Hidden dangers in your clothes

It’s not unusual for a wool sweater to feel scratchy against bare skin. But have you ever put on a soft shirt that’s always felt comfortable before, only now it seems to make your skin feel hot and itchy? If that happens to you, odds are it’s time to look at your laundry detergent’s ingredients.

If you’ve decided to try a different product for washing your clothes – maybe detergent that promises a “fresh scent” – a fragrance or other chemical additive is most likely irritating your skin and producing a condition known as contact dermatitis. According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA), contact dermatitis is caused either by an allergy or sensitivity (a non-allergic response) to common substances. Detergents are often the culprits. The solution? Wash your clothes in a hypoallergenic, fragrance-free soap.

Clothing that’s been dry cleaned can pose another kind of potential health problem. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), dry cleaning is not totally dry and involves the use of liquid chemicals called solvents, primarily perchloroethylene (known as perc, for short). Perc is taken into the body by breathing air containing the chemical. It goes through the lungs, passes into the blood and some of it is stored in the liver and brain. You don’t have be standing in a dry cleaning establishment to breathe in the chemical because it “outgases” from dry cleaned clothes. Unfortunately, if you are highly sensitive to perc or if you are exposed to the chemical in concentrated amounts, you can end up with headaches and you may feel off balance.

Studies have found that higher air levels of the chemical can produce central nervous system symptoms such as dizziness and headache while lower levels can affect the nerves of the visual system. Long term exposure to perc may increase the risk of cancer, too.

If you are concerned about exposure to perc, use these common sense strategies from the EPA:

• If your newly dry cleaned clothes smell like solvent, ask your cleaner to re-process your order or take them to another cleaner for re-cleaning.
  
• You can’t tell by odor alone if perc has been adequately removed from your dry cleaned clothes. It’s a good idea to remove dry cleaned clothes from plastic bags and allow them to air out (preferably hanging outside in a sheltered area) for hours or days.
  
• Look into “wet cleaning” which is often advertised as “green” dry cleaning. The EPA says this water-based alternative to dry cleaning is the safest professional method of garment cleaning. It uses no hazardous chemicals and doesn’t create air pollution, either, but is comparable to dry cleaning in both performance and cost.

Why tight clothes can be more than just uncomfortable

If you wear tight clothes -- whether skinny jeans, belts that cinch your waist or “tummy control” panty hose and other shape wear -- you can end up with what doctors call intragastric pressure. Simply put, these items push your abdomen in and up and the resulting pressure can trigger heartburn or gastroesophageal reflux, also known as GERD.

Hip and thigh hugging skinny jeans can also compress a nerve that runs down the front of the thigh. Over time, too many hours of wearing too tight jeans can result in tingling and numbness in the legs from this nerve compression – a condition known as meralgia paresthetica. While you should always contact your doctor if you have numbness and tingling you can’t explain, skinny jeans wearers may find that simply switching to a bigger size or giving up the hipster look solves the problem.

What you don’t know about shoes can hurt

Most of us will walk thousands of miles during our lifetime. But if we are walking too many of those miles in shoes that are tight, loose or without enough support, the result can be more serious problems that just aching feet. According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), shoes that don’t fit correctly cause unwanted stress on the feet, ankles, lower leg, hip, and spine and this ongoing pressure can result in pain and injuries.

Use these tips from the AAOS to find shoes that offer the best fit:

• Your shoe size can change with age and weight gain and loss. Have your feet measured every year while standing.
  
• Don’t buy shoes based only on size. It’s important to try on shoes, and then to purchase the one that fits the best, regardless of the size.
  
• You should have 1/2 inch of space between your longest toe and the tip of the shoe. Wearing a shoe that is too long for your foot can cause toe pain and blisters as your foot continuously slides forward.
  
• A square or round toe box will provide more room and comfort by allowing the toes to lay flat. A pointed shoe shape may crowd the toes, causing discomfort.
  
• High heeled, pointed shoes can cause bunions, knee pain, and lower back pain. If you do wear higher heels, look for shoes with a platform under the toe box, which decreases the overall stress on the foot.

Accessories alert!

Those cute new earrings or even the zipper on your jeans can cause annoying and even painful skin problems. The culprit? Nickel, a metal which is commonly used in everything from costume jewelry to buttons, zippers and eyeglass frames.

The Mayo Clinic points out that nickel allergy is one of the most common causes of allergic contact dermatitis, producing symptoms that can include an itchy rash , bumps and blisters. Affected skin may feel hot and crack or peel, too. Nickel allergy is commonly associated with earrings, especially in pierced ears. If you have a rash of unknown origins, contact your doctor. But if you have a known nickel allergy and experience a not-too-serious reaction, over the counter cortisone cream and avoiding what caused the rash usually helps sooth the problem away quickly.

Many of us get into the habit of lugging around heavy, oversized purses, backpacks and/or laptop bags. The result can be back and neck pain. In fact, a study of healthy young adults by scientists in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at the University of California at San Diego concluded even fairly light loads in a backpack can cause problems because the straps typically decrease blood flow into the shoulders and arms.

To protect your back from frequently carried bags of all kinds, use these strategies:

• If you carry a backpack, place straps over both shoulders to evenly distribute the weight of the pack. Keep the backpack as light as possible. Carry only what you need and place the heaviest items closest to the back.
  
• Heading on a business trip? Use a backpack with wheels to cut down on back strain in airport lines.
  
• Avoid purses with a single strap, extra-long straps and chain straps. They can cause uneven strain on back muscles and restrict blood flow at the shoulder. Only carry what’s essential to keep the weight in your handbag down and shift the bag from side to side frequently.
  
• Laptop bags are typically single-strap models, carried over one shoulder. Regularly switch sides when carrying a laptop bag on your shoulder to avoid back and neck strain.