Talking about your underwear is a weird thing, to say the least. But your delicates are actually something you should really keep an eye on for serious health reasons. If you’re not wearing the right under garments for you, you could run into some unforeseen health issues – and we think it’s safe to say that no one wants to be sabotaged by their underwear.

Dr. Oz breaks down the easiest way to tell if our underwear are doing us more harm than good: his very own underwear test. With these five simple questions, which you can perform on any old pair of undies in your drawer, you can determine if your underwear should get tossed or if they can stay around for another laundry cycle or two.

So grab a pair of underwear, bury your sense of shame, and get cracking!

1. Is Your Underwear Too Loose?

Grab your underwear by the band on both sides and tug outward a few times. Does the band seem like it has more elasticity than when you purchased it? If so, this could be a be a bad sign.

With the trends of Spanx and shape wear, women do a great job of hiding their problem areas. As good as this can be for some, this can also lead one into a bit of self-denial. These undergarments make it difficult to tell if you’ve actually gained weight.

Underwear, however, does not lie. So if the band is weirdly loose, much looser from when you got the garment, then you may have just gotten a bit of a wake up call about your weight. This isn’t a surefire answer to a loose underwear band (an old pair of underwear will get stretched out from multiple wears and multiple washes) but it could be the case.

2. Is Your Backside More Than Three Inches?

Essentially, this question is asking women if they’re wearing too tiny of a thong. If your thong is less than three inches wide in the back (which, admittedly, most of them are) then you may need to be wary.

The truth about these cute undies is that they can transfer bacteria from your rectum into your urethra and even up into your bladder. This can cause urinary tract infections, especially if you’re prone to these infections.

If you’re not prone to these infections, you may be safe to wear thongs, but even in this case you should limit how often you wear this type of underwear.

3. Are Your Leg Holes Too Tight?

Have you noticed that the leg holes of your underwear are a little too tight? Are you feeling discomfort wearing a certain pair or noticing marks when you take them off? These are tell-tale signs that your underwear are too tight.

Besides being uncomfortable, too-tight undies can cut off or restrict your blood flow and mess up your circulation. These underwear can also squeeze your abdomen and cause painful acid reflex, which nobody wants to experience.

4. Is There Static Cling?

Take a pair of underwear and fold them together. Now unfold them. If the fabric is sticking together, then the underwear are suffering from static cling.

This might seem harmless, but static cling on the underwear can irritate the skin and cause eczema. The quick solution? Use fabric softener to reduce static cling and keep your fabric gentle on your delicate skin.

5. Are There Stains?

Probably the most embarrassing question of all: are there yellowish stains on the backside of your underwear? Gross, we know, but it’s important for a critical reason.

If you are noticing strange stains on your underwear, see your doctor ASAP. These stains could be a sign of internal hemorrhoids; although you may not feel these hemorrhoids coming, this discharge is a good indicator that you have them without knowing.

 

What do you think of this underwear test? Will you be shameless enough to check out your under garments for these important signs? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.