Long Travel & Thrombosis? Learn About Airplane Socks And Stockings
In principle, everyone is at risk of a deep vein thrombosis (DVT) after a long journey and three times more than just on the ground. Although the risk of thrombosis is small (1 per 2-5000 travelers), there are also groups of people with an increased risk. This applies, for example, to the elderly, fat and tall people, people with a thrombosis, certain medication, pregnancy and cancer. According to various studies, the risk of thrombosis is significantly increased by long air travel, the travel behavior and the atmosphere in the aircraft. Not only flying, but also traveling for several hours by bus, train or car increases this risk.
A study by Clarke and Hopewell (Compression stockings for preventing deep vein thrombosis in airline passengers, 3 APR 2007) shows that wearing stockings results in a very large reduction in symptoms of DVT among air passengers who had worn stockings than those who not wearing travel stockings. The passengers who wore these stockings also suffered less from sore and swollen legs (edema) than those who did not wear travel stockings. These conclusions are based on a study of more than 2,800 people, half of whom wore travel stockings and the other half who did not, on a journey lasting at least 7 hours. Remarkably, there was a large difference in the number of symptoms of DVT between the 2 groups, equivalent to a reduction in the risk from tens per thousand passengers to 2 or 3 per thousand.
Our blog also contains more information about 17 causes of edema and swollen ankles.
The solution for traveler thrombosis: Travel and compression stockings
If you are traveling by plane, train, bus or car and are sitting in a sitting position for many hours, it is recommended to wear compression stockings. Compression stockings promote the return of blood in the legs to the heart and reduce the risk of DVT during long trips in confined spaces. These compression stockings are also called airplane socks, because these compression socks are worn on the plane.
So what do airplane socks do?
Airplane socks, also known as compression stockings or compression stockings for in the plane, provide a certain amount of pressure on the legs.
This pressure (also called compression) improves blood circulation because it helps the veins drain excess blood and fluid in the lower legs. The result: less pain from traveler thrombosis and other leg swellings when flying.
Where can I buy airplane socks?
At STOX we offer our special 'Travel Socks'. These compression socks are made with temperature-regulating materials, so that your feet stay nice and warm during the flight.
Click here for the product overview
