Sydney - They might make you look a bit overdressed on arrival, but a pair of spandex or nylon tights could be just the thing to ward off the swollen ankles that trouble 90 per cent of passengers on long-haul flights. Doctors call the condition ankle oedema and it's caused by a build-up of fluid in the legs during long periods of just sitting down.
It's not what's commonly called "jet leg" and what doctors call deep vein thrombosis (DVT), but its uncomfortable all the same.
Some frequent fliers have turned to compression socks to arrive in better shape while others busy themselves with exercises while in their seats.
Physiologist Stephen Lambert from Sydney's Westmead Hospital won the cooperation of Australia's Qantas Airways to measure the effectiveness of tights.
Qantas pilots and around 60 of their passengers wore the hosiery on the outward journey of a long-haul flight but not on the trip back. Lambert's study, published in the Medical Journal of Australia, found pleasing results for those on the outbound flight.
"They had a 60-per-cent improvement in their leg pain rating at the end of the flight, a 50-per-cent improvement in their leg discomfort rating and a 45-per-cent improvement in their leg swelling rating," Lambert said.
He found an 18-per-cent improvement in their energy-level rating, a 13-per-cent lift in their alertness level and a 12-per-cent hike in their ability to concentrate.
What needs to be studied now is the relative merits of expensive knee-high compression socks and the cheaper nylon tights in counteracting ankle oedema.
