Your first instinct might be to think that there would have to be a conflict between wearing compression or support hosiery and the risk of high blood pressure (hypertension). It seems only logical to conclude that by compressing something – in this case, the outer part of the legs – the blood pressure inside the compressed veins would have to increase.
Surprisingly compression and support garments do not cause or increase blood pressure in people with normal blood vessels and circulation. Graduated compression stockings merely increase the speed and volume of blood flowing in the veins and prevent swelling from the pooling of blood in the superficial leg veins (varicose veins) and/or excessive fluid build-up (edema) in the connective tissue of the legs.
If your healthcare provider has determined that you can benefit from wearing graduated compression stockings or support hose you need to make sure that the type and brand of compression hosiery you choose will fit you properly. You can do this by taking the proper measurements of your legs yourself and comparing them to the sizing charts published by the manufacturer. You can also have your legs measured at a medical supply store for a customized fit of your compression stockings. Too tight or to loose-fitting support stockings or hose cannot provide suitable compression and could, in the worst case, even have a negative effect on your health.
See also our article on correct measuring and sizing … simply click the link below to read it
However…and here comes the big IF… If someone already suffers from arterial issues such as high blood pressure and/or circulatory problems, caution must be applied and only a thorough medical evaluation by your physician and/or a specialist can provide you with reliable answers.
Any pre-existence of arterial illnesses such as hypertension (high blood pressure) or so-called “smoker’s legs” (clogged arteries in the legs), cardiac insufficiency, or coronary heart problems such as angina or heart failure, are in medical terms “contraindications” for compression stockings. In other words, patients with these types of illnesses would not be permitted to wear any type of compression garments because they would not help or potentially even make things worse because of these pre-existing conditions.