

When you keep your feet on the floor for a long time, blood starts to build up in your legs. Many people are able to greatly reduce leg swelling after a flight by wearing compression stockings.īut how do compression socks help? Let's start by talking about what's causing your leg to swell.Ĭompression Socks: The Flying Essentials You Need to Bring on the Airplane This swelling happens because there isn't enough room to move your legs on a plane, and when you can't move your legs, it's hard for your veins to circulate blood back to your heart.

You should especially consider flying in compression stockings during pregnancy.Īnyone who travels frequently knows that it is not uncommon to experience leg swelling during or after a long flight. Using compression socks on long plane trips will improve comfort and reduce fatigue. Here are a few things to keep in mind about compression socks:įlying is difficult for your legs and feet and increases the risk of blood clots.Ĭompression stockings prevent swelling and improve circulation. Even if you don't go out into the sky very often, any time spent on a plane will be more enjoyable as long as you take care of your legs and feet. All these benefits of compression socks make them a travel staple for future flights!Ĭompression socks aren't magic, but they have many benefits for flyers. While they can reduce discomfort, they can also relieve some of the fatigue you may experience on long trips. What's more, graduated compression socks can improve blood circulation across the board. It also reduces your risk of developing blood clots and dealing with these complications. Obviously, it will reduce swelling and discomfort from swelling. When your blood isn't pooling, it's easier for your body to maintain healthy circulation.
#Benefits of compression socks on flights for free
The pressure exerted by the socks helps the blood move upwards, and they are a good substitute for free movement. This squeeze makes it difficult for the blood to pool. They squeeze your leg gently and securely. It may seem crazy that wearing the right socks can make a big difference, but it's true.

Wearing compression stockings while flying: benefits and side effects They are good for you and may even improve athletic performance.Īctivities you might want to consider wearing compression stockings include: hiking, traveling, running/fitness, days standing for hours, and any time you want to show more love to your feet and legs.
#Benefits of compression socks on flights how to
While you don't have to worry about taking you to the hospital on your next flight, it's certainly a good thing to know about the risks of blood clots and how to prevent them. This is why prolonged sitting increases the risk of developing a significant blood clot, which in the worst case can lead to deep vein thrombosis (DVT).

When your blood pools, it's harder for your body to process and break down clots. Staying still for hours at a time also increases the risk of blood clots. It's clear how this can lead to swelling and discomfort, but that's not all. So air travel keeps you from moving in a normal way, and gravity keeps blood in your feet. That's why we squirm after sitting for a while, and that's why you always want to get up and move after you've been sitting for a long time. Walking and stretching contract the muscles, and energy from the muscles is used to help blood flow up the veins in the legs. When you're not trapped in an airplane seat, your body usually fights gravity through movement. When you sit for long periods of time, you are fighting gravity every minute of your flight. Your body has to do a lot to overcome gravity and pump blood from the soles of your feet back to your heart and lungs. Home 1 › News 2 › Why you should wear compression socks on long flights 3
