The anti-varicose mesh is designed to normalize the work of the circulatory system in the lower limbs. Compression underwear exerts careful design pressure on certain areas of the veins which, due to their location away from the heart, are at risk of developing pathological venous disorders. Therefore, thanks to the use of medical underwear, the state of blood flow improves, painful sensations, swelling and heaviness in the legs are eliminated. Therefore, if you are at risk of developing varicose veins, have already encountered it or show signs of impaired venous circulation (due to static loads, pregnancy, a sedentary lifestyle), you should start using preventive compression underwear in the daily use.
Compression underwear for varicose veins
Previously, for this purpose, phlebologists prescribed elastic bandages. Now this tool is not popular, due to the presence of a number of significant disadvantages: the difficulty of the bandage, an uneven degree of compression, an unsightly appearance, a rapid loss of compressive properties and, as a result, slippage.
The difference between modern compression underwear is the exact opposite of the above drawbacks:
- ease of use (compared to the bandage) to put on, put on and take off the linen;
- 4 compression classes - allowing individual selection of linen with the required level of compression of dilated veins;
- made from high-tech materials: linen - from hypoallergenic natural cotton with a high degree of elasticity; socks made of synthetic fibers - nylon, lycra, elastodien, microfiber, which allows you to wear skirts and dresses;
- tight fit does not allow laundry to slip;
- long service life of linen, with proper care - from 5 to 12 months (with daily wear).
What is the use of compression underwear? The compression garment creates distributed pressure from the lower legs upwards. The graduated pressure of variable intensity varies from the ankle to the thigh, in percentage it is from 100% to 20% of the compression exerted by the underwear.
Expert opinion
A gradual decrease in the percentage of compression is physiologically justified: with upward blood flow, the load on the venous system decreases. Therefore, it is recommended to reduce the maximum pressure upwards. Thanks to this principle of action, wearing compression underwear stimulates and normalizes the outflow of blood and lymph to the heart, preventing venous congestion.
Types of compression underwear
How to choose compression underwear for varicose veins and what is this or that type of knitwear for?
The medical industry offers a fairly large assortment of compression underwear. There are compression stockings for women and underwear for the treatment of varicose veins in men. There is also a classification based on the therapeutic tasks assigned to the compression garment:
- preventive underwear - minimal compression of the lower limbs to eliminate hypertension in them;
- medical linen: medium and maximum compression for the treatment of varicose veins;
- postoperative underwear: used in hospitals, the selection of compression stockings is carried out by a doctor.
In direct dependence on the existing or probable localization of the venous disorders of the lower body, it is possible to choose a certain type of medical underwear: compression tights, knee-highs or stockings.
Compression stockings
Socks are mainly recommended for athletes with high running loads for preventive purposes. Wearing compression stockings will reduce the risk of venous disorders and help those who have experienced them. When wearing compression stockings, blood circulation in the foot improves and muscle tone increases due to targeted compression of the heel and foot area. This type of laundry can be used both during and after a prolonged effort.
Compression stockings
Socks are suitable for the prevention and treatment of varicose veins, provided that the varicose veins are located below the knee. The knee-highs cover the leg from the foot to the knee. Their elastic compression properties ensure a precise fit on the foot, maintain ankle tone and are effective in preventing foot heaviness.
How to choose men's compression socks? It seems that the most compression garments are aimed at women. It is an illusion. In terms of design, men's knee-highs practically do not differ from usual socks, so they should not cause constraints during the period of use.
The sizes of such compression garments, such as knee-highs, are chosen based on the anatomical profile of the lower limbs.
To do this, you need to make some measurements (in centimeters):
- tibia circumference above the ankle and below the knee;
- length from foot to knee.
Compression stockings
It is possible to achieve a therapeutic and prophylactic effect in the fight against pathologies of the venous system with the help of stockings. By necessity, elastic stockings from varicose veins with greater length are sometimes used: up to the groin area or with a closure at the waist.
There is a silicone rubber band inside the sock. Prevents this compression hosiery from slipping. Medical stockings with waist closure are fastened with an elastic belt with a contact tape. Such socks are divided into half a pair, there are left and right. There is the possibility of combining mono stockings in pantyhose.
This type of stockings, as a special compression underwear for legs with varicose veins, has the highest degree of effectiveness.
Finding the best compression socks for women and men is not as difficult as it may seem at first glance. The range of such underwear on the medical market is quite large. It takes into account financial possibilities and preferences for the appearance of linen. Therefore, you can buy compression stockings according to your own wishes, and not only be guided by the doctor's recommendations regarding the therapeutic and prophylactic properties of linen. When making a purchase, it is important to remember that an orthopedic salon or pharmacy that sells compression underwear protects you from buying a fake. Only there can you purchase a certified high quality compression product.
Compression tights for women
The most common type of medical and prophylactic underwear for women are compression tights, despite being quite difficult to put on.
Based on the effect that is important to achieve, the following types of compression tights are distinguished: preventive and therapeutic. Preventive elastic tights are selected independently based on parameters such as height and weight. You can buy these compression stockings at both drugstores and regular medical supply stores. In addition to improving the venous system, they have a corrective and slimming effect on the waist, buttocks and thighs.
Expert opinion
If you can choose preventive compression products yourself, medical compression stockings are selected exclusively by a doctor. Such tights, stockings and socks are subject to mandatory medical certification according to the RAL-GZ 387 standard and are available for sale only in medical equipment salons and pharmacies.
The range includes types of compression tights that differ in texture and color. They are both the most transparent and dense opaques, which allow you to mask the venous manifestations on the skin. When choosing a model, pay attention to the sock - there are products with open and closed toes.
It is recommended to combine medical compression stockings for varicose veins with the use of local venotonic agents for the legs. The foot cream with horse chestnut and ginkgo biloba extracts is suitable for daily care at home. Thanks to its natural composition, it relieves pain, tones, has an anti-inflammatory and cosmetic effect. The cream is applied on the skin of the legs from bottom to top with massaging movements until completely absorbed, 1-2 times a day in the morning before putting on the compression garment and in the evening after removing it. The cream has undergone clinical trials and has been highly appreciated by phlebologists as an effective adjuvant in the fight against varicose veins of the lower limbs. A foot tonic spray with butcher's and witch hazel extracts is very convenient for use outside the home. Thanks to its lightweight, non-marking formula and comfortable release shape, it can be applied over compression nylon tights. Spray it 1-2 times a day from a distance of 15 cm to lightly moisturize the skin. Both products were developed by specialists from a pharmaceutical company and have the necessary documents and quality certificates.
Elastic compression underwear - tights, stockings and knee-highs, require effort when wearing. It is important to observe the following rules:
- lie down, after waking up;
- do not stretch or twist the product excessively;
- gather the top of the tights and gradually straighten them towards the lower leg and above.
In order to facilitate the procedure of wearing compression stockings, special devices are produced for consumers of different categories: overweight, with reduced mobility, for travelers (folding design).
How to choose compression stockings?
When the question arises of how to choose compression stockings, given the size, it is necessary to read the information on the packaging.
Compression garments are produced in strict accordance with quality standards. The strictest is the European standard RAL-GZ 387. Its standards regulate:
- composition of compression underwear;
- safety of the materials used;
- compression properties, elasticity, resistance of packaged linen;
- requirements for labeling on packaging.
According to these standards, on the packaging of certified quality linen, the compression class and pressure should be indicated in millimeters of mercury, and not in cuts (as for normal socks).
If Oko-Tex® Standard 100 appears on the linen packaging, it means that this compression garment has been tested by independent institutes that are part of the international Oeko-Tex community. They check tissue samples for pH compliance, formaldehyde content, chlorine-containing substances and the presence of heavy metals. Based on the results of a successful check, a quality certificate is issued - Oko-Tex® Standard 100.
By purchasing underwear with the above markings, you can rest assured that it is:
- will allow you to achieve an appropriate therapeutic effect;
- ecological;
- will serve no less than the service life specified by the manufacturer.
Compression stockings: compression classes for all garments
According to the degree of pressure generated in elastic medical knitwear, 4 compression classes are distinguished, according to the RAL-GZ 387 standard.
- Compression class I: has a low (light) preventive pressure (18-21 mm Hg). The indications for wearing underwear with class I compression are: tendency to develop varicose veins, heaviness in the legs, edema, varicose veins, pregnancy.
- Compression class II: it has an average pressure (22-32 mm Hg). This is the most commonly used compression class for medical clothing. It is used for the prevention and treatment of deep vein thrombosis, in the treatment of varicose veins and acute thrombophlebitis (Thrombophlebitis).
- Compression class III: exerts strong pressure (33-46 mm Hg). This linen is used for severe lymphovenous insufficiency, trophic pathologies, deep vein thrombosis.
- Compression class IV: exerts the maximum possible pressure (over 59 mm Hg). Linen with this compression class is used for congenital anomalies of the veins and to eliminate lymphedema with associated edema.
Preventive underwear with the first compression class can be purchased independently. But how to choose compression medical underwear with already developed varicose veins can only be told by a doctor. It will explain why you need compression garments in your particular situation.
Compression stockings: how to choose the size
Varicose veins are an irreversible disease that requires treatment. And the compression stockings will serve for the veins as a supporting structure. Accurate leg measurements will help choose the right socks, namely:
- length from foot to knee;
- tibia circumference above the ankle and below the knee;
- circumference of the thigh at a distance of 25-30 cm from the knee;
- the length of the leg from the foot to the inguinal crease.
After the phlebologist has prescribed the underwear of the appropriate compression class and taking the measurements, it is important to determine the size of the socks. The range includes a large number of sizes from XS to XLX. The size grid may vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. Therefore, the choice of compression garments should be made according to the size chart of a particular manufacturer.
Properly selected socks fit your leg perfectly. Perhaps at first there will be a feeling of discomfort in wearing medical underwear, but over time it will pass.
How to choose compression tights?
To choose the tights, in addition to the above measurements, it is necessary to measure the volume of the hips and the circumference of the waist.
Compression garments are produced by many manufacturers. And with varicose veins, I want to understand which one is better than the others, so as not to waste precious time and money. Unfortunately, the best compression hosiery for varicose veins can only be chosen based on your own feelings from the direct use of such underwear.
The peculiarity of the tights is that they are strictly selected according to the size, because the area on which they will produce the pressure is maximum.
In most cases, the package contains information on how to wear compression tights. Do not neglect these tips - they will extend the life of the linen:
- Wear pantyhose after waking up or after taking a shower. Important: the skin must dry completely.
- It is necessary to monitor the condition of the skin: it must be moisturized and smooth so as not to damage the fibers of the compression underwear.
- Compression tights should not be stretched or twisted.
- When wearing, gather the top of the accordion tights and gradually distribute along the length of the leg, straightening the emerging folds.
Compression tights should be worn all day and removed just before going to bed. The duration of the use of linen is determined only by the doctor.
Compression stockings after surgery
The hospital shirt is irreplaceable after surgery. Good compression underwear in the postoperative period of varicose vein treatment can alleviate a number of possible complications. Wearing hospital gowns reduces the risk of congestion and deep vein thrombosis.
The optimal compression pressure for this type of underwear is 15-18 mm Hg.
The compression of the recovery underwear is calculated taking into account that the patient will be in a horizontal position. Therefore, this type of underwear is not suitable as everyday compression stockings.
The postoperative compression garment can be combined with any part of the body. The following types of laundry can be distinguished:
- knee-highs, tights;
- spine corsets;
- bandages.
A distinctive feature of post-operative compression garments is that they must be worn (not removed) for the first few days. Therefore, hospital underwear should be highly elastic, seamless, hypoallergenic and provide an antimicrobial effect.
Compression underwear for women
Basically, under the women's compression hospital underwear, it is customary to mean cosmetological stockings. It is used after plastic surgery, greatly facilitating and shortening the rehabilitation period. The most common type of such underwear is a compression bodice after mammoplasty (Mammoplasty). During the rehabilitation period after surgery to correct the shape of the breast, it is important to wear fixed compression underwear, which:
- prevents scarring;
- help relieve postoperative swelling;
- reduce pain;
- relieve the feeling of heaviness in the operated area.
The required compression class of the bodice is regulated by the fasteners. Sometimes, along with a compression bodice, an additional compression belt is used to create maximum compression with postoperative underwear on the necessary areas of the body.
How to choose and how to wear compression clothing for women for a long time is determined by the doctor. Incorrectly selected underwear can harm your body.
Compression underwear for pregnant women
During pregnancy, due to the increased load on the body, the manifestation of symptoms of various diseases is possible. Even varicose veins. To protect themselves from such manifestations, many pregnant women are advised to wear preventive and therapeutic compression underwear.
In the first trimester, prophylactic compression stockings are used, mainly knee-highs or stockings, which will also protect a woman from the syndrome of heaviness in the legs and swelling.
During pregnancy, wearing a brace reduces the stress on the spine.
From the second trimester, if indicated, medical linen is prescribed: bandages, tights, stockings. After giving birth, this type of medical underwear will help you recover faster. Often the function of the bandage is entrusted to a high elastic insert on the front of the compression tights. It takes into account the anatomical features of a pregnant woman. Such underwear supports the stomach well and does not crush it. However, there may be contraindications to wearing such a shirt, so it is advisable to consult your doctor before buying medicated underwear.
For pregnant women with varicose veins, a phlebologist recommends the use of compression stockings during childbirth and for a short time after them.