Do you wear TED hose to bed or just when on feet?

Answer 1

TED hose are tightly fitting stockings, either knee-high or thigh-high. Their purpose is to assist venous blood-flow back to the heart. Veins work in relation to muscle contraction-- when we walk, muscles contact, putting pressure on the veins and literally pushing venous blood flow from the feet, into the calves, into the thighs, up into the veins in the abdomen, and thus to the heart. Conversely, when "at rest" with the legs level with the heart, the muscles are not contracting against the veins so there is less return to the heart.

Typically in out-patient settings, most patients use TED hose during the day for support, pain reduction, and to help with venous return. These patients remove the hose at night, but some doctors may order thigh-high TED for certain conditions to be worn at night.

In hospitals, post-surgical patients are often seen 24/hours a day in knee-high or thigh-high TEDs. In certain conditions, such as kidney impairment with resulting leg edema, doctors may order a type of mechanical compression stocking that alternates the pressure exerted against the leg, to mimic the action of muscle contraction even when the patient remains in bed.

All patients using TED hose should ask their doctors for specific guidelines about using TED hose. For example, using a knee-high stocking that cuts off circulation due to swelling above the knee is just as useless as not wearing any compression hose.