Houston is home to one of the best healthcare networks in the world. That means Houston is home to a large community of nurses and doctors. Many either work here in the Pasadena, TX area or live here in Pasadena and go to work at the medical center downtown. With that said, nursing can be a very rewarding profession, but also can be brutal on the legs and feet. Here at Bayshore Medical Supply in Pasadena, we are the go-to medical supply store for nursing uniforms and scrubs to the nurses who live and work in the area. One of the other supplies we see nurses purchase here are compression socks. Nurses not only recommend their patients get compression socks but also recommend other nurses use compression socks as well. Here are the benefits of compression socks for nurses.
Reduce Leg Soreness and Swelling.
Nurses tend to stand a lot on their feet, sometimes 12 hours or more. When they are not standing, they are still sitting for that period of time. That means long periods of time where the blood has to fight gravity to get back to the heart. This can lead to pooling of the blood and swelling in the legs. That swelling can cause the legs to feel sore and achy.
Compression socks are made of elastic fibers that are strongest at the feet and ankles, and gradually upward toward the knee. They help force the blood back up to the heart. When the blood is circulating correctly, a nurse’s leg swells less and hurts less than having poor circulation.
Reduce Varicose Veins.
varicose veins occur when your veins become enlarged, dilated, and overfilled with blood. They tend to appear bluish purple in color and are most common in the legs. They can also be known as spider veins. Varicose veins are very common with nurses. Compression socks help with reducing varicose veins by pushing the blood back up the leg to the heart instead of pooling in the veins turning them blue and swollen.
Help Fight Mental Fatigue.
We mentioned above about the pain and swelling standing and sitting for long periods can cause. It is hard to think when your body is achy, in pain and tired. When you relieve the ache and swelling in your legs as a nurse, you’re able to think clearer and tend to your patients better than when you are having to deal with that type of discomfort.
When Should Nurses Start Wearing Compression Socks?
Many young nurses make the mistake of thinking this is something they should start later in their career. Nothing could be farther from the truth. You want to start early as compression socks can prevent varicose veins from ever showing up. Plus, fatigue and discomfort can hit at any age and as mentioned above, affect your level of performance to your patients. To prevent this, even early in a nurse’s career, they should start using compression socks.
What Compression Level is Right for Nurses?
Younger nurses that are early in their career should use a light-to-moderate compression (15-20 mmHg). This level of compression is beneficial for nurses who sit and stand all day or experience mild swelling or discomfort.
Nurses with moderate discomfort or ones that already have varicose veins should choose a firmer compression (20-30 mm Hg).
Bayshore Medical Supply has been supplying the nursing community of Pasadena and all of Southeast Houston with medical supplies for their profession, from compression socks, nursing scrubs, stethoscopes and more. If you are a nurse who lives or works in the Pasadena, TX area come see us at 4205 Spencer Hwy, Pasadena, TX 77504. From great service to competitive prices, come see why Bayshore Medical Supply Store is the best medical supply store in Pasadena, TX.
