What to wear on swollen legs
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Leg swelling has many causes, and the cause decides whether compression helps. Long days standing, heat and long flights are one thing; swelling that is new, sudden, one-sided or painful is another.
When to get it looked at: swelling that appears suddenly, affects one limb only, comes with calf pain, warmth or redness, or follows a long period of immobility should be assessed promptly rather than treated with compression at home. Those can be signs of a clot.
Compression socks
Shaped garments made in specified compression classes, measured in mmHg. When a clinician has prescribed a class, this is what they mean, and nothing else substitutes for it. The common complaint is getting them on: they are deliberately tight at the ankle, which is hard with limited grip or reach.
Tubular bandages
A knitted tube cut to the length you want. Easier to get on, and it can stop short of a sensitive area rather than running the whole leg. It carries no compression class, so it is not a substitute for a prescribed garment, but several of our customers use it through the day at home and keep socks for when they are out.
One reviewer put it plainly: knee-high compression socks bound behind the knee when worn all day, while a cut length of tubular bandage did not, and the swelling was no worse.
Wrapped elastic bandages
Cheap and adjustable, but the pressure depends entirely on how you wrapped it that morning. Hard to apply evenly to your own leg and easy to get too tight.
Choosing
- Prescribed a compression class? Use the garment you were prescribed.
- Everyday comfort and you struggle with socks? A tubular bandage is worth trying.
- Need to cover a dressing as well? A tubular sleeve does both.