Getty ImagesLadies, it might be time to invest in a pair of baggy boyfriend jeans.
Why, you ask? Well, we're still reeling over the story of an Australian woman who became temporarily paralyzed after crouching in her skinny jeans all day. You know, that staple pair of denim you whip out of your closet like all the time.
We already know that tight jeans can pose potential risks to women (by compressing nerves) and men (by, er, lowering sperm count), but this was what-could-go-wrong in the extreme: According to a case study released by the team of doctors who treated her, the anonymous woman felt that her jeans seemed tight and uncomfortable throughout the day. After spending hours in a squatting position to empty cupboards while helping a relative move, she could no longer use her feet properly, which caused her to trip and fall. She was found on the ground hours later and rushed to the Royal Adelaide Hospital in Australia.
Doctors found that the 35-year-old fashion victim had experienced a double whammy in terms of nerve compression: Her peroneal nerves (located near the knee joint) had been compressed by squatting, while her tibial nerves were aggravated by the tight denim (which caused her already swelling muscles to swell "inward"). Ouch.
Fortunately, the woman was able to walk as normal after four days of treatment, which included getting IV fluids due to the muscle damage her prolonged crouch had caused.
Yikes—call this the ultimate cautionary tale in wearing second-skin denim.