It was widely reported last week that an Australian woman was sent to the hospital and remained there for four days all because of her skinny jeans! Though reports like these may seem few and far between, this isn’t the first time something like this has happened. So what’s going on? Can our jeans actually make us sick?

Doctors say that skinny jeans can put too much pressure on important nerves such as the tibial nerves (which provide sensation for the calf and foot) and the peroneal nerves (which run from knee to ankle). And this is what happened in the case of last week’s newsworthy incident. Doctors also warn that the nerve in your thighs—the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve—are also susceptible to the same dangers as the nerves in our lower legs. When any of these nerves are compressed it can lead to several problems with your lower body, such as: numbness and tingling sensations in the legs and feet; swelling; loss of muscle strength; stinging pain; and even sensitivity to heat. If there is too much constriction in these nerves over a prolonged amount of time and these symptoms occur repeatedly, then this can cause permanent muscle and nerve damage.

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And that’s not the only health risk we face from our jeans! Pants that are too tight around the waist can cause many digestion problems. If you have too much pressure on your stomach, your body won’t be able to digest food properly—this can lead to indigestion, heartburn, and acid reflux. So if you may have overindulged just a little bit at dinner, make sure you loosen your pants!

The most important thing to remember to avoid these problems is to buy jeans that fit! We’re not meant to squeeze into our jeans, our jeans are supposed to accommodate our bodies and not the other way around. Listen to your body—if it’s uncomfortable, don’t ignore it—and if you’re experiencing chronic numbness or pain in your legs, or indigestion, it might be time for you to go shopping. And also, maybe don’t wear skinny jeans every day.