Compression socks are said to decrease your chances of Deep Venous Thrombosis (DVT) by keeping your blood pumping, but that claim isn't medically proven.

Long flights and long drives increase your risk of swelling and the pins-and-needles (parasthesias) you notice when sitting still for long periods of time.

Compression socks are tightest at the ankle and loosen as they get up to your knee. That puts pressure on the veins, arteries, and muscles in your lower leg, which in turn pushes your blood back to your heart to be pumped around more efficiently. Drinking lots of water each hour also helps but increases trips to the bathroom and stops at rest stops along the drive.

The topic is important to us because while considered rare, with the amount our CEO, Dr Maria Todd must travel to international and domestic destinations to inspect and survey providers, accommodations and tourism offerings, she has had 3 episodes of deep venous thrombosis since 2010 and 2 episodes of nearly fatal pulmonary embolism (PE).

Medical grade socks are rated to 20-30 millimeters of mercury (mmHg). When you look for compression socks you'll find different levels of compression. Maria likes Comrad Compression Socks, which run about $18 a pair and are rated 5 stars on a number of websites. (https://www.comradsocks.com/collections/support-socks/).

Maria addresses the issue of DVT and PE in her upcoming medical tourism industry book on Altitude Physiology: A guide for medical travel professionals. That book will be released in a few months as soon as final editing and review is finished by a team of medical professionals.

No compensation whatsoever is paid to Maria Todd or Medical Tourism Journeys for this mention.