Oversized purses may leave you with back, neck and shoulder pain, headaches
and possibly even arthritis.

Try this at home: Put your purse on the scale and weigh it. You could be
asking for trouble if your purse weighs over 7 pounds.

You wouldn’t carry around a 7-pound dumbbell from the gym. So why would you
sling a bag weighing the equivalent of a dumbbell over your shoulder and walk
around with it? Now who’s the dumbbell?

Women are carrying more “stuff” in their jumbo bags these days. Fashion trend
or necessity, it may not be so healthful. That kind of weight can leave a
lasting impression, said Jane Sadler, MD, family practice physician on the
medical staff at Baylor Medical Center.

“If you think about how you carry a bag, it’s usually on one side and you
kind of pull your neck to one side and lift your shoulder. It’s a very unnatural
position,” said Dr. Sadler. “It creates strain along the neck and into the
nerves that exit the neck and down the shoulder so it can be very painful later
on for many women,” she said.

So how heavy is too heavy when it comes to your purse? Dr. Sadler said that
if you’re carrying your cell phone, makeup and wallet in your purse, that’s
already too much. If your purse is uncomfortable when you put it on, if you can
feel it pulling on your shoulder, or if it weighs more than just a few pounds,
it may be time to downsize your bag.

Lighten the load: Try downsizing your wallet. Carry only the
credit cards and cash you need, leave the oversized makeup bags at home, and
carry your cell phone with a clip on your body.