Archive for April, 2009

mmHg Compression Stockings: What Do Compression Stocking Levels Mean?

Mmhg stands for millimeter of mercury, a unit of measuring pressure. When it comes to compression stockings, mmHg refers to how tightly the elastic medical compression stockings support the veins in the leg. The higher the mmHg number, the greater the graduated compression stocking will squeeze the patient’s leg.

mmHg compression stockings come in a variety of brands (such as Sigvaris, Mediven, Jobst, and Juzo), styles, and compression levels. Here is a list of compression stocking levels and who they’re used for:

8-15 mmHg compression stocking levels

Doctors typically recommend these stockings for people with aching, fatigued legs; pregnant women; or people with careers that have them on their feet a lot. You can buy 8 to 15 mmHg compression stockings over the counter.

15-20 mmHg compression stocking levels

This therapeutic version of compression stockings is often useful for people whose legs are prone to fatigue and swelling. Pregnant women, people with spider or varicose veins, or people with inherited circulatory problems may need to wear 15-20 mmHg compression stockings.

20-30 mmHg compression stocking levels

Patients with a lot of heaviness and swelling in the legs, mild varicose veins, varicose veins during pregnancy, or who’ve just undergone vein surgery wear 20 to 30 mmHg compression stockings.

30-40 mmHg compression stocking levels

Who wears 30 40 mmHg compression stocking levels? Patients prone to blood clots (such as deep vein thrombosis), post-surgery patients, pregnant women with phlebitis, people with severe leg swelling and scars, stasis dermatitis sufferers, and those with lymphedema.

40-50 mmHg compression stocking levels

People with severe venous ulcers, severe circulatory problems, and lymphedema need to wear these medical grade 40 50 mmHg compression stocking levels.

50-60 mmHg compression stocking levels

People with severe lymphedema, who’ve undergone surgery for compression lymphedema, and severe post thrombotic syndrome need to wear 50 60 mmHg compression stocking levels.

Your doctor will help you decide which compression stocking level is best for you and your medical condition.

Thigh High Compression Stockings or Knee Length: Which Works Best?

Graduated compression stockings come in a variety of lengths. From thigh length to knee length stockings, you might be wondering which style works best to prevent post thrombotic syndrome and other vein disorders.

When it comes to ease of use and effectiveness, knee length compression stockings win out over thigh high compression stockings, says a study published in the January-February 2009 issue of the medical journal Clinical Nurse Specialist.

Because staff nurses noted that thigh high compression stockings were difficult to use with patients, researchers evaluated the use of different lengths of compression stockings in general surgery and urology patients. They found that compared to thigh high compression stockings, knee length stockings proved:

• more comfortable for patients
• easier for the staff to use
• less expensive
• less likely to cause injury
• just as effective as thigh high stockings

At St. Cloud Hospital in Minnesota, where this study was conducted, general surgery and urology patients will now wear knee high compression stockings, and the department of obstetrics and gynecology is considering the change for maternity compression stockings as well.

Graduated compression stockings, such as those made by Sigvaris, Mediven, Jobst, and Juzo, are available in multiple lengths, depending on your health condition. If your thigh high compression stockings are uncomfortable or difficult for you to put on, consider using a compression stocking aid – a device that makes it easier to pull the stockings over your legs.

You may also want to talk with your doctor about whether knee length stockings would work just as well to reduce your risk of varicose veins and venous disorders.

Varicose Legs and Compression Stockings

Bulging, painful varicose veins affect up to 25 percent of women. They’re unsightly, make standing on your feet difficult, and miniskirts are out of the question. For many women, though, suffering with varicose legs isn’t necessary. Here are some frequently asked questions about varicose vein treatment and compression stockings.

Why do varicose legs develop? What causes varicose veins?

The valves in your body’s system of veins help blood flow back to the upper body and prevent it from flowing backward toward the legs. When the valves weaken, though, blood can pool, causing the veins to expand and blue, lumpy knots known as varicose veins to develop.

Who gets varicose veins?

Heredity is a major factor in the development of varicose legs. People who spend a lot of time on their feet, pregnant women, those who fly extensively, and people who are overweight are also prone to varicose legs.

How bad can varicose legs get?

For many people, spider veins (precursor to varicose veins) or varicose veins don’t hurt – they’re just a cosmetic annoyance. For others, though, the veins can ache and make standing for any length of time difficult. In other cases, varicose legs could actually be an indicator of a more serious problem with the circulatory system.

How are varicose legs prevented?

There are a lot of easy ways that the average person can prevent varicose veins. Regular exercise and maintaining a healthy weight are key, since these two factors reduce the pressure on the legs and improve blood circulation.

Another varicose veins treatment: compression stockings. Some popular brands of compression stockings are Juzo, Jobst, Sigvaris, and Mediven. These stockings come in different strengths, or levels of compression. They work by gently squeezing the legs so blood can flow better.

Measure Yourself for Compression Stockings

Wearing compression stockings that don’t fit can be a daily drag. Most physicians recommend that people who need to wear compression stockings for varicose vein treatment get specially fitted for these special support hose that increase circulation and reduce leg swelling.

A representative at your local medical supply store can fit you for your stockings and teach you how to wear them properly. However, if you want to buy compression stockings from an online retailer, you’ll need to measure yourself. Here are step-by-step instructions to measure yourself for compression stockings. Be sure to record each measurement for each leg.

1. Measure around your ankle (this measurement is called the circumference). Place the measuring tape at the narrowest part of the ankle, above the ankle bone.
2. Find the widest part of your calf. Measure the circumference of your calf.
3. Sit on a chair with your legs at a 90-degree angle. Measure the distance from the bend in your knee to the floor.
4. Find the widest part of your thigh – right under your buttocks. Measure the circumference of this part of your thigh.
5. Measure the distance from the bottom of your buttocks to the floor.
6. Find the widest part of your hips/waist and measure the circumference.

Take these recorded measurements and use them in conjunction with the sizing chart for the brand of stockings you’ve chosen, such as Mediven, Sigvaris, Juzo, or Jobst. All of these compression stocking manufacturers offer sizing charts that will ensure you get the proper fit.

Post Thrombotic Syndrome and Compression Stockings

Months or years after being diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis, a person may develop post thrombotic syndrome. Post thrombotic syndrome often occurs after a person takes blood thinners (also known as anticoagulants) for deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Compression stockings are one way doctors prevent post thrombotic syndrome.

How many people get post thrombotic syndrome?

The Vascular Disease Foundation reports that about one third of patients with DVT develop post thrombotic syndrome; other sources say 60 to 70% of patients with DVT develop post thrombotic syndrome. Post thrombotic syndrome is more common in people who had clots in the large veins of the pelvis or abdomen.

What causes post thrombotic syndrome?

Although blood thinners such as coumadin prevent new blood clots from forming, they don’t break up the existing clots. A person with post thrombotic syndrome has developed damage in the vein where the clot formed.

What are the symptoms of post thrombotic syndrome?

People with post thrombotic syndrome experience symptoms such as:

• Leg swelling
• Chronic pain
• Leg discoloration
• Leg ulcers and sores
• Fatigue

How is post thrombotic syndrome prevented?

In certain cases, DVT clots can be removed with a catheter. This type of treatment would prevent post thrombotic syndrome because it breaks up the clot, restores the person’s blood flow, and reduces the likelihood of damage to the vein valves. Using filters to catch blood clots (called vena cava filters) is another prevention method for post thrombotic syndrome.

Compression stockings and post thrombotic syndrome

People with DVT often wear compression stockings to prevent the development of post thrombotic syndrome. One 2004 study found that patients with DVT who wore knee high compression stockings (such as Mediven, Juzo, Jobst, or Sigvaris brands) had a 50 percent reduced risk of developing post thrombotic syndrome over 2 years.

Doctors recommended that DVT patients replace their compression stockings (the ones in the study provided 30-40 mmHg of pressure) every six months.

Compression Stockings for Runners

If you’re a runner, chances are you never leave for a 5K without your heart rate monitor and iPod. The next time you run, consider adding compression stockings to your must-have list. Research shows that support stockings, or compression stockings or calf and shin sleeves, improve running performance during both short, intense sprints and longer distance runs.

In this study, middle-aged runners ran on the treadmill while wearing compression stockings. The German researchers who conducted the study, published in the January 2009 issue of the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, found that runners could run longer and had significantly better performance during both sprints (anaerobic exercise) and longer distance runs (aerobic exercise) when they wore the stockings.

Compression stockings for runners look a bit like leg warmers. They’re worn from the ankle to the knee, so runners also wear regular running socks over top of them.

How do compression stockings, or sleeves, for runners work? Not only do they keep runners’ calves warm during colder runs, but like compression stockings used for medical purposes, those used for runners also improve blood circulation and blood flow, allowing runners to run longer and faster. In addition, compression stockings offer support to the calf and shins, reducing the likelihood of shin splints.

Here’s an example of a calf and shin sleeve compression stocking for runners:  Pro Tec Calf Sleeve.

Compression Stockings Help Heal Leg Ulcers

Are you one of the 500,000 or more people in the United States who experience leg ulcers every year?

Leg ulcers in the lower part of the body often affect people with circulation problems, varicose veins, blood clots, or leg swelling.  These leg ulcer wounds are not just unsightly – they’re also prone to infection, burning, itching, and swelling.

If you’re one of those suffering from leg ulcers, using compression stockings could help your leg ulcers heal, say reviewers published in the January 2009 issue of the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.

People with leg ulcers, which may be caused by post thrombotic syndrome, who used compression stockings found their ulcers healed more quickly than those who didn’t use the support hose. Certain types of compression stockings also tended to be more effective at improving leg ulcers, especially those that contained elastic fibers as opposed to other materials.

Less pain may also be associated with using compression stockings for leg ulcers, the reviewers noted.

Keep in mind, though, that using compression stockings can be confusing and difficult for some people. The researchers noted that many people who used them in the studies dropped out or experienced side effects, such as skin problems and an increased risk of blood clots.

Your best bet when using compression stockings? First, talk to your doctor about using compression stockings and whether they’re right for you, based on your leg ulcer concerns. Next, if your doctor suggests compression stockings, make sure the compression stockings you buy fit properly. Using the wrong size compression stockings or using them incorrectly could add to your health problems. Finally, be sure to care for your compression stockings the right way so they continue to apply the proper amount of compression to your lower body.

Source: O’Meara S, et al. Compression for venous leg ulcers. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, January 2009.

How Long Should I Wear Compression Stockings?

If your doctor has recommended that you wear compression stockings for deep venous thrombosis (DVT), post-thrombotic syndrome (PTS), varicose veins, or other conditions that require vein support, chances are you have a lot of questions.

Your first question might be: how long should I wear compression stockings?

The answer: It varies.

Most people, especially those with DVT or PTS, start wearing the stockings immediately and wear them at all times, except when bathing and sleeping (your doctor may tell you to keep your legs elevated at night). For DVT patients, wearing the compression stockings is advised until you get back to your normal level of physical activity. For PTS patients, you may be advised to wear compression stockings for 2 years or more.

If your vein condition is mild, such as tired, aching legs due to the added weight of pregnancy, you may only wear compression stockings for a short period of time.

Before you purchase compression stockings, ask your doctor directly how many hours you should wear them daily and how long he or she expects you’ll have to wear them in general.

You should put your compression stockings on in the morning, when you get out of bed, but make sure that your legs are dry. If you use moisturizing lotion on your legs, put it on at night after you take your stockings off because the moisturizers may damage the stockings’ compressive fibers.

You should take your compression stockings off at night before getting into bed, wash the compression stockings, and lay them flat to dry.

To make going to the bathroom easier during the day, you may want to purchase thigh-high type compression stockings – these can be worn with a garter belt, if you want, and do not require you to pull down the stockings to use the toilet.

Compression Stockings’ Surprising Benefits

Compression stockings don’t have the fashion cache of other types of legwear, but they bring some important benefits to the table. Because compression stockings improve leg circulation and support the venous system, they play an important role in preventing unsightly varicose veins. And for people with certain health conditions, compression stockings aren’t just helpful – they’re necessary.

So who can benefit from compression stockings? The answer may surprise you. Here’s a comprehensive list of common compression stocking wearers:

On Your Feet

Anyone in a work environment that leads to long hours on their feet can benefit from the support that compression stockings offer:

• healthcare workers
• bank tellers
• construction workers
• store clerks and retail management
• teachers

Compression stockings help people in these professions because staying on your feet for hours on end can cause leg swelling and varicose veins. Don’t let your career be ruined or interrupted by varicose vein treatment – use compression stockings daily instead.

On the Go

Travelers taking long flights or car, bus, or train trips may experience reduced blood flow in the legs. Reduced blood flow causes a problem because it could lead to dangerous, life-threatening clots.

Baby on Board

Compression stockings also benefit pregnant women. Pregnant women have added weight and blood volume that pushes against the veins in the leg, leading to circulation problems and varicose veins. Don’t let your post-pregnancy period be filled with varicose vein treatment. Compression stockings can alleviate tired, achy pregnancy legs.

Chronic Conditions

Patients with chronic conditions are who we usually think of when we think of who buys compression stockings. Compression stockings may benefit those with:

• arthritis
• diabetes
• venous insufficiency and other venous disorders
• varicose and spider veins
• blood clotting disorders, such as post thrombotic syndrome and deep vein thrombosis

After surgery, patients often use some varieties of compression stockings to reduce the risk of blood clots.

Those with chronic conditions may require prescription-strength stockings, but pregnant women, travelers, and those who work on their feet often use compression stockings that deliver less pressure. Some common brands of compression stockings include Juzo, Sigvaris, Mediven, and Jobst.