You could be allergic to your nickel bra clasps and under wires !!!!!!!!!!!

Flare up: Sadie and a rash caused by her nickel allergy

For nearly five years, the lesion on my stomach simply refused to heal. What started as a ten pence-sized cluster of red bumps just above my belly button, developed within weeks into an angry red sore patch the size of my palm.

Impossibly itchy, it wouldn't clear up, despite liberal applications of just about everything from antiseptic and anti-histamine creams to calamine lotion. Scratching, naturally, only made the condition worse.

But what had caused this extreme reaction? A tropical insect bite? A rare skin infection?

No. When I eventually consulted a private dermatologist, it turned out a belt buckle and the button on the fly of my jeans were to blame.

Why? 

They both contained the everyday, silvery-white metal, nickel, which is found in everything from costume jewellery to small change. 

Despite never having had a problem before, suddenly in my mid-20s I'd become highly allergic to it. 

Since then I've been caught out by bra clasps, chain straps on handbags and even sunglasses with metal arms, all of which left angry welts on my skin, sometimes within minutes of coming into contact with them.

So when I read last week that there's been a massive surge in nickel allergies - one in ten Britons is now a fellow sufferer - I wasn't surprised.

It's an allergy that seems insignificant until you actually suffer from it yourself, and it is reported that one in five women, like me, does. That's because nickel is everywhere in places you'd never imagine.

It's used in over 300,000 items from batteries and cooking utensils, to pans and, yes, the proverbial kitchen sink. It's found in paper clips, toasters, zips, car keys, bath plugs, door handles, scissors and even in the metal trims and keypads of many mobile phones.

.

Analysis has shown that the five and ten pence coins introduced since January 2012 contain four times more of the metal than they used to. Cheaper to produce than the old coins, which were made from an alloy of around 70 per cent copper and 25 per cent nickel, the new slightly thicker coins are steel with a nickel coating.

Experts have warned that handling these coins regularly could trigger contact eczema or dermatitis, and cause painful cracked and sore skin.

There are increasing amounts of nickel in coinage

Lindsey McManus, of Allergy UK, says many nickel allergy sufferers already report having to wear rubber gloves when handling coins, and with the new 5p and 10p pieces she fears the problem may become even more prevalent, especially among workers such as shop cashiers and bus drivers who handle money all day.

Nickel can even penetrate cloth, so men who put their loose change in their pockets can find it aggravates the skin on their legs underneath.

Prevalent in the earth's crust, nickel is easily available and cheap. It's also hard-wearing and doesn't corrode, which makes it a popular choice in manufacturing.

It can even get into our food from the equipment used to handle, cook or store it. 

Tinned tuna, for example, contains nickel from the can. As a trace element, nickel occurs naturally in soil and, as it is absorbed through the roots of many plants, it is found in most vegetables, fruits and nuts.

Cocoa, raspberries, peanuts and chickpeas are high in nickel, as are many of the products derived from them including chocolate and wine. 

Thankfully I've yet to suffer a reaction to either, but that's not to say I won't in the future. The allergy has a way of creeping up on sufferers.

Consultant dermatologist Dr Tabi Leslie warns that a nickel allergy can strike anyone at any time. 'Like most allergies, it can develop suddenly at any age due to changes in the body's immune system and exposure to an irritant,' she says.

"Women have a higher risk simply because they are more likely to be exposed to nickel through jewellery and under wire bras"

'In a nutshell, the more we're exposed to it, the more likely we are to become sensitive to it and, with the increasing use of nickel, the numbers will only continue soaring.'

She explains that sensitisation occurs when the body starts thinking it's under attack and the immune system goes into overdrive, attacking healthy cells and tissue, and resulting contact eczema or dermatitis.

Five years ago I developed hives - a bumpy red rash - after swapping my usual breakfast cereal for porridge. Initially, make-up and a new moisturiser were chief suspects until my dermatologist told me that rolled porridge oats contain high levels of nickel.

Within days of giving up porridge, the eczema was less itchy, and within a few weeks it had disappeared. And a nickel allergy can also trigger a reaction on other patches of skin that haven't been in contact with it, what Lindsey McManus calls 'a referred reaction'.

'It can be baffling for people who aren't yet aware they're allergic to nickel,' she says.

Even the nickel in bra clasps and straps can trigger a reaction in someone with an allergy

Though rare, some people are so sensitive to nickel that it can trigger an immediate, and potentially fatal, reaction known as anaphylactic shock, where the airways close in on themselves.

The nickel allergy problem has become so great that Europe has introduced strict new rules on how much nickel can be used in items worn next to the skin such as watchstraps, earrings and necklaces. Coins were excluded because it was thought they did not release enough nickel to trigger reactions.

But researchers from the St John's Institute of Dermatology at St Thomas' Hospital, London, now say the high nickel levels in coins will dramatically escalate the problem of allergies in Britain.

So what can you do if you're a sufferer? As I found out myself, painting offending items with clear nail varnish can act as a barrier but it isn't foolproof.

'Anti-histamine tablets and creams help to break the itch-scratch cycle and relieve discomfort,' adds Dr Leslie, 'but to get rid of contact eczema you need a prescribed emollient to act as a barrier and reduce the dryness, and a topical steroid cream to reduce the immune reaction.'

It was a long course of steroid cream that eventually helped clear up the patch on my stomach. Unfortunately, what's best is avoiding the metal completely, something that's increasingly difficult.

Having a nickel allergy is a pain, quite literally, but perhaps it's not all bad. In 2011, Danish researchers found that those who reacted to common irritants such as perfume or nickel were less likely to develop three different cancers.

This may be because contact allergies, where the body falsely believes it is under attack, help prime the immune system to be super responsive and fight off other threats.

As the saying goes: 'Every cloud has a…..' Actually, I'd prefer a gold lining.  Silver often contains nickel to strengthen it ! 

Ref: Daily mail UK, Dated: 19.June.13

How to Get your Kids to Clean up!!!

Every Mother's Dreammmm Come TRUE!!!! 

Getting your children involved with daily cleanup is a great way  to teach responsibility and cleanliness  at a young age. Here are some tips to get your children to help clean up around the home.

Tip 1:  Invest in stackable storage boxes. Keep the children’s room easy to clean by keeping storage boxes and extra closet space around. Children will easily put things away when they know there is storage boxes . Also, Buy stackable storage boxes in different colors so it makes it easier to put toys, clothes and other items away in different color boxes.

Tip 2:  Make a fun game out of cleaning by putting on music to get your children moving to put things away. If you have two or more children you can always make a competition out of cleaning by using a timer. Whoever wins in the shortest amount of time gets a small reward.

Tip 3: Teach your children at young age. As soon as they can walk and pick up toys teach them how to put these toys back. Create a cleanup song and teach them to put the toys back in the bins where they belong. If you teach them at young age they will be able to carry this habit with them.

Tip 4: Make a schedule and stay consistent when children do not clean. Teach your children to make their beds in the morning after getting up and to pick up their toys and books in the evening before they go to bed. If your children resist your instructions to cleanup  you can always withdraw a reward or stop them from going out. Stay firm and consistent with your orders.

Tip 5: Be interesting with cleaning  at an early age. If your children can read then teach them how to alphabetize their bookcase and organize their study desk.

Tip 6: Get your children involved by simply asking the question “can you help me please?”  Children generally liked to be asked for help.

Tip 7: Children love to spray things, so get a small spray bottle and fill it up with some hot water and vinegar and have them spray down and wipe their toys, desk and furniture.  Diluted 50/50 water and vinegar is harmless to your furniture and children. Its a great way to get kids to wipe and clean up  their room.

Getting your children to tidy up around the home can be a little overwhelming especially if you haven’t instilled this habit from before.  If you have more than one child then assign cleaning tasks appropriate to their age.  A 3-4 year might clean up by dumping things in one container which is fine , but a 10 year old will learn that color coordinated  storage boxes are used for different things. Cleaning up with children can also be a great way to spend time together.

SIMPLIFY ..... Decoded !!

SIMPLIFY......... Decoded !! 

 " In proportion as he simplifies his life, the laws of the universe will appear less complex, and solitude will not be solitude, nor poverty poverty, nor weakness weakness." ~Henry David Thoreau

The tendency of life in our society is to become more complicated: Internet, television, shopping, work, family commitments, possessions, eating, debt … these things pile on top of each other endlessly.

This is a rather bad formula, as our days have a limited capacity, and so do we as humans. We can only do so much, only handle so many tasks and possessions and social commitments, and filling ourselves to those limits means we stress our breaking points.

It takes a bit of conscious effort to simplify, but it’s one of the greatest things.

Simplify everything !!!  

That might sound hard, but with practice it’s actually fairly easy, and leads to a quiet, content, lovely life full of space, with only the things in it that matter to most of us : my family, my laptop, my writing, with some reading and workouts thrown in.

So how do you simplify? As simply as possible.

Here are a few ways:

1. Block off some disconnected time. The Internet is amazing, but always being connected means you’re always pulled in a thousand directions at once. It’s hard to focus, hard to connect with others, hard to get out into nature and be active. So schedule some time every day for disconnection: maybe a block in the morning where you get your best work done, and a block in the afternoon when you get out and active, or connect with friends or family.
2. Start eliminating commitments. List your commitments, and pick one to eliminate today. It’s a simple matter of making a call or sending an email explaining that you can’t do the commitment. Trust me, they’ll find a way to live without you. You’ll start to free up time for what’s more important to you.
3. Start purging possessions. Every day, find 5 things to donate or give to friends. Or clear an entire shelf or counter top, leaving only the things you actually use, getting rid of the rest. Slowly your possessions will be simplified to just the essentials.
4. Ban shopping for 30 days. You can do this. Don’t buy anything except the essentials (food, toiletries, basic supplies).  If you think you really need it, put it on a list to be evaluated after the 30 days.... and by this we don's mean ban Online Shopping on www.televantage.in !!!! LOL 
5. Wash your bowl. When you’re done eating, mindfully wash your bowl. When you’re done with anything, get in the habit of pausing before moving onto the next thing, and cleaning up after yourself. Put your food away. Put your clothes where they belong. Put your keys in one spot. Clean the sink before you leave it. This simple habit will keep you mindful while saving you lots of cleanup later
6. Schedule time for what’s important. What’s most important to you? Your spouse or kids? Creating? Reading novels? Cooking, gardening, crafts, carpentry? Make the time for it.
7. Get outdoors once a day. Too often we are stuck at a desk or on the couch. Get outside, take a walk, enjoy the fresh air and sunshine. Go for a hike or a run with a friend. Play some sports. Run around and play tag with your kids. These simple activities will change your life.
8. Eat some plants. Learn some simple recipes that incorporate super healthy foods you might not be eating: kale, spinach, broccoli, quinoa, berries, flax seeds, lentils, avocados, black beans, squash, raw almonds and walnuts, garlic, turmeric, cayenne, cinnamon. 
9. Drink tea. Green tea brewed from relatively fresh whole tea leaves is calming, healthy, and wonderful. A daily tea ritual keeps you grounded and mindful.

Breast Cancer ALERT !!!

Breast Cancer ALERT !!! 

All Women MUST read This: 

* Wearing a wired bra over 12 hours daily dramatically increases breast cancer incidence.

* Bra-free women have about the same incidence of breast cancer as men.

* Those who wear a wired bra 18-24 hours daily have over 100 times greater incidence of breast cancer than do wirebra-free women. This link is 3-4 times greater than that between cigarettes and lung cancer!

(Source: Dressed To Kill: The Link Between Breast Cancer and Bras by Sydney Ross Singer and Soma Grismaijer, Medical Anthropologists)

How exactly is it that bras can cause breast cancer?

Dr. Singer and Grismaijer explain:

“Our theory explaining these findings is that the bra, a wired elastic garment designed to alter breast shape, applies constant pressure to the soft breast tissue, compressing and constricting lymphatic vessels. 

Evidence of this constriction are the red marks and indentations in the skin left behind by the bra. 

Since the role of the lymphatics is to flush out toxins and debris from the tissues, impairment of lymphatic flow can lead to the toxification of the breast tissue. These toxins include endogenous toxins resulting from the consequent tissue hypoxia, as well as the exogenous toxins that contaminate our food, water and air in our petrochemically polluted world. Many of these toxins are carcinogenic. 

The bra concentrates these in the breast by preventing the lymphatics from flushing them away.
Of course, this means that the cause of breast cancer is not the bra, per se, but the toxins that the bra concentrates in the breast tissue due to lymphatic impairment. 

Interestingly, when you look at the worldwide statistics on breast cancer, it is clear that it is only a problem in cultures where bras are worn. No bras, and men and women have about the same low incidence of breast cancer. And the bra link also explains various breast cancer risk factors, as we discuss in Dressed To Kill. 

While more research is clearly needed to further study this link, we believe it is prudent medicine to recommend women abstain from bra wearing as a precaution. There is no reason for wearing a bra, apart from fashion. The human body was not designed with a flaw that requires modern lingerie for correction. Like the absurd and destructive fashion of foot binding in China, women in the West bind their breasts. “

When this research first came out back in 1995, I immediately stopped wearing a wired bra. After this research, I wore undershirts and camisoles instead.

Then as the years wore on, I started to wonder: Why am I ashamed of my nipples? Who decreed that even the outline of a nipple should never be shown?? So then I began eschewing the undershirts and just wearing a normal thin sports bra like camisole – ahhh, the comfort and freedom of it.

I must admit, it’s easy for me to go bra-free because I have small breasts. If I had large, heavy breasts, that hung to my belly button when bra-free, I imagine it would be much more difficult. But, I would still do it, except on special occasions. Because there’s another benefit to going bra-free, as Dr. Singer and Grismaijer relate:

“Then something happened that we had not foreseen. Some courageous women who had heard our message tried going wire bra-free and reported their experiences to us. Within weeks, if not days, most of these women experienced a profound change in their breast health. Breast pain and tenderness virtually ended. Cysts that had needed regular aspirations disappeared. We began to realize that fibrocystic breast disease, common in bra-wearing cultures, should be called “tight bra syndrome.
It all made perfect sense, of course. The wired bra was causing secondary lymphedema of the breasts due to constriction of the lymphatics. The accumulated fluid caused increased tissue pressure with associated pain and tenderness, and eventually developed into cysts. While the fibrous tissue that develops in long standing cysts takes more time to resolve, relieving the pressure by eliminating the bra allowed the cysts to drain, alleviating the pressure and discomfort.  

(This also explained why many women have breast myalgia near the time of their menstrual period. Estrogen levels are elevated at this time, increasing overall body fluid retention and increasing breast size. However, women typically wear the same size bra all month long, making it particularly tight at these times, increasing breat pain. Once under wire bra-free, this syndrome usually stops.) 

The results are fast, impressive and transformative. It was this link with fibrocystic breast disease that helped keep our bra-cancer theory alive. While it didn't prove the cancer connection, it did show that the wired bra was damaging the breasts, adding support to our claims. 

We then did a follow-up study to our first US study. This time we went to Fiji, where half the population is bra-free. We approached the Health Ministry and asked for their assistance. Once we told them our theory, they exclaimed, “That explains why our working women are now getting breast cancer! They are the ones who wear bras!” Over the next few months we went from village to village and obtained over 20 case histories of breast cancer. All were in women who wore bras. We found that, given women from the same village (genetically related), with the same diet, the ones who developed breast cancer were the ones who wore bras.”

Bra-Free Woman In Fiji

Since doctors Singer and Grismaijer published their research, there have been three Japanese studies confirming their findings. Why has the Japanese medical establishment picked up on Singer/Grismaijer’s research and furthered it, while the U.S. has ignored it? Follow the money, honey.

Until recently, Japan has been largely a non-bra wearing culture. However in the U.S., the bra industry is a multi-billion dollar enterprise. And how many billions of dollars a year are spent on breast cancer research and treatment? it seems like every other month there’s some pink-ribbon run to raise funds for breast cancer in my town.

Is it hard to go bra-free? Heck yes! You don’t realize how screwed-up our culture is about breasts until you step outside the box. Take breastfeeding as one example: On the one hand you have every fashion magazine and most women walking around with their breasts pushed up, plumped out and on display as much as possible. 

Then you have a woman who tries to feed her child and she is barred from airplane flights, kicked out of restaurants and asked to leave stores (yes, these incidences have really happened).

So what can you do to make the transition to bra-free easier?

• Start doing push-ups (do them against the wall to start with, then move to on the ground when you’re able) to build your pectoral muscles which support your breasts. These are “nature’s bra”. Even after breastfeeding 3 children, my breasts don’t sag very much because the musculature underneath and above the breast tissue is strong (okay, and because they’re not heavy).
• Wear silk or elasten(nylon) or cotton camisoles, or tank tops (undershirts) instead of a bra. 
• If you just can’t get your head round going bra-free in public, then go bra-free the second you walk in the door to your home, and only wear a bra when you go out. If this means you have to change in and out of your bra several times a day, do it.
• Show the research to your husband, boyfriend and enlist his help and support in your endeavor.
• Check out this link :   http://www.televantage.in/ProductDetails/SlimNLift/Home

SLIM N LIFT AIRE BRA

Slim 'N Lift Aire Bra

• The Slim 'N Lift Aire Bra won't stretch out and is the most versatile and comfortable bra you'll ever own.

• Say goodbye to embarrassing back fat, the wonder weave extra oomph band gives you support without the suffering and never rolls up!

• Wide straps fit perfectly and never slip off.

• Full coverage cups custom fit to any size, keeping everything in place.

• The Slim 'N Lift Aire Bra saves the hassle of spending hundreds of dollars on bras with uncomfortable underwires and straps that don't fit and can make you look lumpy. With the Slim 'N Lift Aire Bra you know that you're going to look and feel your best!

• The Slim 'N Lift Aire Bra is also a stylish fashion accessory! No matter where you work or where you go! Layer it for different looks! You can even sleep in Slim 'N Lift Aire Bra for proper support, day and night.

Product Information

Slim 'N Lift Aire Bra has specially been designed and styled for women living a 21st century lifestyle.

Bras haven't changed much for over 50 years, but women and our way of life are dramatically different! No longer just in the kitchen, we are business leaders, astronauts, soldiers, coaches, movers, shakers and magnificent moms.

80% of women today wear the wrong size bra! But now there is something for everyone, no matter what your size or shape.

Say goodbye to hooks, clips, straps and padding with the all new Slim 'N Lift Aire Bra! The light as air bra that shapes, supports and styles for the most flattering figure ever!

Slim 'N Lift Aire Bra is specially styled by the Slim 'N Lift designers. Perfect for all shapes, sizes, ages and activities. And Slim 'N Lift Aire Bra is the bra that targets all the trouble areas we women want to fix:

1: Spilling out of cups that are too small

2: Bulging under the arms

3: Embarrassing back fat

4: Wires that pinch

5: Straps that fall down

6: Hooks and clips that dig in

7: Uncomfortable bra inserts and padding, and

8: Not enough support. Slim 'N Lift Aire Bra solves all of these problems and more! So you can always look and feel your very best.

Slim 'N Lift Aire is the ultimate bra! What are you waiting for! Get rid of the ordinary and try the extraordinary! Place your order now to get your Slim 'N Lift Aire, you'll be thankful you did!

Product Specifications

You can stretch Slim 'N Lift Aire Bra all you want, it never loses its shape! And because it's seamless, Slim 'N Lift Aire Bra lies smooth. It is made of 93% Nylon and 7% Elastane, and the luxurious Slim 'N Lift Aire knit fabric breathes easily and it repels moisture, so you stay cool and feeling fresh! 

The secret is in the forever fit technology woven right into the Slim 'N Lift Aire Bra using special thousand needle Santoni machines.

So say goodbye to embarrassing back fat, the wonder weave extra oomph band gives you support without the suffering and never rolls up! Wide straps fit perfectly and never slip off. Full coverage cups custom fit to any size, keeping everything in place.

No matter how petite or busty you are! Sizing is simple! Just look in the next tab for the Slim 'N Lift Aire Bra size chart in centimetres and inches which may help you to choose your correct size.

Don't forget that Slim 'N Lift Aire Bra is also a stylish fashion accessory! No matter where you work or where you go, layer it for different looks! You can even sleep in Slim 'N Lift Aire Bra, for proper support, day and night.

Slim 'N Lift Aire Bra gives lift and support in all the right places. It's one seamless garment that custom fits to your body like magic.

     SIZE CHART : 

Aire Bra Size Regular Bra Size (inches) Regular Bra Size (cms) Small 28 - 34 71- 86 Medium 35 - 38 87 - 97 Large 39 - 40 98 - 102 X- Large 41 - 42 103 - 107 XX-Large 43 - 44 108 -112 ORDER NOW ON :  http://www.televantage.in /ProductDetails/SlimNLift/Home

Is your bra making you ill?

It isn't just about looks, a poor fit can cause 

back pain, indigestion and even headaches

But getting it right couldn't be easier.

Are you constantly pulling up your bra straps? Do your shoulders fall forward? Do your bosoms bounce when you walk, despite your new balcony bra with lace trim? The chances are you are among the majority of women who have never had a proper bra fitting, and whose posture and back health are compromised as a result.

Attitudes about bra fit and function vary by generation. Younger women are more likely to find that their bra doesn't fit properly because, in the good old days, pubescent girls were almost always fitted for bras. The idea of being fitted for a bra when I was 13 would have been gross, but everything looks different after my bra epiphany, which happened in Night Owls on the Fulham Road, in south-west London.

"Your bra doesn't fit properly!" the lady at the cash register shouted, as I checked out the pink flannel pyjamas. I pretended not to notice. "I bet you've never had a bra fitting in your life!" continued the voice. She marched over. I was wearing an expensive underwired bra, designed to give "lift". I had tried it on in the shop, but that was not, I was told, a proper fitting. "I bet your back strap's half way up your shoulder blades. Look at your posture! Your bust line is sinking!" My ear lobes, she said, were almost attached to my shoulders. I'd spent years compromising my breast and back health, apparently, and my bra was a load of "shite". I told her I'd always been a 36C. "Rubbish," she snorted. "You're a 30- or 32E."

This was a shock; I'd only come in for pyjamas. As chairman of the PTA, I did not want an E cup. It sounded huge, like Jordan.

All this is not just a matter of vanity. Last week, the British Chiropractic Association (BCA) warned that wearing the wrong bra size can lead to a number of problems, including back pain, restricted breathing, abrasions, breast pain and poor posture. The problems are even more acute in large-breasted women. "Bras are like suspension bridges," says the BCA's Tim Hutchful. "You need a well-engineered bra so your shoulders don't end up doing all the work. Bras that don't fit will affect the shoulders and chest, and will almost certainly cause back pain as you get older."

The woman prodding, pulling and hoiking introduced herself as Yolanda Ktori. A passionate advocate of corsetry, she has seen the profession clobbered by our smash-and-grab society. "Women buy bras off the shelf at M&S [though it does offer a fitting service], and don't have a clue what size they are. Some stores offer fittings, but most women don't bother." She pushed my shoulders down and pulled my blades back, showing me where the strap should sit: on the meaty part of the shoulder towards the neckline, locking in with the shoulders and streamlining down the back to stop slipping. "It's like the reins on a horse. You pull everything back, not forward," she says.

The corsetry experts at Rigby & Peller estimate that 80 per cent of women that come through their doors are wearing the wrong-sized bra, and also stress that badly fitting bras can lead to back problems and bad posture. The most common bra solecisms are cups that are too small and bands that are loose around the back causing the shoulders to carry the weight of the bosoms, instead of the back. A bra must be firm (not tight) around the back and support the weight of the breasts in the mid to lower back. Rigby & Peller says the back band should be level with the underwire (Ktori says an inch-and-a-half lower).

Jon-Morton Bell, an osteopath, agrees that properly fitting bras are key to back health. "Ladies have to do a balancing act with gravity," he says. "Proper support for the breasts has a huge impact on back health. The best place to support the breasts is through the lumbar (lower back), but often, women take the strain through the thoracic (around the ribcage), which can cause a curved back. If a woman is bending forward because of insufficient breast support, the trapezius overstretches and causes headaches. All nerve roots come from the back; stomach upsets and fatigue are common by-products of bad back health. If ladies have a proper bra-fitting, back problems are often resolved."

There are even those who have claimed that there is a link between underwired bras and breast cancer. 

In their book Dressed to Kill, Sydney Ross Singer and Soma Grismaijer claim that the external pressure of the bra constricts the lymphatic vessels and prevents proper draining of the breast tissue, leading to fluid accumulation in the breast. Western rates of the disease are 10 times those of developing countries because, they tell us, women in the latter tend not to wear bras, let alone cleavage-heaving cross-your heart-and-hope-to-die wonder bras. They urge women to abandon bras and embrace freedom, but don't substantiate their claims with any supportive comparisons in diet, lifestyle or genetic history.

The metal in underwired bras is unpopular with acupuncturists as it crosses the body's meridians and blocks the flow of chi, they say, which can cause energy to stagnate. But breast cancer? Lynn Daly, from Cancer Research UK, says: "You would need to wear a bra that was painfully and unbearably tight to have any effect on your lymphatic system, but constriction or applying pressure to an area of the body does not cause normal cells to become cancerous."

"It's not rocket science," says Yolanda Ktori. "Saggy bosoms are bad for your back. Get a bra that fits properly. You wouldn't wear shoes that are too tight, would you? Women who have their bra fitted properly tell me it's changed their lives."

The wrong bra? How you can tell

Kate Horrell, fitting expert for the online lingerie shop figleaves.com, recommends looking closely in the mirror for the telltale signs that you're wearing the wrong bra size.

The underband is riding up

Lift up your arms to see whether the bra is tight enough. The underband should fit firmly against the body so that it does not slide about during normal activity.

The shoulder straps are digging in

The underband of a bra provides the majority (80 per cent) of support for the breasts, with the straps providing just 20 per cent. If the bra straps are digging in, it could be because the underband is too loose and you are over-adjusting the straps to feel supported. When you do this, the straps pull the bra up at the back, another sign that the band is too loose.

The centre fold is lifting away from the body

The centre front of the bra should lie flat against the body. If it doesn't, the cups could be too small.

The back band is overstretched

If your straps are too far apart at the back (they should be parallel), it may be that your bra band is too small and so is overstretching.

( Source: http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/features/is-your-bra-making-you-ill-1044078.html )