Are High Heels Bad for Your Health?

Are High Heels Bad for Your Health?

Do you need to wear heels everyday for your job? Then you may’ve heard from a friend or some magazine article that high-heeled shoes makes someone more susceptible to deep-vein thrombosis. In some severe cases, there are those that say high heels can lead to pulmonary embolism, which can be fatal.

So can heels really be that debilitating to your health, maybe even fatal?

Put your feet up and relax, friend: there’s no formal, scientific studies have linked wearing high heels to blood clot formations deep in the veins or fatal embolisms. In other words, no, wearing high heels won’t kill you.

The problems associated with wearing high heels is focused on blood clots and circulation, though many complications are related to the skeleton and foot bones. But, there is some research that does suggest walking in heels does impair the muscular pump in the calves, which facilitates the return of blood to the upper body.

In a small 2006 study from the journal Angiology, the blood pressure of a small group of people was recorded over as they stood, flexed their feet, and walked on a treadmill, either barefoot or in heels.

“The use of high-heeled shoes increases muscular effort during walking and diminishes the leg venous pressure compared with barefooted,” the study stated.

While vein pressure does increase, and the researchers say wearing heels can contribute to various vein problems, they won’t get as severe as deep-vein thrombosis, or as deadly as a pulmonary embolism.

But to make sure your body’s circulating blood at maximum efficiency, wear heels sparingly, give your feet a break after excessive walking in heels, and vary your footwear with flats every now and again!

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