Warning! Wearing skinny jeans can cause nerve damage

Warning! Wearing skinny jeans can cause nerve damage
PHOTO: Warning! Wearing skinny jeans can cause nerve damage

As all fashionistas know, looking good is worth the discomfort.

But is it worth harming your health for?

According to an ABC News report, squeezing yourself into that ultra sexy pair of jeans may cause you nerve damage in the long run.

A US doctor told the news channel that she has seen a number of cases of women who experience tingling, numbness and pain in the upper legs due to wearing overly tight jeans.

They were suffering from 'meralgia paresthetica' - a disorder that occurs when one of the nerves that runs in the outer part of a thigh gets compressed.

Dr Boyle said one woman described the feeling as a "floating sensation" which made her feel weak when she was walking.

Wearing high heels with tight jeans can exacerbate the problem, she warned.

This is as high heels changes the axis of your pelvis, tilting your pelvis forward and buttocks backward to make your legs look longer.

While it may look good, it's hell on the nerves, as it accentuates the pressure on them, making the symptoms worse.

This is not the first time doctors have warned against wearing too tight pants.

In 2003, it was reported in the Canadian Medical Association Journal that three women had been observed to suffer from symptoms of tingling or burning sensations in their thighs.

One woman even thought she may be developing multiple sclerosis.

However, once the women - all overweight women who had worn tight low-rise pants in the previous six to eight months - traded in their too-tight pants for loose-fitting dresses, the symptoms disappeared.

For those who do not want to give up on the skinny look, doctors interviewed by ABC recommended trying jeggings or skinny jeans with stretch in them instead.

If you feel tingling and numbness in your leg, the best option is to stop wearing them all together, and the symptoms should go away, said Dr Boyle.

She added that if fashionistas choose to ignore the pain and continue to wear tight jeans, it could result in permanent nerve damage.

As for men, it is a common advice for men trying for a baby to give them a miss, as they can cause the testicles to overheat, killing sperm count.

yamadak@sph.com.sg

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