Medical compression stockings help reduce blood volume in the veins by tightening the calf muscles and flattening the veins. In addition, with muscle movement, the blood inside the vein will be squeezed upwards, which helps promote blood flow and reduces venous congestion, relieves acidity and discomfort, and slows the progression of lower limb varicose veins. There are various qualities of compression socks on the market, so how should patients choose the appropriate medical compression stockings and how should they use and maintain them? This article will give a brief introduction.
Each pair of medical compression stockings has different therapeutic pressures for different segments of the lower limbs. Patients should choose a suitable level of compression socks according to their own condition:
Compression socks with a level-one pressure: mainly used to prevent leg heaviness, fatigue, varicose veins, thrombosis, embolism, prevent economy-class syndrome, and can also be used to treat mild edema during pregnancy and mild varicose veins.
Compression socks with a level-two pressure: suitable for patients with obvious varicose veins, shallow venous thrombophlebitis, or with deep venous valve insufficiency. They are also suitable for patients who have healed from venous ulcers after treatment.
Compression socks with a level-three pressure: suitable for CVD patients with severe varicose veins and obvious edema or reversible lymphedema patients.
Compression socks with a level-four pressure: suitable for patients with severe post-thrombotic syndrome, severe skin ulcers, and irreversible lymphedema.
The level of compression socks needed by patients, whether they need a knee-length, mid-calf, or special type of pantyhose, should be selected based on the actual situation and the length of the socks should be selected according to the affected area. Based on the specific condition, a treatment plan should be formulated, and avoid blindly choosing compression socks, which may not only fail to achieve the desired therapeutic effect, but may also delay treatment progress.
Wash your feet and trim your toenails and dead skin before wearing the socks.
Choose the appropriate size of compression socks based on measurement.
Assess whether the patient has any contraindications, explain the significance and precautions of wearing medical compression stockings to the patient, and obtain the patient's cooperation.
Take off or roll up your pants leg, and check the condition of your legs and feet for any contraindications.
Put one hand into the compression sock and pinch the heel of the compression sock head, then turn the compression sock tube over to the heel.
Support your thumbs on the inside of the socks, grip the compression socks with your other four fingers, put your foot into the socks, support the thumbs inside the compression socks, and coordinate the other four fingers with your thumbs to pull the compression socks towards the ankle, and put the root of the compression socks at the heel.
Roll the socks back and pull them up in sequence, and flatten the socks against the skin after putting them on.
When removing compression socks, coordinate your fingers to grip the inside and outside of the compression socks, turn the compression socks over, and pull them down.
Not all elastic socks can be used as medical compression stockings. Medical compression stockings are medical devices, and their batch numbers can be checked on the website of the State Administration for Market Regulation. Any sock that cannot be checked for a batch number on the website of the State Administration for Market Regulation is not a medical grade compression stocking, and the quality of the product cannot be guaranteed.
