Skinny Jeans: Bad For Your Health?

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DETROIT (WWJ) - Skinny jeans may be in style -- but could they be bad for your health?

Doctors in Australia say a 35-year-old woman ended up in the hospital with damage to the nerve and muscle fibers in her legs and feet because of wearing tight skinny jeans.

The woman had apparently been emptying cupboards at home and had spent hours squatting, causing the tight jeans to exert prolonged compression around her legs.

"She recalled that her jeans had felt increasingly tight and uncomfortable during the day. Later that evening, while walking home, she noticed ... foot numbness, which caused her to trip and fall," according to a report in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry.

The woman spent several hours lying on the ground before she was found by someone who called for an ambulance. By the time she arrived at the hospital, her legs were so swollen that her jeans could only be removed by cutting them off.

Doctors determined the woman had damaged muscle and nerve fibers in her legs. After four days of treatment, the woman finally regained her ability to walk unaided and was released from the hospital.

Dr. Daniel Menkes, Chief of Neurology at Beaumont Hospital Royal Oak, said while this might be a shocking story, it's a rare event.

"I would not tell people to be afraid to wear tight-fitting clothing for fear that they'll damage their nerves," said Menkes.

So remember, always use caution when wearing skinny jeans.