This month we will briefly consider the important subject of clothing and health. Some may ask, Is there any connection at all between what we wear and our health? Maybe consideration of wearing a swim suit to the snow fields would convince the most hardened skeptic that, yes, some types of clothing are unhealthy in some environments. The following is based largely upon personal and professional experience, plus commonsense.

 

We can divide the subject of clothing and health conveniently into the following categories:

1. Temperature regulation - overall.
2. Temperature regulation - regional.
3. Problems caused by too much pressure.
4. Safety issues - prevention of accidents.
5. Safety issues - prevention of molestation.
6. Mental and social health.
7. Skin irritation.
8. Unusual problems such as irritating smells and electromagnetic issues.

1. Temperature regulation - overall.

Overall temperature regulation means wearing suitable clothing to keep the body at a comfortable temperature for the environment in which we are operating. Most people are good at organising this unless they are caught unprepared. Thus, the main message here for most of us is simply to "Be Prepared". If you are going somewhere where the temperature or weather conditions may change then take suitable clothing options with you in order to cater for these possible changes. If you get caught out in cold weather and have no warmer clothes available then your main options are to increase activity or seek shelter. Sometimes persons are influenced by fashion or peer pressure to wear inadequately warm clothing for the conditions. This, of course, will promote ill-health. It is especially important if clothes get wet from rain or sweat that the wearer does not get chilled with a draft of cold wind, as this can lead to pneumonia. A friend of mine got his shirt wet with perspiration when working hard and then decided to wash his car in a cold breeze. He got double pneumonia, that is pneumonia in both lungs at the same time. To avoid this problem it may be necessary at times to carry a change of clothes in case the first set gets wet with sweat or rain.

2. Temperature regulation - regional.

Regional temperature regulation means wearing clothing that keeps the extremities warm. The extremities means the head and limbs. This is more challenging for most of us to get right than overall temperature regulation. Fashion is no help to us on this point and if we consult fashion we are likely to get regional regulation matters utterly wrong. If your head, feet or hands are too cold then it is very likely that you have not got enough protection for these areas. You need a hat, snugger collar or scarf to look after your head. You need warm socks and footwear for the feet and enough layers of warm material on the legs to make sure the blood stays warm as it goes down. One day recently when I was wearing a suit when I went out to give a talk on a cold day I wore two pairs of long-johns, thus giving me three layers of clothing on my legs. My feet were well looked after. Similar principles apply for the upper limbs and hands. What is the problem with cold extremities? They promote congestion of internal organs and reduced immune activity at potential bug entry points such as the throat and nose. It has been a well known tradition that cold feet or wet hair outside in cold weather can lead to "catching a cold".

3. Problems caused by too much pressure.

Clothing that is too tight may prevent optimal amounts of blood from getting to an area, may compress organs or other tissues and may aggravate moisture build up by reducing air flow. Groin rashes and female thrush problems may be related to or aggravated by tight pants. In bygone days waist corsets were in vogue and caused unhealthy compression of internal organs and reduced lung expansion. Hopefully no one still uses them or anything like them. Tight shoes are obviously a problem for the feet. Too tight a toe in shoes is the usual cause of bunions.

4. Safety issues - prevention of accidents.

Clothing that drags on the floor can bring dirt and bacterial contamination into dwellings and contribute to disease spread. Too much bagginess is a safety concern if there are objects around that the clothes can catch on. Many jobs and recreational activities are associated with the use of specialised safety clothing and obviously attention needs to be given to making sure that the proper apparel is worn.

5. Safety issues - prevention of molestation.

Clothing that is designed to be sexually seductive may increase the risk of molestation.

6. Mental and social health.

Colours, patterns and pictures on clothing can influence mood. For example, wearing black pants and a black tee-shirt with a picture of a skull on it is unlikely to promote a serene and happy mood. Attention to the images, shapes and clothing of fashion may contribute to feelings of inadequacy and sadness, especially in those who cannot afford to buy the fashionable clothes that they desire and study. The study of clothing should not be an overly consuming occupation and a major consumer of time. If it does become such then it can lead to a cramping of mental capacities due to the narrowness of the field of thought.