The anti-varicose vein jersey is designed to normalize the work of the circulatory system of the lower extremities. Compression underwear exerts precisely designed pressure on certain areas of the veins, which, due to their location far from the heart, are at risk of developing pathological venous disorders. So, thanks to the wearing of medical underwear, the state of blood circulation improves, painful sensations, swelling and heaviness in the legs are eliminated. Therefore, if you are at risk of developing varicose veins, have had them before, or have signs of impaired venous circulation (due to static loads, pregnancy, lifestylesedentary), you should start using preventive compression underwear on a daily basis.
<1_img_centerxx>Compression underwear for varicose veins
Previously, for this purpose, phlebologists prescribed elastic bandages. However, this tool is not popular due to the presence of a number of significant drawbacks: the difficulty of bandaging, an uneven degree of compression, an unsightly appearance, a rapid loss of compressive properties and, as a result, , a slip.
The difference between modern compression underwear is the complete opposite of the above disadvantages:
- ease of use (compared to bandage) of putting on, wearing to removing the laundry;
- 4 compression classes - which allow individual selection of linen with the required level of compression of dilated veins;
- made from high-tech materials: linen - hypoallergenic natural cotton with a high degree of elasticity; hosiery of synthetic fibers - nylon, lycra, elastodien, microfiber, which makes it possible to wear skirts and dresses;
- the tight fit does not allow the laundry to slip;
- long life of linen, with proper care - from 5 to 12 months (with daily wear).
What are compression underwear for? The compression garment creates distributed pressure from the bottom of the legs upwards. The graduated pressure of varying strength varies from the ankle to the thigh, in percentage terms this represents 100% to 20% of the compression imposed by the undergarment.
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 advisable to reduce the maximum pressure upwards. Due to this principle of action, wearing compression underwear stimulates and normalizes the flow of blood and lymph to the heart, thus preventing venous congestion.
Types of compression underwear
How to choose compression underwear for varicose veins and what is this or that type of knitting used 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 according to the therapeutic tasks assigned to the compression garment:
- preventive underwear: minimal compression of the lower limbs to eliminate high blood pressure;
- medical linen: medium and maximum compression for the treatment of varicose veins;
- postoperative underwear: used in hospitals, the choice of compression stockings is made by a doctor.
Depending on the existing or probable localization of the venous disorders of the lower body, you can choose a certain type of medical underwear - compression tights, knee-highs or stockings.
Compression socks
The socks are primarily recommended for athletes with increased running loads for preventative purposes. Wearing compression socks will reduce the risk of venous disorders and help those who have experienced them. When using compression socks, blood circulation in the foot improves and muscle tone increases due to the point compression of the heel and foot area. This type of laundry can be used both during and after prolonged exertion.
Knee-high compression stockings
Socks are suitable for the prevention and treatment of varicose veins, as long as the varicose veins are located below the knee. Knee-highs cover the leg from foot to knee. Their elastic compression properties ensure a precise fit over the foot, maintain ankle tone and are effective in preventing foot heaviness.
How to choose compression knee-highs for men? More and more compression garments seem to be targeting women. It is an illusion. In terms of design, men's knee-highs practically do not differ from the usual socks, so they should not cause strain during the wearing period.
The sizes of these compression garments, such as knee highs, are chosen based on the anatomical profile of the lower limbs.
To do this, you need to take a few measurements (in centimeters):
- circumference of the tibia 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, we sometimes use elastic stockings for longer varicose veins: up to the groin or with a tie at the waist.
There is a silicone elastic inside the bottom. It prevents this compression stocking from slipping. Medical stockings with a waist tie are secured with an elastic waistband with a contact band. These stockings are divided into a half pair, there are left and right. There is a possibility of combining mono stockings into tights.
This type of stockings, as a special compression underwear for legs with varicose veins, has the maximum degree of effectiveness.
Finding the best compression stockings for women and men is not as difficult as it might seem at first glance. The range of these underwear in the medical market is quite wide. It takes into account financial possibilities and preferences for the appearance of linen. Therefore, it is possible to buy compression stockings according to your own wishes, and not only by being guided by the doctor's recommendations regarding the therapeutic and prophylactic properties of flax. When making a purchase, it is important to remember that an orthopedic salon or drugstore that sells compression underwear protects you against buying a fake. This is only where you can buy a certified high quality compression product.
Compression tights for women
The most common type of medical and prophylactic underwear for women is compression tights, despite being quite difficult to put on.
Depending on the effect that is important to achieve, the following types of compression tights are distinguished: preventive and therapeutic. Preventive elastic tights are independently selected based on such parameters as height and weight. You can buy these compression stockings both at drugstores and at 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. These tights, stockings and socks are subject to compulsory medical certification according to RAL-GZ 387 and are only available for sale 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 the densest opaque, which make it possible 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 advisable to combine medical compression stockings for varicose veins with the use of local venotonic agents for the legs. Foot cream with extracts of horse chestnut and ginkgo biloba is suitable for daily care at home. Due to its natural composition, it relieves pain, tones, has an anti-inflammatory and cosmetic effect. The cream is applied to the skin of the legs from the bottom up with massage movements until completely absorbed, 1 to 2 times a day in the morning before putting on the compression garment and in the evening after removing it. The cream has been the subject of clinical studies and has been highly regarded by phlebologists as an effective adjuvant in the fight against varicose veins of the lower extremities. For use outside the home, a tonic foot spray with butcher's and witch hazel extracts is very practical. Thanks to its lightweight, non-marking formula and comfortable release shape, it can be applied over nylon compression tights. Spray it once or twice 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 - pantyhose, stockings and knee-highs, require effort when putting on. It is important to respect the following rules:
- put lying down, after waking up;
- do not excessively stretch or twist the product;
- gather the top of the pantyhose, and gradually straighten it down the leg and up.
In order to facilitate the procedure of putting on compression stockings, special devices are produced for consumers of different categories: overweight, with reduced mobility, for travelers (foldable design).
How to choose compression stockings?
When the question arises of how to choose compression stockings, given the size, you should read the information on the packaging.
Compression garments are made in strict accordance with quality standards. The strictest is the European standard RAL-GZ 387. Its standards regulate:
- composition of compression underwear;
- safety of materials used;
- compressive properties, elasticity, strength of the fabric produced;
- labeling requirements on packaging.
According to these standards, on linen of certified quality, the compression class and pressure must be indicated in millimeters of mercury, and not in denominations (as for ordinary stockings).
If there is an Oko-Tex® Standard 100 inscription on the laundry packaging, this means that this compression garment has been tested by independent institutes that are part of the international Oeko-Tex community. They check the compliance of tissue samples for pH, formaldehyde content, substances containing chlorine and the possible presence of heavy metals. Based on the results of a successful inspection, a quality certificate is issued - Oko-Tex® Standard 100.
By purchasing underwear with the above markings, you can be sure that they are:
- will allow you to achieve a suitable therapeutic effect;
- ecological;
- will serve no less than the service life specified by the manufacturer.
Elastic compression stockings: compression classes for all garments
Depending on the degree of pressure generated in medical elastic knits, there are 4 compression classes, in accordance with RAL-GZ 387.
- Compression class I: has low (light) preventive pressure (18-21 mm Hg). The indications for wearing class I compression underwear are: a tendency to develop varicose veins, heaviness in the legs, edema, spider veins, pregnancy.
- Compression class II: at medium pressure (22-32 mm Hg). This is the most commonly used compression class for medical garments. 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 cloth is used for severe lympho-venous insufficiency, trophic pathologies, deep vein thrombosis.
- Compression class IV: exerts the highest possible pressure (over 59 mm Hg). Lingerie with this class of compression is used for congenital anomalies of the veins and to eliminate lymphedema accompanied by edema.
Preventive underwear with the first class of compression 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 to you 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 be for the veins as a support frame. Accurate measurements of the leg will help to choose the right stockings, namely:
- length from foot to knee;
- circumference of the tibia above the ankle and below the knee;
- thigh circumference at a distance of 25-30 cm from the knee;
- the length of the leg from the foot to the crease of the groin.
After the phlebologist has prescribed linen of the appropriate compression class and taken measurements, it is important to determine the size of the stockings. The range includes a large number of sizes ranging from XS to XLX. The size grid may vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. Therefore, the choice of compression garments should be made in accordance with the size chart of a particular manufacturer.
Properly selected stockings will 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 tights, in addition to the above measurements, it is necessary to measure the volume of the hips and waist circumference.
Compression garments are produced by many manufacturers. And with varicose veins, I want to understand what is better than the rest, so as not to waste precious time and money. Unfortunately, the best compression stockings for varicose veins can only be chosen based on your own feelings about wearing such underwear directly.
The peculiarity of tights is that they are selected strictly on the basis of size, because the area on which they will produce pressure is maximum.
In most cases, the packaging contains information on how to wear compression tights. Do not neglect these recommendations, they will prolong the life of the laundry:
- Wear tights 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 should be moisturized and smooth, so as not to damage the fibers of the compression underwear.
- Compression tights should not be stretched or twisted.
- When putting on, gather the upper part of the accordion tights and gradually distribute along the leg, straightening the emerging folds.
Compression tights should be worn all day and removed just before bed. The duration of use of the laundry is determined solely by the doctor.
Compression stockings after surgery
The hospital jersey is irreplaceable after surgery. Good compression underwear in the postoperative period of varicose vein treatment can relieve a number of possible complications. Wearing hospital gowns reduces the risk of congestion and deep vein thrombosis.
The optimum compression pressure for this type of underwear is 15-18 mm Hg.
The compression of the recovery undergarment is calculated taking into account that the patient will be in a horizontal position. Therefore, this type of underwear is not suitable for everyday compression stockings.
The postoperative compression garment can be adapted to any part of the body. A distinction is made between the following types of laundry:
- knee-highs, tights;
- corsets for the spine;
- bandages.
A distinctive feature of postoperative compression garments is that they should be worn (not removed) for the first few days. Therefore, hospital underwear should be very elastic, seamless, hypoallergenic and have an antimicrobial effect.
Compression Underwear for Women
Basically, under the women's hospital compression linen, it is customary to understand cosmetological hosiery. It is used after plastic surgery, significantly facilitating and shortening the rehabilitation period. The most common type of these underwear is a compression bodice after mammoplasty (Mammoplastica). During the rehabilitation period after surgery to correct the shape of the breast, it is important to wear fixing compression underwear, which:
- prevents scars;
- help relieve postoperative puffiness;
- reduce pain;
- relieve the feeling of heaviness in the operated area.
The required compression class of the bodice is regulated by the fasteners. Sometimes with a compression bodice, an additional compression belt is used to create maximum compression with postoperative underwear on needed areas of the body.
How to choose and how to wear women's compression clothing for a long time is determined by the doctor. Poorly chosen 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. Varicose veins too. 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 and swelling of the legs.
During pregnancy, wearing a splint reduces stress on the spine.
From the second trimester, if indicated, medical linen is prescribed: dressings, tights, stockings. After childbirth, this type of medical cloth will help you recover faster. Often the function of the bandage is attributed to a highly elastic insert on the front of the compression tights. It takes into account the anatomical characteristics of a pregnant woman. Such underwear supports the stomach well and does not constrict it. However, there may be contraindications to wearing this swimsuit, so it is advisable to consult your doctor before purchasing medicated underwear.
For pregnant women with varicose veins, a phlebologist recommends the use of compression stockings during childbirth and for a short period after delivery.