These stockings help increase circulation and reduce the risk of swelling or worse deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and clotting on a long flight.
People Also Ask
Airplane passengers or crew on long or frequent air flights may want to wear compression socks to help increase circulation and reduce their risk of developing deep vein thrombosis or blood clots.
Compression socks help deter potential blood clotsThey work to stimulate circulation in the lower half, which is especially useful during long flights when you're sitting for prolonged periods.
It's recommended to start wearing compression socks before you board your flight or hop in the car for a long trip. 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.
Are you required to remove your socks at the airport? No you are not. The regular security lanes require most types of shoes to be removed and put through the scanner. Some types of security have things like “TSA Precheck” and for that you don't usually have to even remove your footwear…
Of course, just because you can remove your shoes though doesn't necessarily mean you should. Footwear can become a safety hazard if it intrudes into the aisle, particularly in the event of an emergency evacuation, and walking around the plane barefoot is probably not ultra-hygienic.
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.
However, it may be that compression therapy is contraindicated. For example, you may have an acute infection (cellulitis), a wound or have other conditions that mean compression therapy is not medically safe (e.g. peripheral vascular disease).
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.
“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.