrong size can make the treatment completely ineffective. In a specialty store, the seller will measure the foot in 4 places and choose the size of tights or socks according to a specific table.
There are 4 degrees of compression:
- 18-21 mm. rt. Art. Compression class 1 is a prophylactic compression, can be worn constantly by people and even should be worn: pregnant women prone to varicose veins, people with early signs of varicose veins, when the veins under the skin are strongly visible, when there is pain in the legs. after prolonged sitting or standing, if spider veins are pronounced and edema appears in the legs and ankles at the end of the day, the lifestyle and work force healthy people - office workers, drivers, hairdressers, salesmen - who force them to sit or stand for long periods of time.
- 23 - 32 mm. rt. Art. Compression class 2 is the best, most popular class used in the treatment of thrombophlebitis and varicose veins.
- 34 - 46 mm. rt. Art. Compression class 3 - used for trophic disorders and severe venous insufficiency.
- Class 49 and more 4 compression - very rarely used with lymphatic edema.
Those who choose anti-varicose knitwear for the first time should not immediately buy expensive second-rate compression underwear, which may not be able to withstand your vascular system. Get used to it when you walk around with cheap underwear for a while, if you feel comfortable in it, then you can buy better and more expensive compression underwear.
For prevention, of course, it is worth using only underwear of 1st compression class, and with the development of excess varicose veins, the compression class is determined by a phlebologist. Compression underwear cannot cure varicose veins because the reasons for its appearance are so deep and external influences can only be stopped, it is not allowed to develop further, i. e. compression tights 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 hot season you should take oral medication or use other treatments.
You should also know that any compression underwear does not keep the compression for more than 5-7 months.
Opinions of some women about the quality of compensatory underwear from different manufacturers show that expensive models are not always better than budget. The sheets made in Germany are of high quality and the prices are very reasonable.
What to look for when buying and how to prevent fraud?
There are quality standards for medical compression underwear for varicose veins, one of the most important and strict 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 40-70-100% distributed pressure and is therapeutic, you can learn about this standard from the packaging and label of the product.
It is worth choosing the manufacturer very carefully, because there are a lot of fakes in our market, so it is better to buy compression stockings or compression stockings either in dealer stores or in specialized stores where professionals will choose the right model exactly. your measurements.
Such knitted garments must be hypoallergenic, as they must be worn every day, and to determine this, the product must bear the European environmental safety standard Oeko-Tex Standard 10.
Are there any features when wearing compression stockings, tights, golf?
You should know that even the second class of the most common compression stockings is sometimes "out of power" for the patient:
- This is often due to the discomfort and difficulty of wearing underwear on your feet. The peculiarity of such knitwear is that it is impossible to wear it as children's tights, fold it into an accordion and then pull it up. Both socks and tights should be worn slowly, spread over the foot. If a person has a big belly and it is already a problem to tie lace in boots, it will be difficult to wear underwear.
- Many use special devices offered in the same salons for easy wearing. Gloves that need to be worn can be both household and medical, as expensive underwear can be damaged by a manicure, and if your hands are in gloves, the underwear will slip better.
- Of course, the toenails should not be cut, bent, corns, rough, otherwise the canvas will explode quickly or there will be a lot of swelling.
- It is also important to keep your feet and underwear dry in order to wear compression stockings in the morning when your feet are not swollen and rested.
- It is especially difficult to wear 3 products of compression class - this is a lot of work, and if the patient trusts his phlebologist and is convinced that he needs such treatment, you must be patient, otherwise you should not start treatment from this class. It is usually recommended to wear 3rd and 4th class compression using a special device.
How to care for compression garments?
- It is best to have 2 pairs of compression stockings, as they need to be washed every day - this is necessary to get rid of the smallest stains, dust, skin particles, as they can damage the fibers of the laundry more quickly than detergents.
- As it cannot be washed in the washing machine, it should only be washed by hand with baby soap. The water temperature during washing should not exceed 40 C, and it is not possible to iron or bleach clothes.
- Any rinse aid and conditioner has a destructive effect on the structure, so it should not be used for washing.
- Dry the laundry on a flat horizontal surface, do not squeeze it under any circumstances, but press gently on a towel. Do not dry knitted clothes in the battery, in an ordinary dryer in an upright position, in the open sun or with a hair dryer.
- You should also pay attention to the silicone strips on the socks, they quickly lose their hardening properties after contact with water, try not to wet them when washing, but wipe with an alcohol wipe.