Certain activities in life require men and women to maintain a standing posture for a long period of time. This leads to severe pain in the legs but people many times, fail to locate the exact position where they are sensing the pain. This leads to poor circulation in the legs as blood does not circulate immediately to the heart because of several reasons. Thus, to assist people in getting relief from such conditions, a pair of support hose or compression stockings is taken into consideration. Support hose helps to improve the circulation by application of pressure on the extreme lower ends. This extension of pressure provided gives you relief from pain.
Both compression stockings, as well as a support hose, help to get rid of venous disorders; however, both are not identical. A very thin line of differentiation exists between the two.
Compression gradient
Though both the support hose, as well as the compression stocking, have the same purpose of exerting pressure on the veins, the amount of pressure exerted is what makes the difference. Less pressure is exerted by the support hose on the veins. The pressure range is less than 20 mm Hg. A greater pressure is definitely exerted by compression stockings.
Use
Both of them are used to lessen the pain caused due to poor blood circulation. The function is similar, but they indicate differently. Support hose is useful in case of non-serious problems and mostly taken into consideration during mild conditions. Perhaps, it is used to deal with the disadvantages and side effects of medical disorders. However, in the case of compression stockings, more serious medical conditions require treatment. The compression gradient is also required to be higher to get rid of the pain and avoid complications. Examples include post-phlebitic syndrome, lymphedema, and chronic venous insufficiency.
Availability
A support hose is brought into the picture from over the counter. A doctor’s prescription is not vital for purchasing a support hose, but the general practitioner could still be consulted. Professional medical advice is definitely required in case of compression stockings but rules vary from country to country and within different states.