Benefits of Compression Stockings for Varicose Vein

Do your legs sometimes feel heavy and achy? Do some of the veins on your leg appear swollen and twisted? If so, you may be experiencing varicose veins. While this is a common condition in adults, lack of awareness causes delay in diagnosis and treatment.

Let’s learn all about varicose veins, their causes, symptoms, and ways to manage and prevent them from getting worse.

What Are Varicose Veins?

Varicose veins are enlarged, twisted veins that occur because of improper blood circulation. These can occur anywhere in the body but most commonly appear on the legs.

Veins are a part of your body’s circulatory system. They carry oxygen-depleted blood from all your body’s tissues back to the heart. Your veins have one-way valves that open and shut continually to assist the flow of blood back towards the heart.

If these valves get damaged or weakened, they cannot pump blood efficiently, causing blood to flow backwards and pool in the veins. This is called chronic venous insufficiency and can lead to swollen veins on the skin’s surface called varicose veins.

What Causes Varicose Veins?

Before we move on to compression socks and compression stockings and how they help manage varicose veins, we will discuss some factors that can increase the risk of developing this condition. These are:

Age – As we grow older, our vein walls begin to lose their elasticity, and their valves become weak. Our veins are not able to function as efficiently as before, causing blood to leak or flow back into your veins instead of rushing back up to your heart. This increases the risk of developing varicose veins.
Family History – If you have family members who suffer from venous insufficiency, you are more likely to develop it as well.
Sitting Or Standing For Too Long – If your job or lifestyle requires you to sit or stand for long periods of time, you are at a higher risk of developing venous insufficiency. So, take frequent breaks and often move to prevent this condition from occurring.
Gender – Women are three times more likely to develop varicose veins than men.

Other factors that can also cause varicose veins are pregnancy, obesity, and smoking.

What Are The Symptoms Of This Venous Condition?

Swollen, twisted veins aren’t the only signs that indicate varicose veins. The other symptoms include:

- Bluish or reddish veins that you can see under the surface of your skin.
- Aching legs that feel heavy after standing or sitting for too long or at night after a long tiring day.
- Skin discolouration in the area of varicose veins, commonly brown.
- Itchiness in the legs and ankles.

You may find your varicose veins symptoms worsen in warmer weather or if you have been standing for an extended time. However, your symptoms can improve with rest and leg elevation. Regular use of our Sigvaris Compression Stockings is also a great way to manage symptoms and prevent the condition from worsening. So, let’s find out more about compression stockings and their benefits for those experiencing varicose veins.

What Are Compression Stockings?

While you may have heard of medical compression stockings or compression socks before, if you have never had to use them, there is a lot you may not know!

Compression stockings are specially made garments that provide graduated pressure to the legs, which means that they are tightest around the ankle. This pressure gradually reduces going up the leg. This structure helps support the veins and assists blood circulation.

There are two types of compression stockings, support and medical. Support socks provide mild graduated compression. They can be worn by anyone who may be at risk of developing vein related conditions as a preventive measure or just to maintain good leg health.

Medical compression stockings give measured compression. They are available in different compression classes or grades and are commonly prescribed by doctors to manage venous conditions such as varicose veins.

Compression stockings are an easy, non-invasive way to manage venous insufficiency and can help the person lead a better life.