“To help with leg fatigue, it is a good idea to start with nonmedical compression socks, which you can buy online,” says Kyle Kroeger, founder of ViaTravelers. “Nonmedical support socks encourage circulation and can be worn on the plane and off.
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This ensures you have adequate room to adjust your socks to ensure the correct fit and will combat the effects of pooling before they take place. Depending on your comfort level, you can remove your socks once you have disembarked the aircraft, or during your flight if you find the compression too much.
Since it's safe to wear your travel compression socks for 16+ hours, don't worry about putting them on early in the day. I bought compression socks for the whole family for a 9-hour air flight. We all wore our socks except for my son in law who exited the plane with swollen ankles. The rest of us had no swelling.
The general rule of thumb is that class 1 (18-21 mmHg) stockings are best for healthy veins that just need a bit of extra assistance on a flight, while class 2-4 (23-49+ mmHg) are more suited to those struggling with venous and lymphatic disorders.
Graduated compression stockings or socks are usually recommended for flights that last longer than 3 hours, as this is when you will start to suffer physical health issues. For short flights, you only need to wear mild compression socks with a lower compression level.
Research has shown that wearing compression socks during long-haul flights can significantly reduce the risk of developing blood clots and alleviate symptoms of leg fatigue and discomfort.
“Although long distance air travel increases the risk of DVT, the risk is still low. Patients who are at higher baseline risk for DVT or PE should wear compression stockings to reduce their risk of DVT, especially for long flights,” said Dr.
They're an essential accessory that helps keep your legs and feet comfortable when traveling. They hug your legs tightly and are meant to increase circulation. Wearing flight socks, like those from Trtl , means you're far less likely to get off an airplane with swollen feet.
To prevent DVT, pilots and flight attendants should wear flight socks or tights with gradient compression. Wearing compression socks help to relieve fatigue, reduce possible swelling of legs and feet and aid blood circulation.
The Aviation Manual defines this very clearly. A flight is considered a long-haul flight when the distance exceeds 3,000 km and the flight time exceeds three and a half hours.
Talk to your doctor about wearing compression stockings or taking medicine before departure if you have additional risk factors for blood clots. Taking aspirin to prevent blood clots when traveling is not recommended. If you take aspirin for other reasons, check with your doctor.