If the compression stockings are worn improperly, such as being too tight or too small, they may cause excessive compression on the blood vessels in the legs, affecting blood circulation and theoretically increasing the risk of thrombosis. However, this situation usually occurs under extreme conditions.

In addition, if there are other risk factors for thrombosis, such as hypercoagulable state of blood and vascular endothelial damage, the possibility of thrombosis cannot be completely ruled out even if compression stockings are worn.

However, this is not directly caused by the compression stockings themselves, but by the underlying disease factors.

What Do Compression Socks Do?

Compression stockings apply pressure to your legs and ankles. Specifically, these tight-fitting stockings squeeze your legs. This squeeze increases blood flow, helping blood flow up your legs toward your heart. The benefit is that it prevents blood from pooling in the veins of your legs, which can cause damage and blood clots.

For example, the common Knee High Socks and Thigh High Socks are based on this principle, applying different degrees of pressure to different parts of the leg.

Read More:What Do Compression Socks Help With？

People wear compression stockings for different reasons, but the overall goal is to get blood moving more smoothly through the body. Even if you don't have a disease that affects your veins, your blood still has to overcome the force of gravity as it circulates. When you're sitting or standing, gravity creates a certain amount of resistance, making it more difficult for blood to flow back to your heart. This is where compression stockings come in handy.

If you are considering buying compression socks, you might want to take a look at Plus Size Bright Stripe Compression Socks or Colorful Pattern Plus Size Compression Socks，which not only makes you comfortable but also effectively promotes blood circulation.

Like Plus Size Socks, its design also follows this principle of promoting blood circulation, but the size and pressure distribution are optimized for the leg characteristics of larger people.

What Are Compression Socks Used For?

Sitting or standing for long periods of time can slow circulation and cause swelling or edema in your legs or ankles. That’s why you might see people on long flights wearing compression socks.

Depending on the type of sock used, compression therapy can help with several conditions. You may get a prescription for compression socks to:

• Improve circulation in your legs.
• Reduce occupational leg swelling.
• Heal or prevent leg ulcers and other symptoms of chronic venous insufficiency.
• Promote lymphatic drainage for people with lymphedema.
• Stop blood from clotting or pooling in your leg veins.
• Relieve symptoms caused by varicose veins.
• Lower the risk of deep vein thrombosis or the symptoms of post-thrombotic syndrome.
• Improve hypertrophic and keloid scarring.
• Relieve leg pain and swelling in pregnancy.

Some people wear nonmedical compression socks while exercising or playing sports to enhance performance and recovery. But the research on this is very mixed.

Are There Different Types of Compression Socks?

Yes, there are different types, sizes, materials, and levels of compression socks. This is because people use compression socks for different reasons and in different situations.

Compression socks are usually made of synthetic materials such as Lycra, nylon, or spandex. They usually stop below the knee, but they can also be worn up to the thigh.

There are three main types of compression socks:

• Non-medical support socks: These socks are available over the counter (OTC) and include flight socks and stretch support socks. They provide even pressure across the entire length of the sock and are less tight than medical compression socks.
• Anti-embolism socks: These socks are primarily used to reduce the risk of deep vein thrombosis (blood clots that form in the deep veins) in people who don't exercise regularly. They apply the most pressure at the ankle and gradually decrease toward the top of the sock (a gradient of pressure).
• Medical or graduated compression stockings: These are medical-grade stockings that provide a specific level of compression. Like anti-embolism stockings, they also have a gradient of compression.

Read More:Types of Compression Socks | Benefits & Use

The Relationship Between Compression Stockings and Thrombosis

From a theoretical perspective, the characteristics of compression stockings that promote blood circulation help prevent thrombosis. Because it improves blood flow, prevents blood from slowly stagnating in the blood vessels of the legs, and reduces an important cause of thrombosis.

For example, for people who often wear quarter socks or crew socks, if they replace them with compression stockings, blood circulation in the legs will be improved, which can theoretically reduce the risk of thrombosis.

However, some people worry that too tight compression stockings may hinder blood flow. This situation can be avoided as long as the compression stockings with the right pressure level are correctly selected and worn.

How Tight Should Compression Socks Be?

How Tight Should Compression Socks Be?The tightness of compression stockings needs to balance effect and comfort. The appropriate tightness depends on the pressure level and personal needs.

How to Measure for Compression Socks？Mild pressure (15-20 mmHg) is suitable for daily prevention of long-term sitting or standing or mild varicose veins; moderate pressure (20-30 mmHg) is suitable for obvious varicose veins, edema or postoperative recovery; high-intensity pressure (30+ mmHg) requires professional guidance and is used for severe lymphedema or post-deep vein thrombosis syndrome.

When wearing, the ankle should fit but without marks, and the overall pressure should gradually decrease from the calf to the thigh to avoid local tightness causing numbness, tingling or white skin. Measure the thickest part of the ankle, calf and leg length in the morning, choose the right size, and pay attention to the breathability and elasticity of the material.

If the compression stockings are too tight, the skin may be sunken, cold or painful; if they are too loose, they are easy to slide down, accumulate wrinkles or fail to improve edema. Special populations (such as diabetics or pregnant women) need to choose carefully and consult a doctor if necessary.

How Long Should You Wear Compression Socks?

The wearing time of compression stockings needs to be adjusted according to the purpose of use and health status.

For daily prevention or mild venous problems, it is recommended to wear them for 8-12 hours during daytime activities and take them off before going to bed to avoid long-term compression at night; patients with postoperative or severe venous diseases may need to wear them all day, but they must strictly follow the doctor's advice and have regular check-ups.

When standing, sitting or exercising for a long time, you can wear them during the activity and take them off after the activity, and cooperate with moderate activities to promote blood circulation. The first use should start from a short time to adapt. If skin allergies, pain or swelling increase, stop immediately and consult a doctor.

What to Pay Attention to When Using Compression Stockings

When using compression stockings, pay close attention to your physical condition. Pay attention to whether the skin on your legs is red, itchy, painful, or other abnormal conditions. If these symptoms occur, it may be caused by inappropriate or improper wearing of the compression stockings, and you should adjust or stop using them in time.

At the same time, pay attention to whether your lower limbs feel swollen or numb. If these conditions occur, it may mean that blood circulation is affected and requires further examination and treatment. In addition, regular physical examinations, especially for people with cardiovascular diseases or other chronic diseases, should be carried out to understand your physical condition promptly so that you can better use compression stockings.

Under normal use, compression stockings have a positive effect on preventing thrombosis, but improper use may bring certain risks. Therefore, when using compression stockings, we must follow the correct methods and precautions to ensure that they play their due role and protect our health.

Conclusion

In summary, compression stockings themselves do not cause thrombosis, but the correct use of compression stockings is beneficial to preventing thrombosis.

By understanding the design principle, usage method, and applicable population of compression stockings, we can better use compression stockings to promote blood circulation in the legs and maintain leg health. When choosing compression socks, you can consider professional and high-quality brands like Plusock to get more effective help.

Plusock focuses on product design and strictly follows the scientific design principles of compression socks to ensure that the pressure distribution of each pair of socks is accurate and reasonable.

It covers a variety of styles, such as No Show Socks, which are suitable for those who pursue low-key and daily wear, so that they can enjoy the benefits of compression socks without affecting the beauty of wearing shoes; Ankle Socks provide moderate pressure while maintaining ankle flexibility, suitable for people with more daily activities.