Learn how to choose the right pair of compression socks or compression stockings.

1. Buy Compression Socks
How To Determine Which Size Of Compression Socks To Buy
Compression socks are specially designed socks that help improve blood circulation in
the legs and feet. They are used by patients suffering from pooling of blood in the feet,
swelling of legs due to diabetes or inactivity or if they are unable to walk for a significant
period after an operation. In some cases, even healthy people use compression socks to
help them in their work and to avoid health problems. For example, athletes may use
them to help improve blood circulation in the legs. People who have to stand for long
periods of time, such as nurses and teachers, may also use them to prevent pooling of
blood in the feet. People who travel a lot and thus have to remain seated for long periods
of time may use them to prevent swelling of legs and feet.
Low pressure compression socks are available over the counter. In other words, one does
not need a doctor’s prescription to purchase these compression socks. Typically, socks
with a rating of less than 20mmHg can be bought without a prescription.
However, in order to buy the right sized compression socks, care needs to be taken in the
measurement of the feet and legs. While shoe size can be used as an indicator, it is
recommended that legs be measured individually as well. This is because a person may
have muscular calves, and may therefore need larger compression socks than indicated by
shoe size. Also, an individual’s legs differ slightly in size due to ones tendency to favor
one leg while walking. Therefore it is best to measure both legs and not rely on shoe size
alone.
Measurements should be taken in the morning, before the day’s activities cause the legs
to swell. The person for whom the compression socks are to be bought should stand
upright and get someone else to measure each leg. Points to be measured are ankle, calf
and length from floor to the bend behind the knee for knee-length socks. Thigh-high
compression socks require measurement of thighs and length from top of thigh to floor in
addition to ankle and calf measurements.

2. 3. Compression socks for patients with Diabetes
Compression socks offer a good way to help patients suffering from diabetes to control
the swelling of legs. People suffering from diabetes run the risk of the depositing of
cholesterol on the inner walls of veins and arteries. As cholesterol is deposited, it thickens
the walls of the veins and arteries from the inside, thus narrowing the channels through
which the blood can flow. In the upper part of the body, especially above the heart, this
doesn’t create as much of a problem in blood circulation as it does lower down in the
body.
In the lower legs and feet, such clogging of veins and arteries can create a real problem.
Since the feet are farthest from the heart, the pumping action of the heart is weakest at
these points. The heart simply cannot efficiently pump the blood back to itself because of
the narrow channels through which the blood is flowing. Gravity adds its own problems,
working on the blood to add extra load to the heart. The result is usually swollen legs and
feet, with blood pooling in these extremities to create painful swelling. This swelling may
even prove to be dangerous if the pooling causes thrombosis, which is the formation of
blood clots inside the vein or artery. If this clot breaks loose, it becomes an embolus that
may well travel up to the heart and block blood flow to it, causing a heart attack.
Compression socks can help prevent such blood pooling and thrombosis by increasing the
efficiency of leg muscles to pump blood back to the heart. Essentially, compression socks
are specially designed socks made of strong elastic materials. They are typically tightest
at the ankle and loosen as they go up the length of the leg. They compress veins, arteries
and muscles, increasing the rate at which blood flows through the channels. The arterial
pressure increases and calf muscles are stimulated to increase blood flow. Thus, they help
pump the blood back to the heart and prevent the pooling of blood in the feet and legs.
Thus, compression socks are a powerful weapon in controlling the effects of diabetes.
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3. 4. Compression socks During Maternity
Many women are unaware of the benefits of wearing compression socks during
maternity. However the socks provide many benefits and can alleviate a lot of the
symptoms that are associated with pregnancy. Compression socks are socks made of a
special, elastic material. They provide support and compression to blood vessels and
muscles in the thighs, calves and feet, helping them pump blood back to the heart more
effectively.
One of these symptoms is leg cramps. Many women experience these cramps in the final
months of pregnancy. Compression socks can help to increase pressure in the veins and
thus improve blood circulation, thus reducing the cramps. They can provide relief in a
large number of cases involving leg cramps during maternity. However, if the cramps
persist, it is advisable to see a doctor.
For those suffering from diabetes, pregnancy puts even more stress on the lower half of
the body. Feet and ankles may swell because the narrowed blood vessels are unable to
return blood efficiently to the heart. Compression socks work with the blood vessels and
muscles of the legs to help pump the blood back to the heart. Many of the symptoms of
leg swelling and leg pain in pregnant women with diabetes can be alleviated with the use
of compression socks.
For those with thyroid problems, maternity may cause the thyroid to function poorly.
This is due to the additional hormones released in the body during maternity. One of the
symptoms associated with thyroid problems is leg swelling, which is further escalated by
other factors in pregnancy. Along with thyroid supplements, doctors may recommend
compression socks to help alleviate leg swelling as a result of thyroid problems during
maternity.
It is important to note that compression socks come in various sizes and care must be
taken to buy the right size for each leg. An individual’s legs may be of different thickness
due to joint problems or other factors. These factors may intensify the effects of leg
swelling during maternity so that there is significant difference in the thickness of the
each leg. Therefore, it is advisable to measure each leg when one wishes to buy
compression socks during pregnancy.
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4. 5. Compression socks Are Not Just For Patients
Compression socks are often thought to be just for the use of patients of varicose veins,
diabetes, etc. However, a large number of perfectly healthy people can also benefit from
wearing compression socks. This article examines the benefits of compression socks for
various people.
Persons who have a desk job are often in their chairs for extended periods of time. This
may cause a feeling of heaviness in the legs and even some swelling. This is because the
leg muscles also perform the function of helping pump blood back to the heart. When a
person walk, the muscles squeeze the veins this helping the blood go back up the body.
However, if a person sits for too long, the leg muscles can’t do their job and the blood
may be sluggish in going back to the heart. This may cause heaviness and swelling of
legs. Compression socks help pump the blood back to the heart and can prevent diseases
of the circulatory system in the legs.
People who travel frequently are also often required to sit in one seat for long periods of
time. Like those with sedentary jobs, they may also suffer from swelling of the legs and
leg cramps. Compression socks help prevent these symptoms and may even help the
onset of disease in the lower limbs.
Even those with active jobs can benefit from wearing compression socks. Nurses, for
example, often have to remain standing for long periods of time. They also have to walk a
lot in the wards. This creates fatigue in the legs. Compression socks offer a form of
continuous massage that keeps the muscles limber and the blood flow going, which can
reduce fatigue. Similarly, athletes to can benefit from wearing compression socks during
workouts and competitions. Compression socks help improve the blood flow to the legs
and this aids in reducing fatigue and improving overall efficiency of the lower limbs.
Thus, a wide variety of healthy people can benefit greatly from wearing compression
socks. The socks help improve blood flow to the lower limbs and may even prevent
diseases such as varicose veins, thrombosis – the formation of blood clots, etc.
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