It’s natural for human’s legs to start swelling immediately they wake up as the feet support the whole body while standing. This situation is more common among nurses as they work for longs hours, up to 12 hours, every day.
Long-standing hours may also bring about other negative effects on nurses. So, why do nurses should wear compression socks? Below is all you need to know.
You Can Read: Best Compression Socks For Nurses
Why Should Nurses Wear Compression Socks?
Nurses have demanding jobs. Also, they have to face many unusual circumstances. Usually, swelling on the legs greatly affects nurses’ ability to perform their job.
Wearing compression socks helps stabilize the muscle tissues on their legs, maintain low levels of Swelling, improve comfort all day long, and reduce varicose veins. Here are the top reasons why nurses should wear compression socks.
1. Compression Socks Reduce Swelling
Do you know how long a nurse works in a day? Well, nurses are known to stand for long periods, up to 12 hours daily. This causes the accumulation of lymphatic fluid, as well as the pooling of blood around the legs.
The effects of this are swelling and pain in the legs. Compression socks provide graduated compression that results in the pushing of lymphatic fluid up the legs. As a result, swelling reduces.
2. Minimize Fatigue
As mentioned above, nurses are on their feet most times while working. So, they are usually very tired. However, a compression sock provides enough pressure that results in increased circulation of blood around the legs.
They also help provide a cushion against the nurse’s shoes. This way, nurses can concentrate on their work well.
Read Also: What Is The Best Pressure For Compression Socks? Or, What Level of Compression Socks Do you Need?
3. Decreases Varicose Veins on the Legs
Standing for long hours causes varicose veins to appear on the nurse’s legs. It causes the legs to have a bad look and make the nurse involved uncomfortable, both at work and away.
Additionally, varicose veins may create bigger health problems and other conditions like spider veins. But compression socks help to reduce these varicose veins from appearing on the legs.
4. Improves Muscle Recovery
The nursing profession leads to serious muscle injuries that are caused by muscle wear. Apart from causing much fatigue, they can cause soreness around the nurses’ feet.
However, the graduated pressure provided by compression socks helps speed up muscle recovery after a long-hour shift. Besides, it increases blood circulation and also helps to heal leg muscles.
What level of compression socks do you need for nursing?
Nurses are usually involved with long hours of working or traveling. As such, most of them experience mild Swelling on the legs. The ideal compression socks, in this case, will be those of light or moderate, like Treat My Feet Store compression (15-20 mmHg)[Amazon].
If nurses experience more than mild Swelling and the appearance of varicose veins on the legs, they may have to go for socks with firm compression (20-30 mmHg) [Amazon].
On the other hand, socks with a compression of 30-40 mmHg are from Aoliks Store [Amazon] ideal for those nurses facing severe cases of Swelling and spider or varicose veins.
Parting Shot
In as much as compression socks are helpful to nurses, there are more things that nurses can do to protect their legs and feet. This includes wearing fitting and comfortable socks, with rubber or sport shoes being more ideal. This will ensure they maintain healthy feet even at an advanced age.
