- Are you uncomfortable or in pain due to prolonged standing?
- Are you experiencing lower body fatigue?
Varicose veins and decreased levels of mental awareness are common for nurses. As a health care professional, however, a nurse can never afford to be mentally or physically tired.
This problem can be solved by stretching, sitting whenever possible, and even choosing a comfortable pair of shoes. Another way to decrease lower body fatigue is by wearing compression stockings.
How do compression stockings prevent lower body fatigue? They encourage venous return. Venous return can be encouraged by applying pressure to the lower extremities. This prevents varicose veins and alleviates fatigue.
Keep these three points in mind when you purchase a pair of compression stockings -
- A nurse should wear the best fitting compression stockings for them. Since compression stockings come in different levels of tightness, nurses are urged to measure their legs before purchasing them.
- Remember, not all stockings are dedicated to relieving fatigue. Compression stockings that are less than 10mmHg are not considered to be efficient. Compression stockings that are above 20mmHg might also prove to be somewhat uncomfortable. So, consider the range between 15 to 20mmHg only.
- Before buying a pair of compression stockings, you need to know how to measure your legs. During the day, venous pooling is always a possibility. Therefore, the best time to measure legs is in the morning. What are the measurements you should take? Just measure the circumference of the bilateral ankle, the calves, and the thighs. Also, measure the length from the foot to the knee. If, however, you want to keep the length of the compression stockings to your thighs, just measure the length from your foot to your knee.
If you're planning to purchase compression stockings, keep these points in mind. To make sure a nurse is not distracted from doing his or her best at work, eliminating your lower body fatigue is crucial. Your health matters!
For more health tips for nurses, there are a number of blogs you can explore at INSCOL. If you are a Filipino nurse looking for an opportunity to make a career in countries like Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK or the US, INSCOL offers the best nursing courses for international nurses.