Yes, You Should Wear Compression Socks on Flights—a Former Nurse Shares the Important Reason Why

While it's a completely normal occurrence to experience leg, ankle, and foot swelling on a flight, it can be pretty uncomfortable. Rather than endure the physical distress, you can invest in a pair of flight attendant-approved compression socks.
Karen Young, a nurse-turned-flight attendant with nearly 50 years of experience in the latter role, shared with Travel + Leisure why compression socks should always be a part of your airport outfits. Read on to learn more about the benefits of compression socks, and shop her top picks from Amazon's fashion store, where these important travel essentials start at $20.
Before becoming a flight attendant, Young was a nurse who would recommend compression socks for patients with circulatory and cardiac issues as they increase blood flow to the heart, which in turn, supports a healthy circulatory system.
Now, working as a flight attendant, she says compression socks are 'wonderful' for travelers who want to ease swelling and avoid getting enlarged veins (a.k.a varicose veins); both are common during a flight because the change in air pressure, combined with dehydration and sitting down for long periods of time, leads to blood pooling in your leg veins, according to the Mayo Clinic. Fluids then leave your blood and go into the soft tissue, causing your legs and other parts of your body to swell.
Compression socks use pressure on your legs to encourage blood flow, which can reduce swelling in the legs and feet, and in more severe cases, prevent blood clotting. When Young was a nurse, she and her colleagues regularly recommended Jobst compression socks, which range from $26 to $74, but Amazon has comparable picks for less than $20. Keep scrolling to shop the best compression socks ahead of your next flight.
These compression socks from CharmKing use controlled pressure to help stimulate blood flow so it doesn't pool into your lower extremities from inactivity on the plane. The stretchy material makes them easy to pull over your legs, and the knee-high length will help provide relief throughout your leg. Young added that it's common to see flight attendants wearing compression socks on flights, and the reviews for this style prove it. In their Amazon review, one flight attendant said these prevent their calves from aching after a long day in the air on their feet.
This three-pack of compression socks includes a mix of neutral colors you can pair with any of your airport outfits and are 'very comfortable,' according to a flight attendant. They also said that they reduced their aches and pains. Another one wrote that their legs were 'noticeably less swollen and felt less sore at the end of the day.'
These compression socks have earned more than 60,000 five-star ratings, including one from a flight attendant who said that since wearing them, their feet feel better and 'recover faster.' They also have a reinforced heel for extra comfort and to help prevent uncomfortable rubbing in your shoes.
Dr. Scholl's compression socks are American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA)-approved for promoting good foot health. They're made with mild compression to help encourage blood circulation and have the brand's comfortable Stay-Up Top cuff to prevent the socks from rolling down.
You can wear these Aoliks compression socks on the plane and your hikes; they're that versatile. The pressure provided on your legs helps with swelling and achy feet per the brand, which is especially helpful on long days of trekking up trails. One reviewer wears them on every flight, and said their legs no longer throb and they don't have restless leg syndrome.
If your feet are prone to sweating, you'll want to throw on these compression socks made from a breathable and comfortable material. One shopper, who's on their feet for up to 15 hours a day working across as many as four flights, said these socks make it so their toes 'don't feel like they're going to pop off like little sausages.' They continued, 'And I can see my ankles. These are miracle socks.'
Featuring a mix of nylon and spandex materials, these compression socks have a soft, stretchy feel that'll help keep your feet comfy and less swollen. The bottom comes with a non-slip design for extra stability, and the built-in heel cushion will add a layer of protection from blisters caused by shoes. One flight attendant called these their 'must-haves' for air travel, saying they noticed an immediate difference from the first wear, including their legs not being sore and feet not swollen.
Love a great deal? Sign up for our T+L Recommends newsletter and we'll send you our favorite travel products each week.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

New York Times

26 minutes ago

• New York Times

Insurers Pledge to Ease Controversial Prior Approvals for Medical Care

Facing regulatory crackdowns and intensifying criticism from patients and doctors, the nation's biggest health insurers said on Friday that they would retreat from tactics that have delayed medical care and led at times to denials for necessary treatments. For years, the widespread practice known as prior authorization has vexed patients who might not have been notified until the day of surgery whether a procedure would be covered by their insurance or if a prescription medicine would be denied for no clear reason. Insurers often send unintelligible form letters, leaving patients to puzzle out the basis for the denial or what their next steps should be. Patients may delay or even abandon necessary medical care because they may not even be aware that they can appeal the decisions. Lawmakers, regulators and public outrage have drawn attention to abuses of the system, leading to mounting calls for reforms. Insurers have also been the target of myriad lawsuits, some of which attributed patient deaths to those denials and delays. The murder of Brian Thompson, a UnitedHealthcare executive, last December renewed criticisms of the tactic, unleashing a barrage of complaints that the practice was deployed to avoid covering care. 'Prior authorization is a huge issue for people who are in managed care plans because it is one of the ways plans use to control their costs,' said David A. Lipschutz, co-director for the Center for Medicare Advocacy. He pointed to several studies showing that insurers may have inappropriately denied care, particularly in private Medicare plans. Various reports from federal regulators and researchers show that the vast majority of appeals are successful. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.

Fast Company

37 minutes ago

• Fast Company

Neuroscientists find brain cells that explain why stress keeps you up at night

If your anxiety before a big test or a high-stakes presentation has ever kept you up at night, you can rest easier knowing that scientists are trying to get to the bottom of things. A new study published this month in The Journal of Neuroscience explores how stress interferes with sleep, causing cascading negative effects on memory and other cognitive processes. By pinpointing the specific neural mechanisms involved in stress-related memory problems and sleep disruptions, scientists hope to figure out stress-zapping treatments in the future. A group of researchers from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine's Chronobiology and Sleep Institute simulated human stress in lab mice, restraining the animals so they couldn't move. They then observed the animals' neural activity while they slept and gave the mice a spatial memory test. Much like a human stressed out before a big test, the mice slept poorly and showed memory deficits. The researchers went on to simulate the effects of the stress scenario without actually restraining the mice. By activating neurons that release the stress hormone corticotropin in a specific part of the hypothalamus known as the paraventricular nucleus, the research team stressed the mice out and went on to observe the same sleep and memory issues as if the animals had actually been restrained. When they blocked the same stress hormone-releasing neurons during the stress-inducing event, the mice slept a little better and had significantly less trouble during their spatial memory test – a hopeful finding understanding how to mitigate the problems that stress creates in the human brain. The researchers called the findings on the pathways of corticotropin-releasing hormone neurons in that region of the hypothalamus 'an important step toward improving sleep and ameliorating cognitive deficits associated with stress-related disorders' – a conclusion that anyone tired of having that one same stress dream can definitely get behind.

Fox News

37 minutes ago

• Fox News

Eating more fruits and vegetables linked to surprising effect on sleep

Your daily meal selections could influence the quality of your sleep, new research says. A study from the University of Chicago Medicine and Columbia University found that increasing your intake of fruits and vegetables could help promote more restful sleep. Previous research has shown that people who lack quality sleep may be more likely to indulge in unhealthy foods that are high in fat and sugar — and now this new finding sheds more light on how consumed foods impact sleep. In the small study — which was published in "Sleep Health: The Journal of the National Sleep Foundation" — 34 healthy young adults reported their daily food consumption and wore a tracker to measure how often they woke up or changed sleep patterns during the night, according to a press release. Those who reported eating more fruits and vegetables during the day were found to have "deeper, more uninterrupted sleep." Greater amounts of healthy carbohydrates, like whole grains, were found to have that same benefit, the study found. "Dietary modifications could be a new, natural and cost-effective approach to achieve better sleep," said co-senior author Esra Tasali, MD, director of the UChicago Sleep Center, in the release. "The temporal associations and objectively-measured outcomes in this study represent crucial steps toward filling a gap in important public health knowledge." Based on the study findings, the researchers concluded that people who eat at least five cups of fruits and veggies per day could have a 16% increase in quality of sleep compared to those who eat none of those foods. "Small changes can impact sleep. That is empowering — better rest is within your control." "16 percent is a highly significant difference," Tasali said in the release. "It's remarkable that such a meaningful change could be observed within less than 24 hours." "Based on current data, the experts confidently advise that regularly eating a diet rich in complex carbohydrates, fruits and vegetables is best for long-term sleep health," the release stated. The American Heart Association provides the following examples of fruit and veggie servings that equate to 1 cup of produce. Dr. Chelsie Rohrscheib, head sleep expert at Wesper in Michigan, said that most sleep professionals recognize that a healthy diet supports overall well-being, including sleep quality — "so the findings of this study are not entirely unexpected." "However, it's important to note that this was a relatively small study composed primarily of young adult male participants, which limits generalizability," Rohrscheib, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital. "While the results were statistically significant, the overall reduction in sleep fragmentation was modest, about 16%." The study was also observational in nature, she noted, which means it lacked the control of a randomized trial. "Ideally, future research would compare a group consuming a fruit- and vegetable-rich diet to a control group with limited intake to better establish causality," the doctor added. The researchers plan to conduct more studies to confirm that eating produce causes better sleep and to determine the "underlying mechanisms of digestion, neurology and metabolism" driving this impact, the release stated. For more Health articles, visit "People are always asking me if there are things they can eat that will help them sleep better," said co-senior author Marie-Pierre St-Onge, PhD, director of the Center of Excellence for Sleep & Circadian Research at Columbia, in the release. "Small changes can impact sleep. That is empowering — better rest is within your control."