Who wears compression socks?

"Compression socks? Are they not just for Grandma?" - well, apparently not.  While there is a good chance that your grandma wears compression hosiery or socks you will also find that all kinds of people in all types of professions rely on compression socks: runners, pilots, flight attendants, pregnant women, nurses and folks just recovering from surgery.

What are compression socks?

Compression hosiery are a special type of stocking that can alleviate and even help prevent a variety of ailments such as blood clots, vein inflammation and leg swelling.  What makes these special stockings different from normal dress or athletic socks is that the elastic is much tighter.  Typically they feel especially taut around the ankles but gradually loosen as they make their way to the knees (knee-high compression stockings) or thighs (thigh-high compression stockings).  This is called graduated compression.

How do they work?

Simply put they compress the leg with aids in increasing blood flow. This increase in rate of blood flow helps to prevent blood clots.  They are also beneficial in controlling lower leg swelling by squeezing the area to prevent fluid build up.  This a of particular interest to  diabetics as edema is a symptom of the disease.  However, in reality, anyone who stands for long periods of time is prone to edema and that is why various folks from across all walks of life rely on compression hosiery.

When it comes to ailments such as deep vein thrombosis, skin ulcers and varicose veins they offer some help in pain relief.

When should I wear compression hosiery?

It is typically receommended to wear them during the day, all day if possible and to take them off before going to bed.