To maintain physiologically accurate pressure in the lower extremities, in complex therapy and prevention of varicose veins, compression stockings are widely used today.
In the medical literature, such special underwear is also called medical socks, anti-varicose, compression underwear or compression medical socks.
These are socks, which are recommended by phlebologists as a treatment and prevention of various vascular problems of the feet. Compression underwear is mainly used for varicose veins, thrombosis, trophic epithelializing ulcers, thrombophlebitis, lymphedema.
- The therapeutic effect of compression underwear is due to the effect of support, squeezing the varicose vein, which contributes to the redistribution of blood flow from the altered and dilated veins to the healthy ones.
- Improves tissue nutrition, increases blood circulation
- The most important thing is that such a T-shirt, when used correctly and with the right dimensions, reduces the risk of blood clots.
- And what is also important, in the absence of contraindications to compression stockings for its use, there are no side effects, this is a safe and simple method of preventing varicose veins, keeping the veins in a natural state, physiological.
The therapeutic effect of compression stockings for varicose veins?
Previously, before the large-scale production of high quality medical liberties, elastic bandages were widely used, the use of which has a number of disadvantages:
- first, they have to be applied very accurately every time, which does not always work and takes a lot of time
- second, the appearance of the bandages does not allow them to be worn, for example, to function
- third, the low price for them turns out to be deceptive, as the bandages deteriorate very quickly, which negates all the savings.
What is the effect of using medical jerseys? When squeezing varicose veins, varicose vein compression garments accelerate blood flow through the deep veins, thus eliminating venous blockage. Moreover, modern high-quality compression socks provide a gradual reduction, i. e. a gradual reduction of pressure from the lower leg to the thigh, or from the hand to the shoulder.
For example, on the lower leg, the pressure created by compression stockings or tights is a maximum of 100%, and on the upper thigh is 40%. This is the most appropriate and physiologically determined change in pressure, which has a therapeutic effect. This way of distributing pressure to the veins stimulates and normalizes blood flow upwards due to:
- improvement and normalization of the valve apparatus
- reduction of the enlarged lumen of the peripheral veins, especially the safene of the thighs and lower leg
- increase the effect of the muscle pump - when the muscles contract due to physical exertion, the blood is pushed upwards.
However, it should be remembered that compression-free treatment for varicose veins does not eliminate the underlying causes of venous insufficiency and is used prior to radical, surgical treatment. This flannel mimics the situation - that the enlarged veins are closed or removed.
In addition, conservative non-surgical treatment of foot diseases should be comprehensive. Maximum effect can be achieved if you use creams, ointments recommended by your doctor, make a healthy lifestyle, wear compression stockings or tights every day, as well as use folk remedies for the treatment of varicose veins.
Contraindications to the use of compression stockings
As with any treatment, every medicine or medicine has a number of contraindications, and medical gowns are no exception. Some people absolutely should not use compression garments, others should use them carefully after a thorough diagnosis and consultation with a doctor. If there are relative contraindications, you should consult a dermatologist, cardiologist, endocrinologist.
- Such underwear are absolutely contraindicated for atherosclerosis, thromboangiitis obliterans, endoarthritis, orthoarthritis. With such chronic diseases of the arteries of the legs, leading to a decrease in vascular lumen 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 medical jerseys.
- Medical knitwear should be used with caution by people with extremely sensitive skin.
- The use of compression underwear is not recommended for inflammatory skin diseases, allergic skin reactions, various dermatitis, bed sores, open sores, acute thrombophlebitis and eczema.
- Diabetes mellitus is a relative contraindication, as in case of damage to the vessels of the legs due to diabetes, such underwear should also not be used.
- With septic phlebitis and severe cardiopulmonary failure, when resting blood circulation disorders occur, compression stockings should also not be used.
Many people are afraid to start wearing compression underwear for the fact that there is an opinion that the sweater provokes the development of atrophy of the muscular layer of the venous walls, and when their use is discontinued, the opposite negative effect can occur - when the venous wall does notcan resist blood pressure in the vessel lumen. Therefore, due to the atrophy of the vein walls, the existing varicose veins will progress even further.
Unfortunately, it is impossible to conduct clinical studies in any vein that undergoes compression, but phlebologists believe that this view is wrong, since:
- The patient cannot wear compression garments all the time
- In the veins that undergo compression, blood flow is reduced, rather than stopped at all.
- Muscle wall atrophy most often occurs with a genetic predisposition and a specific local inflammatory process with venous stasis and venous filling. And all this is reduced when you use the sweater.
- This can only happen according to the initial feelings of the patients when the use of flax is stopped. In this case, for a while there is a temporary deterioration of the condition and well-being, which is explained not by atrophy and progression of varicose veins, but by a temporary decrease in the tone of the venous wall.
- Patients' reviews and feelings at the end of using compression underwear with varicose veins - it is difficult for most to get used to starting to walk after using compression stockings. Many argue that when using a medicinal product, the feet become, so to speak, light and many do not want to give up using them anymore.
How to choose compression garments
Underwear with medical compression, sweater is divided into: hospital, which are used only in hospitals, prophylactic and therapeutic. We will examine in detail the compression classes of medical socks with anti-varicose compression, how to choose compression underwear, how to wear and how to care for it.
The most important point is to buy compression stockings, tights, knee-length exclusively in specialized salons, orthopedics or dealers of famous brands. In them, trained personnel know how to accurately choose the size of the linen, as the wrong size can turn the treatment into an absolutely ineffective treatment. In a separate store, the seller will measure the foot in 4 places and choose the size of the tights or socks according to a separate table.
There are 4 degrees of compression:
- 18-21 mm. rt. Art. Class 1 compression is a prophylactic compression that can and should be used consistently by persons: prone to varicose veins, pregnant women, persons with initial signs of varicose veins, when the subcutaneous veins fall into the eye strongly, if pain occurson foot. after sitting or prolonged standing, if the spider veins are pronounced and edema appears in the area of the legs and joints at the end of the day, healthy people, whose lifestyle and work compels them to sit or stand fora long time - office workers, drivers, hairdressers, salesmen.
- 23 - 32 mm. rt. Art. Compression class 2 is the best and most 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 compression classes - 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 vascular system will not be able to resist them. When walking with cheap underwear for a while, get used to it, if you feel comfortable in it, then you can get better and more expensive compression underwear.
For prevention, of course, it is worth using only first-class compression underwear, and already with the development of varicose veins, the compression class is determined by the phlebologist. Compression underwear can not cure varicose veins, as the reasons for its occurrence are very deep and external influence can only be suspended, not allowed to develop further, that is, compression stockings for varicose veins are created forprevent the appearance of new varicose crowns. In summer, it is certainly impossible to wear knitwear, so in the warm season you should take oral medication, or use other treatment methods.
You should also know that any underwear with compression keeps the compression for no more than 5-7 months.
The opinions of some women about the quality of underwear with compensation from different manufacturers show that expensive models are not always better than budget ones. The lines made in Germany are of good quality, the prices for which are quite reasonable.
What to look for when buying and how to avoid counterfeiting?
There are quality standards for underwear with medical compression 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 be subject to strict certification in Germany or Switzerland. If the underwear has such a certificate, it means that they are really of high quality, create a distributed pressure of 40-70-100% and are therapeutic, you can learn this standard from the packaging and label on the product.
It is worth choosing a manufacturer very carefully, as there are many counterfeits in our market, so it is better to buy compression socks or compression tights either in trade stores or specialty stores, where specialists will accurately choose the right model according toyour measurements.
Since such knitwear should be worn daily, it should be hypoallergenic; to determine this, the product purchased must bear the mark of the European environmental safety standard Oeko-Tex Standard 10.
Are there any features when wearing compression socks, sweater, golf?
You should be aware that even the second class of compression stockings, which is considered the most common, is sometimes "beyond its power" for the patient:
- Often this happens due to discomfort and difficulty in wearing underwear on foot. The peculiarity of such a knitwear is that it can not be dressed like children's tights, gathering it in an accordion and then pulling it up. Both socks and tights should be worn gradually, lying on your feet. If a person has a big belly, and tying a lace to a boot is already a problem, then it will be difficult to even wear underwear.
- For ease of dressing, many use special accessories offered in the same salons. And also gloves, which should be worn, they can be household and medical, as expensive underwear can be ruined by a manicure and underwear will slip better if your hands are on gloves.
- Of course, toenails need to be trimmed, stuffed, there should be no grain, roughness, otherwise the linen will burst quickly or there will be a lot of bloating.
- It is also important that the feet are dry as well as the underwear, wear compression stockings in the morning when the feet are not swollen and rested.
- It is especially difficult to wear class 3 compression products - this is a lot of work, and if the patient trusts his phlebologist and is sure that he needs such treatment, then you have to be patient, otherwise you should not starttreatment by this class. It is usually recommended to wear class 3 and 4 compression using a special special device.
How to care for compression garments?
- It is best to have 2 pairs of compression tights, as they need to be washed daily - this is necessary to get rid of the smallest spots, dust, skin particles, as they can damage the fibers of clothes faster than detergents.
- It should only be washed by hand with baby soap, as it cannot be washed in the washing machine. The water temperature during washing should not be higher than 40 C, and it is impossible to iron and bleach clothes.
- Every rinse and conditioner has a destructive effect on the structure, therefore, they should also not be used for washing.
- Dry the clothes in a flat shape on a horizontal surface, in no case do not squeeze them, but only gently press on a towel. Do not dry the knitwear with batteries, in a conventional dryer in the upright position, or in the open sun or with a hair dryer.
- You should also take care of the silicone straps on the socks, they quickly lose their fixing properties after contact with water, try not to wet them when washing, but wipe them with an alcohol wipe.