Going on long distance trips can also mean having long hours of sitting. Plane trips, especially international ones, can make you stay in your seat for many hours. While traveling can be rewarding, there are certain health concerns about being immobile for a long period that we need to be aware of. We may or may not notice it yet, but our ankles can sometimes get swollen the longer we stay seated on a flight or even with a coach. Prolonged periods of sitting can be taxing to our circulation, especially on our lower body, that is why wearing compression socks is important.
Compression Socks Help Maintain Good Circulation
Keeping good blood circulation at all times is essential for our health. This is particularly important during long periods of sitting. International flights, especially non-stop ones are notorious for having long periods of staying in your seat. Because your leg muscles don’t contract due to prolonged sitting, the circulation of the blood from your legs back to the heart gets more difficult. This results in blood and fluid pooling in the lower legs. Thus, you either need to stand and move your legs every few hours or use socks that promote good blood circulation in the legs. Travel compression socks work by giving your legs a steady squeeze, which helps your veins and leg muscles circulate blood more efficiently. If you think compressions feel uncomfortable when worn, you will no longer notice the squeeze after a few hours of sitting. Thus, you feel relaxed when you sit inside a plane, bus, car or train for a long time.
Compression Socks Prevent Swelling of the Feet
Swelling at the bottom part of the lower extremities is a common complaint people who take long-distance trips. Prolonged sitting and immobilization of the legs can take its toll on the blood circulation to and from the legs. Fluid and blood can settle on the lower parts of the legs and cause swelling in the ankle, lower legs and feet. By applying consistent squeezing on your calves, you are stimulating leg veins and muscles to work efficiently. Leg flexing and leg motion or exercises are good activities that promote good blood flow. While leg activities are difficult inside a plane or inside the cramped up spaces of buses or cars, compression socks provide an effective solution by gently squeezing the calves and keep the flow of blood evenly distributed to all parts of the leg. Thus, swelling of the feet is prevented.
Compression Socks Help Prevent Deep Vein Thrombosis
Aside from swelling, regularly sitting for a long time can make the blood flow in the leg area sluggish can cause small blood clots to form. Blood clots may plug a vein and block blood flow, which leads to a painful condition called deep vein thrombosis (DVT). If the clot moves to the lungs, it can become life-threatening. DVT occurs when a blood clot forms on a vein, most commonly in the lower leg, thigh or pelvis. This condition has a higher chance of developing for people who regularly take long flights due to the more frequent pooling of blood in the lower legs, which is often caused when the legs hang for prolonged periods. While the risk of DVT during long flights is very low for healthy individuals, others can have higher risk, such as those that have diabetes, heart conditions, cancer, sickle cell anemia and blood clotting disorder. People who smoke, who are overweight, on birth control or pregnant are also at an elevated risk for DVT.
Compression socks might just be your lifesaver when it comes to long-distance trips. They not only provide you comfort, but they also help minimize developing health risks and conditions, such as DVT, which can cause life-threatening complications. Don’t mind looking geeky with these socks if it means putting your mind at ease and keeping yourself in good health.
