How do people get vein disease? What is compression therapy?

My husband suffers from lymphoedema and has to wear a bandage on one of his legs. Wearing specialised compression stockings, socks, and hosiery is an effective way to prevent or slow down the progression of vein and circulation-related problems and diseases. Even if someone is experiencing only a mild vein-related problem, it can have quite an impact on their general health. This is because the rot of the problem, the lack of proper function of the veins and the subsequent impaired blood circulation can lead to cells throughout the body being deprived of the essential nutrients and oxygen that the body needs.

Perhaps it should also be noted if you ignore a vein problem, the condition can worsen over time and lead to permanent vein damage and serious vein diseases such as leg ulcers and blood clots.

He did not like wearing the bandage at first but he is used to it now!

Medical compression garments, which are stocking like tubes, often with a sock like end that you pull up the leg, are especially effective for preventing, treating, and improving healing from a wide variety of health conditions, venous disorders and diseases.

Varicose & Spider Veins: Compression garments are a medically effective compression therapy for preventing and treating mild to severe varicose veins/varicosities bulging, sometimes jagged, superficial veins that usually have a bluish or dark purple colour and are commonly found in the legs and spider veins, smaller, shorter, sometimes tree or spider webbed veins that are often red or blue in colour, that can be seen on the legs and face, and are closer to the surface of the skin than varicose veins). By compressing the blood vessels, compression stockings help treat varicose and spider veins and avoid their re-occurrence. Also maternity compression stockings are effective for varicose and spider veins that often form during pregnancy.

The most common forms of treatment for vein problems are:

Sclerotherapy: For similar reasons as those stated for varicose and spider veins, compression stockings are used following sclerotherapy to prevent the reappearance of spider and varicose veins.

Chronic Venous Insufficiency: By increasing the blood flow back to the heart and so reducing pressure on the veins, compression stockings help reduce the symptoms related to chronic venous insufficiency (i.e. swelling, discomfort, varicose veins, leg ulcers, sensitive and damaged skin, skin colour changes, etc.).

Lymphoedema: Lymphoedema is an accumulation of lymphatic fluid that causes abnormal swelling (most often in the arms and/or legs, sometimes in other parts of the body such as the abdomen, breast or head). Lymphoedema may be due to missing or impaired lymphatic vessels or damaged lymph vessels. By activating blood circulation and bringing more oxygen to the affected areas, compression garments help reduce the lymphoedema and re-establish a normal blood flow in the tissues.

Pregnancy is a leading cause for vein and circulation-related leg problems, including tired, achy, heavy legs, swollen legs/ankles, varicose veins, and spider veins. During pregnancy, the amount of blood in the body increases to provide essential nutrients to the growing baby. This increase in blood can stretch the veins and lead to vein and circulation-related leg problems. Wearing a special maternity pantie hose or compression stockings during pregnancy can help to avoid these vein and leg problems.

Sometimes compression stockings and the like are used after treatment for other conditions and disorders and they are medically effective as post-treatments for conditions including thrombotic syndrome (including oedema, hyperpigmentation, statis dermatitis, statis cellulites, corona phlebectatica, and venous statis ulcers), post venous stasis ulcers, post vein stripping, ligation, phlebectomy, and sclerotherapy of large veins, severe post traumatic and post fracture oedema, and as a treatment of deep vein thrombosis (DVT). All in all a pretty good thing wouldn't you say?