Special flight socks for long haul flights?

[Presto2]

We are off on our cruise on Britannia very soon (is it that close?)

 

Just researching what we need to take and everyone I have spoken to has mentioned the need for flight socks to reduce the risk of DVT.

Has anyone any recommendations or what we need to look for as we haven't got a clue.

 

Thanks

 

🙂

[Sussexboy]

Just pop along the high street to Boots and look for flight socks, or sometimes called travel socks.

https://www.boots.com/health-pharmacy/travel-health/flight-socks?paging.index=0&paging.size=14&sortBy=mostRelevant&criteria.category=health+~+pharmacy---travel+health---flight+socks

[kalos]

Check out who should NOT  wear them as well  (Found on Google )

 

Who should avoid compression socks?

 

 

If you have peripheral arterial disease, ischemia, diabetes or congestive heart failure, do not use compression stockings without consulting your doctor; wearing compression socks with these health diagnoses can be dangerous.

[Presto2]

Didn't know there was a category for not wearing them ..... thanks Kalos. Will now look to see what it says 

[Sussexboy]

21 minutes ago, kalos said:

Check out who should NOT  wear them as well  (Found on Google )

 

Who should avoid compression socks?

 

 

If you have peripheral arterial disease, ischemia, diabetes or congestive heart failure, do not use compression stockings without consulting your doctor; wearing compression socks with these health diagnoses can be dangerous.

Wow, every day is a school day. Makes sense though when you think about it.

[jeanlyon]

Yes definitely they are not recommended for everyone.  My legs have never swelled either in the air or on a ship.    The best thing on long haul is to foot raises every once in a while.   About 15 every half an hour.

Edited December 30, 2023 by jeanlyon

[john watson]

3 hours ago, Presto2 said:

We are off on our cruise on Britannia very soon (is it that close?)

 

Just researching what we need to take and everyone I have spoken to has mentioned the need for flight socks to reduce the risk of DVT.

Has anyone any recommendations or what we need to look for as we haven't got a clue.

 

 

 

 

The problem is exacerbated by people sitting for long periods in a fixed position.  You can minimise the effect by moving and walking about, standing from time to time.  I tend to get up a few times and walk to the furthest toilet and queue up.  Let others jump ahead of you and walk the long way back to your seat. Just move about as much as possible. Some people recommend wearing slippers as your feet swell up. If there is a galley wander in and ask if there is any possibility of a coffee, this can lead to standing and chatting.

 

Regards John

Edited December 30, 2023 by john watson

[Guest Snaxmuppet]

On 12/30/2023 at 11:14 PM, jeanlyon said:

Yes definitely they are not recommended for everyone.  My legs have never swelled either in the air or on a ship.    The best thing on long haul is to foot raises every once in a while.   About 15 every half an hour.

Flight socks are not really about preventing swelling... although they might do that - I don't know.

 

The real benefit of flight socks, or compression socks, is it helps prevent deep vein thrombosis (DVT). A DVT is a blood clot that forms in the veins in the legs and that can happen when on long flights. DVTs can be painful and cause other complications and take months to go away and often need blood thinning drugs like heparin. However, if that isn't bad enough, if a piece of the clot breaks away it can make its way to the lungs and cause a pulmonary embolism (PE). 25% of people that get a PE die.

 

DVT is not to be ignored. Yes wear the socks (get the right size for you). Check with the doc if you feel you might be in the subset of people that shouldn't use them. Stay hydrated and move around as often as possible during the flight.

 

I am not a doctor and I have no medical training. But I am a commercial pilot so I have some basic knowledge... check it out yourself especially with your doctor if you are unsure.

 

Do I wear the socks? On flights over 3hrs yes but that is just my choice. YMMV.