Sammy Margo says: ?It alters the way you breathe, you end up breathing from the upper airways rather than the diaphragm. It impedes digestion and weakens the muscles because the corset is doing the work for them.?

Flowing scarves may be feminine but they can also be a pain in the neck, says Sammy Margo. ?Recently I had a patient who was in real trouble after the scarf she was wearing got caught in a car door and the driver went to move off without realising. the jerk caused a whip-lash type injury and she was in a lot of pain.?

Tight trousers leave men at an increased risk of infertility, a problem estimated to affect as many as  443,000 men in the UK. Heat has a direct impact on the sperm motility ? their ability to swim to an egg to fertilise it. Studies have shown that even relatively small rises in temperature can undermine sperm  motility and in some cases even reduce sperm counts.

Men are evolutionarily engineered to counter this by adapting to temperature highs and lows ? the  scrotum is a sort of air-conditioning system which keeps the testes, where sperm is made, a few degrees cooler than a man?s body temperature when it?s too hot, or draws them closer to the body when it?s cold. But tight trousers can lead to overheating that lowers sperm quality and quantity.

When William Hague donned a baseball cap it wasn?t only his political image that was in danger, he may also have increased his risk of skin cancer. Sporty caps give a false sense of security in the sun, warns  Professor Anthony Peterson, an expert dermatologist based at Loyola University, Chicago.

He explains: ?The problem with baseball caps is that they leave the tips of the ears dangerously exposed to sun damage. the potential for skin cancer is real.?

Cancer Research UK figures reveal a sharp rise in the number of men dying from skin cancer. In the past 30 years, deaths have doubled and the number of men being diagnosed with malignant melanoma has increased five-fold.

No WAG would be seen without an oversized designer bag but if you carry more than a few basics in it  you could have back problems.

Garry Trainer, an osteopath and acupuncturist with a celebrity patient list, warns: ?If a heavy bag is carried constantly on the same shoulder then it can compress the muscles on one side while stretching  the muscles on the other. Ideally the weight should be carried across both shoulders and kept close to the body.?

Low-slung jeans that are tight enough to create a muffintop look are not only a crime against fashion, they can also lead to a nasty case of meralgia paraesthetica.

This nerve problem, also known as tingling thigh syndrome, is caused by pressure on the femoral  cutaneous nerve which runs through the thigh. Symptoms can range from mild pins and needles to a  burning sensation. It can also lead to numbness lower down the legs. Dr John England of the American Academy of Neurology says: ?The femoral cutaneous nerve is purely sensory ? it doesn?t go to muscles or provide strength ? but anything that is tight around there can potentially compress the nerve.?

The good news is that loss of sensation is temporary ? switching to skirts or baggy trousers will fix the  problem.

Most women wear these fine nylon knee-highs under smart trousers but buying brands with a narrow  band at the top is not so smart, advises Sammy Margo.

?I?ve had patients come in complaining of pins and needles and pain in their lower legs as a result of badly fitting pop socks. Some socks have a broad band at the top, which is fine, but in others it?s very  narrow and has much the same effect as wearing a rubber band.?

They?re a winter wardrobe standby but stretch leggings can cause problems when the weather warms, says Sammy Margo. ?Leggings are very supportive, I often recommend them to patients with lower back problems but that also means they are doing some of the work of the muscles. if you wear leggings a lot during winter you will find that your legs are not as firm and toned as you would like by the spring.?

Just as skin-tight outerwear is bad for boys who want to become fathers, so too are figure-hugging Y-fronts and jockey shorts. a study by the University of Milan found that men wearing tight briefs were nearly twice as likely to be infertile as men who wore looser styles of underpants. as a result, if couples are having trouble conceiving, the man is often advised to switch to boxers to try to improve his sperm count.

Sheepskin boots may not offer enough support around the heel and ankle which can lead to tendon strain, warns podiatrist Mike O?Neil. ?Ugg have done a lot to try to improve their sole and they have made the back of the boot a lot stronger.?

But he says many lookalikes don?t offer enough support which can lead to problems including Achilles tendonitis and friction and bruising to the heel. People with flat feet are at particular risk.

Stick to studs if you want to reduce your risk of injury on the pitch, advises podiatrist Mike O?Neil. ?They have a little more give than the newer blades.?

Orthopaedic surgeon Professor David Barrett says: ?We see a lot more metatarsal injuries. the players have no protection.?

Wayne Rooney was advised by specialists to wear an orthotic insole to help stiffen his boots and protect his feet. And at last week?s Australian Open tennis championship, keen-eyed viewers will have spotted that Novak Djokovic removed similar insoles before throwing his shoes into the crowd

It’s not just hot and nasty out there, it’s dangerously hot, according to the National Weather Service in St. Louis.

The National Weather Service has issued an excessive heat warning that went into effect at noon and will remain in effect until Thursday evening for the entire St. Louis metropolitan area. Although the excessive heat warning is in effect until Thursday, meteorologists predict dangerous heat and humidity to persist beyond Thursday.

High temperatures are expected to reach 100 with heat indices soaring from 105 to 114 in the afternoon and early evening.

Because of the extended length of the expected dangerous heat indices, the elderly, children and pets are especially vulnerable to heat-related illnesses. those who live in homes or apartments without air conditioning and those who work outside are also at a greater risk for heat-related illnesses.

The United way of Greater St. Louis is reminding people that the temperature inside vehicles rises to fatal temperatures in a matter of minutes, and children or pets should never be left unattended in a car for any reason.

Information on cooling centers in the metropolitan St. Louis and Southwestern Illinois regions is available by calling United way at 2-1-1 on a landline or online at 211missouri.org. Cooling center information and information for senior citizens worried about not being able to pay for air-conditioning is also available at 800-427-4626. All calls are free and confidential and available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days per year.

Here’s some tips on keeping cool and safe during dangerous temperatures from Operation Weather Survival:

* Stay out of the direct sun and heat — Spend as many hours as possible in a cool place. Minimize physical activity. Take cool baths or showers; use cool towels. Wear lightweight, light-colored, loose fitting clothing.

* Drink plenty of water or natural juices — Cool drinks help to replenish fluid losses because of increased perspiration in high temperature. Drink at least six to eight glasses of fluids every day. Avoid alcohol and caffeine as they cause your body to lose more water. keep a few bottles of water in your freezer — if the power goes out, move them to your refrigerator and keep the doors shut.

* Eat regularly — Prepare easy, cool, light items. Fresh vegetable salads, tuna and meat salads, fresh fruit mixtures, whole grain products and cheeses can all contribute to cool nutritious summer meals. Hot soups and casseroles and other products served hot can make you warmer at meal-time. Avoid using ovens.

* Develop a buddy system with family, friends, or neighbors — Develop a personal support network of people who will check in with you at least twice a day throughout warm weather periods, and plan how you will help each other in an emergency. Watch for signs of heat stroke and/or heat exhaustion. call for help when needed.

* plan ahead — Ask your doctor about any prescription medicine you keep refrigerated. Most medicine will be fine to leave in a closed refrigerator for at least 3 hours. make plans for any animals and pets. keep a battery-operated radio on hand to hear news reports and a flashlight handy for lighting. Remember extra batteries. Do not use candles; they are fire hazards. Cordless phones might not operate during power outages so keep a corded phone handy or plugged in to another jack.

* keep cool — Close your curtains and windows in the morning to keep the sun and heat out of your home. Open windows and doors at night to cool inside temperatures. keep electric lights off or turned down. If you don’t have air conditioning, leave your home and go to a cool, safe place.

* call 911 if you or anyone you know needs medical attention.

* Heat exhaustion — caused by the loss of normal fluids and salts in the body as a result of exposure to heat. Symptoms of heat exhaustion include: Cool, clammy skin; a body temperature of up to 103 degrees; weak, rapid pulse; shallow and quiet breaths and muscles that may be tense or contracted. Treatment includes keeping the person quiet and resting in a cool place an increasing the intake of cool, non-alcoholic, non-caffeinated fluids. Consult a doctor immediately if the person is elderly.

* Heat stroke — a more serious illness resulting for direct exposure to high temperatures or the sun. Symptoms include: dizziness, weakness, nausea; seeing spots, ringing in the ears, bright red, dry skin, rapid, strong pulse and a body temperature of more than 103 degrees. Treatment includes rapidly cooling off the person and taking the person to an emergency room.