Pocket Book Chat

My husband picked up my purse the other day.
“I can do curls with this,” he exclaimed.

He was right. Looking for something in my humongous handbag is like going on an excavation.

I was carrying a cell phone, a camera, a charger, two makeup bags, a comb, a magazine, a bottle of perfume, some jewelry, sunglasses in a case, a few letters to mail and a wallet full of change; not to mention the hardware on the purse itself, which probably adds another pound.

When I put my bag on the bathroom scale, it weighed in at a whopping 16.5 pounds.

This isn’t a new phenomenon. I’ve been carrying my life on my shoulders ever since my mother gave me my first megabag when I was a teenager. My purses have been getting larger ever since.

Apparently I’m not alone.

Jumbo-size purses are all the rage, but they can also be a big pain in the neck, shoulder, back, and can cause headaches, warns Dr. Shazia Khan, co-medical director at Loyola Primary Care Center, Loyola University Health System.

“I see lots of women for neck pains and headaches, and what I usually do is pick up their purse. Most of them say, ‘That’s what I thought,’” Khan said. “Large bags are fashionable, but if women are going to carry them, they need to make sure they don’t pay a price when it comes to their health.”

A woman shouldn’t lug around a pocketbooks that weighs more than 10 percent of her body weight — 15 pounds max, Khan said.

She suggests women use smaller purses made of light material. But if you’re like me, and you can’t bear to part with your hefty handbag, at the very least rotate it to the other shoulder from time to time. You might want to start incorporating neck, back and shoulder strength-training exercises into your workout routine.

Also look for a bag with broad straps that provide good shoulder support.

Let’s not even talk about the last resort: the fanny pack. Most women — including myself — would rather suffer than be seen with a fanny pack.

Khan also found that a big bag carries more than accoutrements — it can be a petri dish harboring harmful bacteria, including deadly E. coli and staphylococcus aureus, which can cause a skin infection and toxic shock syndrome.

“Women place their bags anywhere,” Khan said. “In the bathroom, on the floor, any surface. And you can spread infection. It’s like any large object that can pick up germs.”

She recommends women occasionally wipe down their purses — inside and out — with an anti-bacterial solution. And don’t put your bag on the floor at a restaurant or hang it on a hook in a public restroom. Purses also should be banned from kitchen counters and food preparation areas.

I don’t think I can part with my hefty handbags. But I do plan to lighten the load. And I’ll keep it clean from now on.