To maintain the physiologically correct pressure in the lower extremities, in complex therapies and in the prevention of varicose veins, today compression knitted fabrics are widely used.
In the medical literature, such special underwear is also known as medical knitwear, anti-varicose, compression underwear or medical compression knitwear.
This is a knitting agent, which is recommended by phlebologists as a treatment and prevention of various problems of blood vessels in the legs. Compression underwear is mainly used for varicose veins, thrombosis, epithelialized trophic ulcers, thrombophlebitis, lymphedema.
- The therapeutic effect of compression underwear is due to its supportive effect, compressing varicose veins, contributing to the redistribution of blood from the dilated, changed veins to healthy veins.
- It improves tissue nutrition, increases blood circulation
- Most importantly, such a jersey, when used correctly and in the correct size, reduces the risk of blood clots.
- And more importantly, in the absence of contraindications to compression panties, no side effects, this is a safe and simple method to prevent varicose veins, maintain veins in a state ofnatural, physiological.
Therapeutic effect of compression stockings on varicose veins?
Before that, before the large-scale production of high-quality medical linen, elastic bandages were widely used, their use had a number of disadvantages:
- first, they should be applied very properly every time, not always effective and take a lot of time
- second, the appearance of the bandages does not allow them to be worn, for example, to work
- thirdly, the low prices for them turned out to be a scam, as the tapes break very quickly, which forfeit all the savings.
What are the benefits of using medical bras? When compressing varicose veins, compression clothing for varicose veins accelerates blood flow through the deep veins, thereby eliminating venous congestion. Furthermore, high-quality modern compression knitwear provides graduated, that is, gradually reduces pressure from the shin to the thigh or from the hand to the shoulder.
For example, on the lower part of the leg, the pressure exerted by compression socks or tights is 100% maximum and in the upper part of the thigh 40%. This is the most physiological and understandable pressure change that has a therapeutic effect. This mode of pressure distribution across the veins stimulates and normalizes ascending blood flow due to:
- improvement and normalization of valve device
- decreased lumen expansion of the periphery, especially the hemispheric veins of the thigh and lower leg
- increase the effect of the muscle pump - when the muscle contracts due to exertion, blood is pushed up.
However, it should be remembered that treatment with compressed linen for varicose veins does not eliminate the underlying cause of venous insufficiency, and it is used before radical, surgical treatment. This jersey simulates a situation - enlarged veins are blocked or removed.
In addition, conservative non-surgical treatment of foot pathologies is required. The maximum effect can be achieved if you use creams and ointments recommended by your doctor, lead a healthy lifestyle, wear tights or tights every day and use folk remedies to treat depression. varicose vein.
Contraindications to the use of compression knitwear
As with any treatment method, every remedy or drug has some contraindications and lingerie is no exception. Some people should absolutely not use compression clothing, others should use it with caution after a thorough diagnosis and consultation with a doctor. If there are relative contraindications, you should consult a dermatologist, cardiologist, endocrinologist.
- Such underwear is absolutely contraindicated for atherosclerosis, thrombophlebitis, endometritis, colitis. With chronic diseases of the leg arteries, leading to a decrease in the lumen and systolic blood pressure below 80 mm. rt. Art. It is clear that it is not possible to relieve pressure in the lower extremities with the help of a medical vest.
- People with overly sensitive skin should use medical knitwear with caution.
- Compression underwear should not be used for inflammatory skin diseases, allergic skin reactions, various dermatitis, sores, open wounds, acute thrombophlebitis and eczema.
- Relatively contraindicated for diabetes mellitus, since in case of damage to the blood vessels of the legs due to diabetes, such underwear is also not used.
- With infectious phlebitis and severe cardiopulmonary failure, when circulatory disturbances occur at rest, it is also not recommended to use sequins.
Many people are afraid to start wearing compression underwear due to the fact that bras cause the development of atrophy of the muscular layer of the venous wall, and when they stop using it, the opposite negative effect can occur - when the vein wallvessels are unable to resist the intravascular blood pressure. Therefore, due to atrophy of the venous wall, the existing varicose veins will become more severe.
Unfortunately, it's not possible to conduct clinical studies on every pinched vein, but veniologists believe this idea to be false, because:
- Patient cannot wear compression clothing around the clock
- In veins that are under pressure, blood flow decreases, instead of stopping completely.
- Muscular atrophy most commonly occurs due to heredity and local specific inflammatory processes with venous stasis and venous filling. And all this is reduced by the use of jerseys.
- This can only happen according to the patient's initial perception when linen is discontinued. In this case, a temporary deterioration in health and condition occurs for a while, which is explained not by atrophy and progression of the varicose veins, but by a temporary decrease in tone of the vein wall.
- Patient comments and feelings at the end of varicose vein compression underwear - most were uncomfortable and started walking again after using compression knitwear. Many people believe that when using a medical product, the feet become light again and many people do not want to give up using them anymore.
How to choose compression garments
Medical compression underwear, jersey is divided into: hospital, hospital use only, prophylactic and therapeutic. We will consider in detail the compression classes of medical anti-varicose knitwear, how to choose compression underwear, how to wear it and how to care for it.
The most important point is to buy compression socks, knee socks exclusively for orthopedic salons or dealers of famous brands. In them, staff are trained to know how to choose the correct size of linen, as the wrong size can turn the treatment into a completely ineffective way. In a special store, the seller will measure the feet in 4 places and choose the size of pants or socks according to a special table.
There are 4 degrees of compression:
- 18-21 mm. rt. Art. Type 1 compression is a prophylactic compression that can and should even be worn continuously by people who: are prone to varicose veins, pregnant women, people with early signs of varicose veins, when the veinsprominent subcutaneous tissue, if leg pain occurs After sitting or standing for a long time, if spider veins are prominent and edema appears in the foot and ankle area at the end of the day, healthy people with a healthy lifestyle and workforcing them to sit or stand for a long time - to office workers, drivers, hairdressers, salespeople.
- 23 - 32 mm. rt. Art. Compression type 2 is the best, commonly used to treat thrombophlebitis and varicose veins.
- 34 - 46 mm. rt. Art. Compression type 3 - used for nutritional disorders and severe venous insufficiency.
- 49 and more than 4 compression layers - used extremely rarely, with lymphedema.
Those who choose to wear anti-varicose knitwear for the first time should not immediately buy expensive 2 compression underwear, most likely your vascular system will not be able to withstand it. When you walk around in cheap underwear for a while, get used to it, if you feel comfortable wearing it, you can choose better and more expensive compression underwear.
Of course, as a precaution, it is advisable to use only underwear of the first type of compression, and there has been the development of varicose veins, the type of compression determined by the phlebologist. Compression panties cannot cure varicose veins, because its appearance is very deep and external influences can only be temporary, not allowing further development, i. e. compression tights for varicose veins can bedesigned to prevent the appearance of new varicose veins. In the summer, of course, it is not possible to wear knitwear, so in the warm season you should take medication by mouth, or use other methods of treatment.
You should also know that any compression underwear retains compression for no more than 5-7 months.
The opinions of several women about the quality of compensating underwear of different manufacturers show that expensive models are not always of better quality than affordable models. Linen made in Germany has good quality, quite reasonable price.
What to pay attention to when buying and how to avoid fakes?
There are quality standards for medical compression underwear for varicose veins, one of the most stringent and important is the European standard RAL-GZ-387. In order for a manufacturer to use the symbol of this standard, he must undergo rigorous certification in Germany or Switzerland. If the underwear has such a certificate, which means it is really high quality, produces a pressure distribution of 40-70-100% and is therapeutic, you can learn about this standard from the packagingand product labels.
Manufacturers should be selected very carefully, as there are many fakes on our market, so you're better off buying compression stockings or compression stockings at department stores or specialty stores, whereExperts will choose exactly the right model according to your measurements.
Since such knitted clothing must be worn every day, it must be hypoallergenic; To determine this, the product purchased must bear the mark of the European environmental safety standard Oeko-Tex Standard 10.
Is there anything special about wearing compression socks, tights, golfing?
You should know that even the second most common type of compression knit fabric is sometimes "out of reach" for a patient:
- Usually this happens because of the inconvenience and difficulty when you put your underwear on. The peculiarity of such knitwear is that it is impossible to wear it like children's pantyhose, collect it in an accordion and then pull it up. All socks and tights should be worn gradually, spreading out over the legs. If a person has a large bust, and lace up boots are already a problem, it will also be difficult to put on underwear.
- For ease of donning, many people use special devices provided in the same salon. And also wear gloves, they can be household and medical items, because expensive underwear can be damaged by manicure and underwear will be more slippery if you wear gloves.
- Of course, the toenails must be trimmed, honed, not corned, rough, otherwise the linen will quickly come apart or have many blisters.
- It is important that dry feet, as well as underwear, wear compression knitwear in the morning, when the feet are not swollen and rested.
- It is especially difficult to wear compression level 3 products - this is a lot of work and if the patient trusts his or her phlebotomist and is certain that he or she needs such treatment, then you should be patient, otherwiseYou should not start treatment from this class. It is often recommended to wear compression layers 3 and 4 using a special special device.
How to care for compression garments?
- It's best to have 2 pairs of compression tights, as it should be washed every day - this is essential to remove the tiniest particles, dust and skin particles, as they can damage fibers faster than bleachwash.
- Hand wash only with baby soap, as it cannot be washed in a washing machine. The temperature of the water in the washing process should not be higher than 40 degrees Celsius, and clothes cannot be ironed and bleached.
- Any rinse aid and conditioner has a destructive effect on the structure, so they should not be used for washing either.
- Dry the laundry flat on a horizontal surface, do not wring it out, but only gently press the towel with a towel. Do not dry knitted garments with batteries, in a conventional dryer in an upright position, or in the sun or with a hair dryer.
- You should also pay attention to the silicone bands on the socks, they will quickly lose their fixation after being exposed to water, try not to get wet when washing, but wipe with an alcohol wipe.