FAQ's

How Does Graduated Compression Hose Work?

Your legs have many veins or tubes which return blood to your heart. When your venous tubes are compressed by your graduated compression hose your blood moves faster back to your heart which has many medical and even athletic performance benefits. Wearing your graduated compression hose is like putting your thumb over a garden hose! Compression hose makes your blood flow faster in your veins!

Why Graduated Compression Hose?

There is substantial scientific evidence that high quality, measured and fitted, graduated compression hose provide important medical benefits. Graduated compression use is like “wearing a pill” instead of “taking a pill”. Wearing graduated compression hose improves many superficial venous disease related symptoms including itching, heaviness, fatigue, pain, throbbing, swelling, night cramps, and even restless legs. Additionally, graduated compression hose improves skin changes of chronic venous disease, improves venous leg ulcer healing, and prevents venous leg ulcer recurrence. Lastly, graduated compression hose also lowers your risk of serious blood clots or Deep Venous Thrombosis, also known as DVT.

What Else Can Graduated Compression Hose Help With?

If you are a long-distance traveler, wearing graduated compression hose will help you prevent swelling, leg pain and discomfort, and lower your risk of Deep Venous Thrombosis.

If you are a pregnant woman, you will also benefit from wearing graduated compression hose which will also help you prevent swelling, leg pain and discomfort, and lower your risk of Deep Venous Thrombosis.

Additionally, many studies demonstrate improved human performance during muscular exertion when wearing compression hose. Athletic performance benefits of using hose during exercise include:

      • Returning deoxygenated blood to your lungs faster.
      • Improving tissue oxygenation.
      • Reduction in muscle pain and fatigue by accelerating the clearance of metabolites that build up in your muscles during exertion, such as lactic acid.
      • Reduction in muscle oscillation upon ground contact during running.
      • Faster recovery times by reducing effects of delayed onset muscle soreness in the days following strenuous exercise.

For you to obtain the benefit of less delayed muscle soreness after exercise, be sure to wear your graduated compression hose for at least 2 hours AFTER athletic exertion to get maximal benefit from your hose.

Why Must I Wear Compression Hose?

Hose both diagnose and improve vein-related problems you may be having. High quality, medical-grade graduated compression hose are measured, fitted, and comfortable. After medical or cosmetic vein treatment, hose help you feel better, recover faster, look better quicker, and prevent blood clots.

Which Hose Are Right For Me?

Quality compression hose are graduated, so the pressure in the hose fabric decreases as the hose goes up your leg, which pushes your blood and lymph fluid up towards your heart. Over the counter hose simply compress at the same pressure along the full length of the hose. They are typically poorly fitting, hot, and uncomfortable. Compression hose can be, thigh high, which are necessary for most patients who will need medical or cosmetic treatments. Knee high, most important after vein treatment for maintenance of leg health. Panty hose, which are generally not recommended but an option. Do we want to mention sleeves?

What If I Think My Compression Socks Are Too Tight?

Remove compression hose if they cause pain, numbness, tingling, or if you cannot sleep comfortably when wearing them overnight.

How should you choose the right graduated compression hose?

First and very important, for you to benefit from a good quality pair of graduated compression hose your legs must be measured for the proper fit! You must wear compression hose that are specifically measured to fit your leg size and configuration or you will be uncomfortable and not get the proper benefit from compression hose.

  • Good quality hose require you to measure your legs! A good quality hose brand will have multiple sizes based on careful measurements of your legs.
  • Unfortunately, many patients buy poor quality and poorly fitting hose and patients suffer as a result, become frustrated with uncomfortable hose, and stop wearing hose altogether! Which brands of graduated compression hose are the best?!
    • First, I would not rely on the internet to get a good answer.
    • Second, it is suggested that you ask your vein care physician which hose are best.
    • If you are looking for graduated compression hose for only athletic performance, I suggest you find a hose company that also manufactures graduated compression hose used for medical vein disease.
  • The amount of compression you use should be tailored to your specific needs. There are 3 classes of compression hose based on ankle-level pressure within your hose.
    • Class I, 15-20 mmHg, for spider veins, varicose veins, and mild ankle swelling.
    • Class II, 20-30 mmHg, for large varicose veins, moderate ankle swelling, and after spider vein or varicose vein minimally invasive procedures or surgery.
    • Class III, 30-40 mmHg, for severely symptomatic patients, severe ankle swelling, ankle ulcers, and lymphedema.

How should you use your graduated compression hose?

You cannot over wear your compression hose! However, if at any time your hose are very uncomfortable or you develop pain, numbness or tingling in your feet or legs, you should immediately remove your hose. You can even wear hose overnight which helps many people with night cramps and restless legs. Many patients and their doctors don’t realize that both night cramps and restless legs are often related to undiagnosed, hidden vein disease.