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What not to wear
Certain items of clothing can seriously damage your health, says Hilary Freeman
The Guardian
Last week, men all over Britain loosened their ties - and it had little to do with the soaring temperatures. In an announcement sure to please proponents of "dress-down Friday", a US study revealed that wearing your tie too tightly might increase your risk of developing the eye disease glaucoma.
It's not the first time an item of clothing has been labelled a potential health hazard. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents estimates that more than half a million British people end up in casualty departments every year as a result of accidents involving their clothes. And although there are no official figures, Rospa is aware that several fatalities have occurred.
Ties
Last week's study, published in the Journal of Ophthalmology, found that tight neckties could lead to increased pressure in the eyeball by causing constriction in the jugular vein. Over time, this rise in pressure could lead to the sight-loss condition glaucoma. Nita Odedra, eye health officer for the RNIB, says: "We think this is an interesting find and one that should be followed up by more detailed investigations. For example, nobody has made clear just how tight 'tight' is."
Trousers
In Victorian times women regularly fainted as a result of wearing corsets laced so tightly that they were unable to breathe properly. These days it's more likely to be your jeans that damage your health. Most men will appreciate the advantages of a button, rather than a zip, fly on their trousers. In fact, 530 British people attended casualty in 1999 following eye-watering encounters with their zips (figures from the DTI home and leisure accident surveillance system second annual report).
According to Rospa, trousers are responsible for more accidents than any other garment: "In the UK around 3,695 people attend hospital every year as a result of an accident with trousers," says spokeswoman Karen Blanchette. Among the incidents she recounts are "accidentally tripping because of a wide-flared trouser" and "putting your trousers on too quickly, losing your balance, and falling over".
Rospa has recently issued a warning about parachute pants (combat-style trousers with long material straps attached to the legs), which, it appears, may be almost as dangerous as their namesake. "The flowing straps could get caught in escalators, car doors or in the doors on tube trains," says Blanchette. "Accidents such as these could end in a serious injury and even death."
Tight hipster trousers and jeans, as worn by the likes of Britney Spears, have also been the subject of a recent health warning. In January, a doctor wrote a letter to the Canadian Medical Association Journal detailing the cases of three women who had developed a nerve condition similar to carpal tunnel syndrome as a result of regularly wearing hip-hugging jeans.
Dr Malvinder Parmar, of the Timmins and District Hospital in Ontario, warned that hipster trousers can squeeze a sensory nerve under the hip bone, causing a tingling, burning sensation called paresthesia. In a statement unlikely to endear himself to fashion-conscious females, he said "low-rise" trousers were not suitable for "heavy women" and suggested that women return to wearing traditional high-waisted jeans - or preferably loose dresses.
Underpants
Men with ambitions of fatherhood, meanwhile, should chuck out their Y-fronts, skin-tight jeans and cycling shorts and replace them with loose-fitting boxer shorts - or, better still, "go commando". That's because wearing tight pants can cause infertility and damage to the testicles. In the 16th century, Russian peasants actually used bearskin pants as a method of birth control.
"Testicles hang in the scrotum to keep cool - they need to be 2.2 degrees centigrade cooler than the core body temperature," explains Dr Richard Petty, men's health expert at the Weymouth Street Wellman Clinic in London. "If men wear tight underwear or trousers, the testicles become too hot and both testosterone and sperm production decrease - a common reason for male infertility.
"Wearing tight pants also puts pressure on the testicles, pushing them up against the body or into pouches within the body. This can cause sore, painful testicles. There is also evidence to suggest that there could be an increased risk of testicular cancer."
Men's pants are a modern invention. In the past, men tucked their shirt tails between their legs and fastened them with buttons. Y-fronts were invented for baseball players in 1932 and boxer shorts as a healthy uniform pant for soldiers in the second world war. Petty says his father - also a doctor - never wore underpants because of the known health risks.
Knickers
Crotchless knickers and silk stockings might actually be better for you than your everyday thong and tights. According to Geeta Nargund, consultant in reproductive medicine at Create Health Clinic in London, women's underwear has hidden dangers: "Although there is no hard evidence, there is concern that tight underwear, particularly that made of synthetic materials, can cause thrush and irritable, itchy skin conditions. It is also possible that thong knickers, which move around, can transfer bacteria from the back passage, leading to infections such as cystitis.
"Bacteria thrive in the warm, moist environment created by tight trousers, nylon tights and pants. Excess moisture also affects the pH balance of the vagina, making a woman more prone to infections."
Nargund advises women to wear loose cotton underwear and to avoid nylon tights and tight jeans.
Bras
An ill-fitting bra not only spoils the look of your outfit, it can also give you breast pain and cysts, restrict your breathing, irritate the skin on your shoulders and cause backache. However, it's a myth that wearing a bra can cause cancer. Kate Law, head of clinical trials at Cancer Research UK, says: "There is no reliable scientific evidence of a link between wearing a bra and developing breast cancer."
Footwear
It's a curious fact that while most western women balk at the ancient Chinese practice of foot binding, they are happy to squeeze their feet into painfully narrow and high shoes which can mutilate their feet and misalign their spines. At the weekend it was reported that Victoria Beckham is considering surgery to cure a bunion on her left big toe, which she believes is the result of wearing stilettos.
In fact, both very high and completely flat shoes are equally bad for your health. "High heels throw weight on to the ball of the foot, which may lead to calluses, painful bunions, corns and deformity," says Nita Parmar, spokesperson for the the Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists. "They also push the centre of mass in the body forwards, causing the spine to bend backwards to compensate, which can lead to back problems. The calf muscle may shorten and tighten, lowering the arch of the foot or causing knee and hip problems. Stilettos are particularly dangerous as a narrow heel width can cause the ankle to become unstable, resulting in sprains."
Wearing flat shoes can lead to foot strain, as they don't take into account the arch of the foot (which varies from person to person) and put pressure on a band of tissue called the plantar fascia. Backless shoes such as mules, meanwhile, force your toes to claw as you walk, straining the muscles.
The Society of Podiatrists and Chiropodists recommends that you vary your heel height and shoe type from day to day, keeping heel heights to about 4cm except on special occasions. Shoes with a strap or lace over the instep are better than slip-ons.
And the best footwear of all? "Trainers," says podiatrist Alison Wishart. "They provide excellent support, shock absorption, have laces and a low heel. The only downside is that they make your feet hot and smelly, which can cause fungal infections and infected toenails. If you're in a safe environment, I recommend you do as nature intended and go barefoot."
But if you are thinking of following athlete Zola Budd's example, it's worth bearing in mind that every year around 100,000 people end up in casualty following injuries to their bare feet.
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