Why it is important to renew your compression hosiery prescription!

Why it is important to renew your compression hosiery prescription!

Many people are unaware of the importance of renewing a prescription for compression hosiery. Compression hosiery is prescribed by a nurse or doctor because it helps the blood in your leg veins being pushed back up to your heart and so it needs to be safe for you to wear. 

Compression hosiery is widely recommended to control oedema, manage varicose veins, and for the prevention and treatment of venous disorders. This is because having problems with your veins increases the risk of developing a leg ulcer in later life. However, many people with a venous leg ulcer may be prescribed hosiery or a compression wrap as part of their treatment 

The aim of compression hosiery is to provide graduated compression with the highest pressure at the ankle and the lowest at the knee. That’s why it is important to maintain this pressure and ensure
your compression prescription is updated every three or six months depending on the manufacturer and their recommended hosiery replacement prescription guidelines.

If your compression hosiery prescription is not repeated at the recommended time, the garment will lose its pressure and will become stretchy which means it cannot support and prevent swelling. The impact of this is a possible risk of further complications with skin changes and the oedema not being maintained, the limb shape, swelling and leg tissue breaking down into leg ulcers may happen again. To prevent swelling or skin breakdown leading to leg ulcers it is important that you follow recommendations from the manufacture of your compression garment prescription. 

Remember, use of compression hosiery when there are early signs of venous insufficiency can help to prevent the development of ulcers in later life! 

Here are some tips and advice on the importance of wearing compression: 

• Only wear the stockings as prescribed 

• Ideally wear your recommended hosiery every day 

• Do not mend or darn any damage of your hosiery. Get a replacement immediately 

• Put them on as soon as possible in the morning, and wear them until bedtime 

• Make sure your skin is dry, especially after applying lotion as moisture makes it harder to pull stockings on 

• Once the stocking is on, check that that there is no bunching or wrinkling, especially at the ankles 

• Don’t fold the top of the stocking down
• Avoid prolonged standing or sitting
• Control risk factors (e.g. obesity, smoking)