I am sure you have seen nurses run around the hospital with hosiery or knee high socks. Maybe you have been wondering what is the point of nurses wearing compression socks? Why do nurses wear compression socks?
Well, if you’ve heard about the benefits of compression therapy, you know that it can help you avoid leg pain, muscle cramps, varicose veins or swelling. But what are the benefits of compression socks for nurses? Why do nurses wear compression socks? Which are the best compression socks for nurses? In this article we are going to explore the massive benefits of compression socks for nurses.
What are the Benefits of Compression Socks for Nurses?
In recent years compression socks rose in popularity. Athletes, such as runners have been at the forefront of getting compression socks in the mode. To be fair, compression garments have evolved a lot in recent years. Previously they were used for improving the circulation of bed ridden patients and the elderly. They were prescribed after surgeries. Nowadays runners, cyclists, pilots and nurses all use compression socks to prevent blood circulation related. The many benefits of compression socks are the reason behind their sudden popularity in the nursing community.
Nurses have been one of the biggest beneficiaries of the advancements in the field of compression therapy. Now the compression socks made for nurses are more comfortable and more effective than ever before.
Why do Nurses Wear Compression Socks?
Nurses spend most of their time walking from patient to patient in the hospital. They spend the majority of their shifts on their feet. This can be detrimental to the health of their feet over the long run.
Most nurses complain of the following problems:
- Varicose veins.
- Aching legs, feeling tired.
- Cramps.
- Swollen legs.
- Deep vein thrombosis (DVT).
How do compression socks help nurses deal with all of these problems?
Varicose veins appear when the blood pools up in the veins after the walls of the veins loose their firmness. Varicose veins appear as blackish bulging veins on the legs. Nurses can develop varicose veins in a number of ways. Sitting in front of the computer, doing paperwork or tending to patients all loosen the walls of the veins. The purpose of compression socks for nurses is to increase the firmness of the veins. This speeds up blood circulation and the veins regain their original structure.
Aching legs of nurses are also down to inadequate blood circulation. When the blood flows slowly the oxygen and nutrition necessary for the muscles reaches them later. This leads to tiredness of the muscles. Standing next to the bed of patients, walking from bed to bed are the main reasons nurses develop aching legs. Nurses wear compression socks to feel fresh on their legs and prevent leg pain.
Cramps appear for a similar reason. The muscles can get sore because the waste materials can’t leave the muscles. If the blood flows slowly, the lactic acid and carbon dioxide stays in the muscles longer than necessary. Nurses often walk 15-20 miles during a shift. With such long distances covered, it is easy to cramp up. Nurses wear compression socks so they can stand on their feet and do their jobs for the whole duration of their shifts.
Swollen legs appear for similar reasons. The fluid between the cells pools up, because it can’t enter the blood stream. The fluid causes puffy skin and pain in the muscles.
Different Strength Compression Socks for Nurses
The strength of compression socks is measured in mm Hg – millimetres of mercury. There are different strength compression socks that can benefit nurses. They are all between 5 mm Hg and 30 mm Hg.
- 5-10 mm Hg: These socks are weak compression socks. The benefit of these socks for nurses is preventing the circulatory issues that plaque nurses from appearing. Don’t use these sock if you already suffer from varicose veins and you need a remedy.
- 10-20 mm Hg: These socks are considered medium strength nursing socks. They benefit nurses who have mild problems.
- 20-30 mm Hg: These socks are strong compression products. They benefit nurses with heavy cases of varicose veins, swelling and severe leg pain.
- 30 mm Hg +: These compression socks are called medical grade socks. They are not available on the market, they can be bought only with a prescription.
If you don’t know which strength of compression you need, try out a lower compression model first. If it doesn’t get the job done, go on to a stronger model.
What are the Benefits of Compression Socks for Nurses?
The reason behind theses diseases is always some kind of insufficiency of the circulatory system. The reason for the aching legs is that the veins always have to pump the blood up against the force of gravity. The veins have little pumps inside them to help with circulating the blood. If a nurse stands for hours on end the veins can get tired and the blood circulation slows down. The walls of the veins loose their firmness. The diameter of the veins increase. In advanced cases, the blood might even pool up. Varicose veins and spider veins appear. Nurses wear compression socks because they put pressure on the veins. This keeps the veins firm, the legs fresh.
The best nursing compression socks put pressure on the skin, which in turn translates to the veins. The compression garment’s pressure compresses the veins and prevents the walls from loosening up. This keeps the blood circulation at a healthy pace. If the blood were to pool up in any of the veins the structure the compression socks provide immediately pushes the veins together, making the blood flow again.
Which compression socks are best for nurses?
There are basically two types of compression socks: graduated compression socks and uniform sock. Graduated compression therapy puts the largest pressure on the foot and the ankles – the body parts further away from the heart. As the socks get higher up the legs, the pressure gets lower. This type of compression garment enhances blood circulation the most without side effects. Almost all the compression socks for nurses on the market are graduated nursing compression socks. Graduated compression socks for nurses have the most benefits for nurses. Anybody who tried on graduated compression socks knows exactly why nurses should wear sock.
Go2 Compression Socks for Nurses
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Another crucial aspect of the most beneficial compression socks for nurses are their ability to keep the legs dry and clean. If you wear compression socks for an extended period the legs start sweating. The best compression socks for nurses let the sweat evaporate from the legs.
The compression socks that benefit nurses the most keep the legs hygienic. They have antibacterial qualities. That is why nurses like wearing copper compression socks. Copper has antibacterial qualities. They are gaining popularity rapidly. One of the biggest benefits of compression socks for nurses is how clean they can keep the legs during the long shifts.
Style is another important quality. Everybody likes different looking socks. However the sock have to match the colour of the scrubs. Some nurses like to wear a bit goofy or extravagant socks. Check out these cute compression socks for nurses for some product ideas. This is also why nurse mate’s compression socks are one of the most popular socks among nurses. Who would have thought that one of the benefits of compression socks for nurses is looking stylish.
Conclusion
Why do nurses wear compression socks? There are many benefits of compression socks for nurses. I hope this article highlighted why they are so great at preventing varicose veins, swelling and pain. There are other benefits of compression socks for nurses, too. These include looking great, feeling comfortable as well as keeping your legs dry and hygienic. If you are a nurse, there are a thousand reasons why you should wear compression socks. Although there is no one product that could be labelled the best, I reviewed several of the best compression socks for nurses. Do you have experience wearing compression socks? Leave a comment below!