Compression stockings, including Sigvaris compression socks, can assuage many medical conditions, including the following chronic diseases.
1. Lymphedema
When the body’s lymph system is compromised, lymphedema may occur. The symptoms of lymphedema include:
- Skin discoloration.
- Swollen, heavy limbs.
- Extreme fatigue.
- Deformation, if the condition is left unchecked.
To heal lymphedema, excess liquid must be drained. Skin care, compressive bandaging and physical therapy follow. Once this initial round of treatment is complete, doctors recommend wearing compression support stockings to preserve the effects of therapy and to reduce the chances of a flare-up in the future.
2. Phlebitis and Thrombosis
Phlebitis and thrombosis are inflammatory diseases that appear in a different area of the body: the veins. Phlebitis may be identified by:
- Hard veins that are sensitive to pressure.
- A slight fever.
- Swelling of the limbs, especially the hands and feet.
- Nearby areas of redness and sensitivity to touch.
The main concern with phlebitis is that it can cause blood clots to form. If blood clots move to the heart, brain or lungs, they can become stuck and cause heart attacks and strokes. Thrombosis is similar; it occurs in larger veins, often deep in the legs. However, thrombosis is more difficult to treat because it often presents no symptoms. Because compression stockings increase circulation, they naturally reduce the likelihood that clots will turn fatal. Compression stockings also help counterbalance phlebitis and thrombosis by applying pressure to the veins, thereby cutting down on the amount of excess liquid in the legs.
3. Edema
Any swelling in the body may be called edema. Indeed, everything from the brain swelling that occurs at high altitudes to the puffiness around the eyes that many people experience upon awakening may be termed edema. Mediven, Juzo and Sigvaris compression socks are designed to heal edema that manifests in the lower legs. Called peripheral edema, this disease includes swelling around the calf and ankle, which causes stretched, shiny skin. In peripheral edema, liquid gets stuck in the “interstitial” areas of the body, between the blood vessels. It is natural for swelling to be worst in the lower areas of the body, where gravity has the most effect. For those with peripheral edema, walking may be painful.
There are two varieties of edema: non-pitting and pitting. To figure out which type of edema they are looking at, doctors and nurses usually apply pressure to the bloated area.
— If a hollow remains after pressure has been released, the patient has pitting edema.
— In contrast, skin bounces back up quickly in cases of non-pitting edema.
Compression stockings are excellent for treating non-pitting edema. This is because they force blood to move into new areas. Because it is linked with kidney, liver and heart conditions, a medical professional must treat pitting edema.
Lymphedema, thrombosis, phlebitis and edema are only a few of the conditions compression support stockings can help treat. Talk to your doctor today about compression stockings to discover whether they can help you.
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