One of the most beloved fashion clothing are skinny jeans; Gwyneth Paltrow, Victoria Beckham, and even the Duchess of Cambridge are huge fans. They are stylish and can be styled to almost any look. But who knew that the innocent pair of jeans would give most meaning to the term 'fashion victim'?
A 35-year-old woman in Australia was sent to the hospital after spending hours crouching, clearing cupboards during a house move in her skinny jeans, Dailymail.co.uk reports. By the evening, she began to experience numbness on her feet which left her unable to stand and eventually led her to collapse. She was rushed to the hospital and had to be cut out of her jeans after her calves ballooned in size. The damage was that severe that she was unable to walk for four days.
The idea may seem laughable, but doctors wrote about the case in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry and even issued warnings about the dangers of super-slim trousers on one's health.
Tim Hutchful, leading chiropractor from the British Chiropractic Association explains the effects of skintight trousers to the body.
'Very tight trousers can reduce blood flow in the lower limbs,' he says. 'This can make your body ache, a bit like having a stitch while doing exercise, because your muscles need more oxygen than your body is able to give them.
Sitting or squatting compresses your body even more, intensifying the effect. People need to be aware of the potential risks.'
When worn too long - 12 to 16 hours - it can cause damage to the muscles called Compartment Syndrome, BBC.com reports. Usually, the condition is caused by bleeding or swelling in the bundles of muscles - in this case, the calves.
According to Priya Dasoju, a professional adviser at the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy: "As with many of these warnings, the very unfortunate case highlighted is an extreme one."
"There's no need to ditch the skinny jeans just yet, simply avoid staying in the same position for too long and keep moving throughout the day. If you do suffer any prolonged pain you should of course seek help, but no-one should be alarmed by this warning or change the cut of their jeans."
