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How Your Clothing can Affect Your Healthcare

  

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What you decide to wear may not seem like a big deal when you get dressed in the morning, but it could have some long term consequences. While corsets and Chinese foot binding may not be in style anymore, today's society does have some painful and potentially dangerous styles of its own.

Women's Fearsome Footwear

Little girls love playing dress up in Mom's high heels. While high heels are fun in childhood, they can cause problems for adults. Some of the problems include:

• Morton's neuroma-an injury to the nerve between the toes
• Pump bumps-bony protrusions on the back of the heels
• Freiberg's infraction-when some foot bones die due to lack of circulation
• Flats may become uncomfortable to wear due to tendon shortening

Flats can also cause foot problems for women because of unsupportive soles. Some issues are:

• Plantar fasciitis-an inflammation in the band of tissue that runs along the bottom of the foot
• Long term ankle and hip problems

Accessories can be Dangerous to Your Health

Accessories can make or break an outfit, but Insurance Administrator of America wants to make sure that your accessories aren't breaking your back. Handbags that are worn over the shoulder can throw your back out of line, especially if they have long straps. The American Chiropractic Association suggests that women carry no more than 10% of their body weight in a bag. 

Be on the Alert for Tight Ties

Men need to be on the lookout for possible clothing problems as well. Those shirts and ties you wear to work? They might be the cause of those unexplained medical issues. According to a 1993 study done by Cornell University, 67% of men buy shirts smaller than their necks. Tight shirt collars and neckties can cause: headaches,ear tingling, blurred vision, reduced circulation to the brain, and increased intraocular pressure. Increased intraocular pressure is a risk factor for glaucoma.Tight ties can also create muscle tension in the back and shoulders. Men, maybe it's time to think about loosening up that tie.

Do these medical issues trigger any alarm bells for you? Or do you have any outfit suggestions? Leave a comment below! 

Don't let Clothes Affect Your Health

Clothing makes a statement about who you are. IAA just wants to make sure the way you portray yourself to the world doesn't affect your health in any way. Think of IAA as your personal "Project Runway".

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