Anti-varicose veins jersey is designed to normalize the work of the circulatory system in the lower extremities. Compression garments exert specific pressure on certain areas of the vein, which are at risk of pathological venous diseases due to their location far from the heart. Thus, by wearing medical underwear, blood flow improves, painful sensations, swelling and feelings of heaviness in the legs are eliminated. So if you are at risk of varicose veins, have already occurred or show signs of a venous circulatory disorder (due to static stress, pregnancy, lack of exercise), you should use preventive compression underwear in everyday life.
Compression underwear for varicose veins
For this purpose, phlebologists used to prescribe elastic bandages. This tool is not popular due to a number of significant drawbacks: difficulty connecting, uneven degree of compression, unattractive appearance, rapid loss of compression properties and, as a result, slipping.
The difference between modern compression garments is the complete opposite of the disadvantages mentioned above:
- easy handling (compared to a bandage) from putting on and wearing to taking off the laundry;
- 4 compression classes - allows an individual selection of clothes with the required degree of compression of the dilated veins;
- made of high-tech materials: linen - made of hypoallergenic natural cotton with high elasticity; Synthetic fiber hosiery - nylon, lycra, elastodiene, microfiber, which make it possible to wear skirts and dresses;
- tight fit does not let the laundry slip;
- long service life of laundry with proper care - from 5 to 12 months (with daily wear).
What is compression underwear used for? The compression garment creates a distributed pressure from the bottom of the legs upwards. Graduated pressure of different strengths varies from the ankle to the thigh; the percentage is between 100 and 20% of the compression exerted by the underwear.
Expert opinion
A gradual decrease in the percentage of compression is physiologically justified: with increasing 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 garments stimulates and normalizes the outflow of blood and lymph to the heart and thus prevents venous congestion.
Types of compression garments
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 range of compression garments. There are compression stockings for women and underwear for treating varicose veins in men. There is also a classification according to the therapeutic tasks of compression clothing:
- preventive underwear: minimal compression of the lower extremities to eliminate hypertension in them;
- medical underwear: medium and maximum compression for the treatment of varicose veins;
- postoperative underwear: used in hospitals, compression stockings are selected by a doctor.
Directly depending on the existing or likely localization of venous diseases of the lower body, you can choose a certain type of medical underwear - compression tights, knee socks or stockings.
Compression stockings
Socks are especially recommended for athletes with increased running loads for prevention. Wearing compression stockings will reduce the risk of venous disease and help those who have experienced it. When wearing compression stockings, the blood circulation in the foot is improved and the muscle tone is increased through selective compression of the heel and foot area. This type of wash can be used both during and after prolonged exertion.
Compression knee socks
Socks are suitable for the prevention and treatment of varicose veins, provided the varicose veins are below the knee. Knee socks cover the leg from the foot to the knee. Their elastic compression properties ensure a precise fit on the foot, maintain the ankle tone and effectively prevent heaviness in the foot.
How to choose compression knee socks for men? More compression clothing seems to be aimed at women. It is a delusion. In terms of design, men's knee highs are practically no different from the usual socks, so they should not cause any restrictions during the period of wearing.
The sizes of such compression garments, such as knee socks, are selected according to the anatomical profile of the lower extremities.
To do this, you need to take some measurements (in centimeters):
- Shin circumference above the ankle and below the knee;
- Length from foot to knee.
Compression stockings
With the help of stockings, it is possible to achieve a therapeutic and prophylactic effect in the fight against pathologies of the venous system. If necessary, elastic stockings from varicose veins of increased length are sometimes used: to the groin or with a closure at the waist.
There is a silicone rubber on the inside of the stocking. It prevents these compression stockings from slipping. Medical stockings with a closure at the waist are fixed with an elastic belt with a contact tape. Such stockings are divided into half a pair, there are left and right. It is possible to combine monostocks with tights.
This type of stockings is most effective as a special compression underwear for legs with varicose veins.
Finding the best compression stockings 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 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 just be guided by the doctor's recommendations regarding the therapeutic and prophylactic properties of linen. When buying, keep in mind that an orthopedic salon or pharmacy that sells compression garments will protect you from buying a fake one. Only there you can 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, although they are quite difficult to put on.
Depending on which effect is important, a distinction is made between the following types of compression tights: preventive and therapeutic. Preventive elastic tights are selected independently according to parameters such as height and weight. You can buy these compression stockings in pharmacies as well as in 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, then medical compression stockings will be selected exclusively by a doctor. Such tights, stockings and socks are subject to medical certification according to RAL-Norm-GZ 387 and are only available in medical salons and pharmacies.
The range includes types of compression tights that differ in texture and color. They are both the most transparent and the most dense opaque, making it possible to mask 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 venous tonics for the legs. Foot cream with horse chestnut and ginkgo biloba extracts is suitable for daily care at home. Due to its natural composition, it relieves pain, tones, has anti-inflammatory and cosmetic effects. The cream is applied to the skin of the legs 1-2 times a day, in the morning before putting on and in the evening after taking off, from bottom to top with massaging movements until it is completely absorbed. The cream has undergone clinical studies and is highly valued by phlebologists as an effective adjuvant in the fight against varicose veins of the lower extremities. A foot tonic spray with extracts from butcher and witch hazel is very practical for use outside the home. Thanks to its lightweight, non-marking formula and comfortable release shape, it can be applied over nylon compression tights. Spray on 1-2 times a day from a distance of 15 cm to slightly moisturize the skin. Both products were developed by specialists from a pharmaceutical company and have the necessary documents and quality certificates.
Compression elastic underwear - tights, stockings, and knee socks require effort to put on. It is important to observe the following rules:
- put on lying down after waking up;
- do not stretch or twist the product excessively;
- Pull the top of the tights together and gradually stretch them towards the lower leg and over it.
In order to make it easier to put on compression stockings, special devices are made for consumers of different categories: overweight, restricted mobility, for travelers (collapsible version).
How to choose compression stockings?
If the question arises, how to choose compression stockings based on size, then you need to read the information on the packaging.
Compression clothing is manufactured according to strict quality standards. The strictest is the European standard RAL-GZ 387. Its standards regulate:
- Composition of compression garments;
- Safety of the materials used;
- Compression properties, elasticity, strength of the manufactured linen;
- Requirements for labeling on packaging.
According to these standards, the compression class and pressure should be indicated in millimeters of mercury on the packaging of certified quality underwear and not in nominal values (as is the case with ordinary stockings).
If the label Oko-Tex® Standard 100 is on the packaging of the laundry, it means that this compression garment has been tested by independent institutes that are part of the international Oko-Tex community. They check material samples for pH conformity, formaldehyde content, substances containing chlorine and any heavy metals that may be present. Based on the result of a successful test, a quality certificate is issued - Oko-Tex® Standard 100.
When you buy underwear with the above markings you can be sure that it is:
- allows you to achieve an adequate therapeutic effect;
- environmentally friendly;
- will not be less than the service life specified by the manufacturer.
Elastic compression stockings: compression classes for all items of clothing
Depending on the pressure generated in medical elastic knitwear, there are 4 compression classes according to RAL-GZ 387.
- Compression class I: has a low (light) preventive pressure (18-21 mm Hg). Indications for wearing underwear with compression class I are: tendency to varicose veins, heaviness in the legs, edema, spider veins, pregnancy.
- Compression class II: has medium 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 wash is used for severe lymphovenous insufficiency, trophic pathologies and deep vein thrombosis.
- Compression class IV: exerts the highest possible pressure (over 59 mm Hg). Lingerie with this compression class is used for congenital abnormalities of the veins and for the elimination of lymphedema with accompanying edema.
Preventive underwear with the first class of compression can be purchased independently. But how to choose medical compression garments with already developed varicose veins, only a doctor can tell. He explains why you need compression stockings in your special situation.
Compression stockings: how to choose the size
Varicose veins are an irreversible disease that needs treatment. And the compression stockings serve as a support structure for the veins. Accurate measurements of the leg will help in choosing the right stockings, namely:
- Length from foot to knee;
- Shin circumference 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 inguinal fold.
After the phlebologist has prescribed leashes of the appropriate compression class and taken measurements, it is important to determine the size of the stockings. The range includes a variety of sizes from XS to XLX. The size grid can vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. Therefore, the choice of compression garments must be made in accordance with a specific manufacturer's size chart.
Correctly selected stockings will fit your leg closely. Perhaps there will be some discomfort with wearing medical underwear at first, but over time it will pass.
How to choose compression tights
To choose a pair of tights, in addition to the above measurements, it is necessary to measure the volume of the hip and waist circumference.
Compression clothing is made 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 selected according to your own feelings from wearing such underwear directly.
The peculiarity of tights is that they are selected strictly by size, since the area on which they exert pressure is maximal.
In most cases, the packaging will provide information on how to wear compression tights. Do not neglect these recommendations - they will extend the life of bed linen:
- Wear tights after waking up or after showering. 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 garment.
- Compression tights must not be stretched or twisted.
- When putting on the tights, gather the upper part of the tights in an accordion and gradually distribute them over the length of the leg to smooth out the wrinkles that arise.
Compression tights should be worn all day and removed just before bed. The duration of use of the laundry is determined only by the doctor.
Compression stockings after the operation
Hospital jerseys are irreplaceable after an operation. Good compression garments in the postoperative phase 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 recreational underwear is calculated taking into account the horizontal position of the patient. Therefore, this type of underwear is not suitable for everyday compression stockings.
The post-operative compression clothing can be adapted to any part of the body. The following types of lines can be distinguished:
- Knee socks, tights;
- Corsets for the spine;
- Bandages.
A special feature of the postoperative compression clothing is that it has to be worn (not removed) for the first few days. Therefore, hospital underwear should be highly elastic, seamless, hypoallergenic and antimicrobial.
Compression underwear for women
Basically, it is common to understand female compression hospital linen to be cosmetic hosiery. It is used after plastic surgery and it facilitates and shortens the rehabilitation time significantly. The most common type of underwear is a compression girdle after a mammoplasty (mammoplastica). During the rehabilitation period after breast shape correction surgery, it is important to wear tight compression underwear that:
- prevents scarring;
- help relieve postoperative swelling;
- Reduce pain;
- relieve the heaviness in the operated area.
The required compression class of the bodice is regulated by the closures. Sometimes an additional compression belt is used together with a compression girdle to create maximum compression with post-operative underwear on the necessary parts of the body.
How to choose compression clothing for women and wear them 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. Varicose veins as well. 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 socks or stockings, which also protect a woman from the syndrome of heaviness in the legs and swelling.
Wearing an orthosis during pregnancy reduces stress on the spine.
From the second trimester, if indicated, medical underwear is prescribed: bandages, tights, stockings. After giving birth, this type of medical wash will help you recover faster. The function of the bandage is often assigned to a highly 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 squeeze it. However, there may be contraindications to wearing such a jersey, so it is advisable to consult your doctor before purchasing any medicated underwear.
A phlebologist recommends that pregnant women with varicose veins wear compression stockings during childbirth and shortly afterwards.