10 Common Health Hazards From Gadgets and Tips to Prevent Them
Every one today owns a Gadget that may be a cell phone, Smartphone, tablet, laptop, ultrabook or a digital camera.
I know you have one too. Of course, you need to have one as it has become one of the most essential parts of our everyday life. One can’t even imagine living without them.
In fact, today, one’s status is assessed looking at the gadget he/she owns.
Gadgets have changed our lives. They have made it more convenient and comfortable than ever, but at a price!
We all know that convenience and comfort comes at a price. And when it is our health that is at stake, it becomes very important for us to react to the situation with necessary action just before things go out of hand.
In this article today, let’s see how our health is being affected every day by the use of gadgets and how we could tackle them.
1>> Ringxiety
Have you ever experienced this?
You’re in a jam-packed restaurant and suddenly a phone starts ringing from somewhere, everyone reach into their pockets or purses thinking it to be their call but only one answers it.
This has happened many times with me but in different places.
Rinxeity or Phantom Ringing is a similar concept.
You hear the phone ringing while it is actually not. It may be experienced while driving the car, taking shower, watching TV, or while using some noisy devices.
The associated problems include Phantom Vibration – false feeling of the phone vibrating and fauxcellarm – false feeling of an alarm ringing.
Prevention Tips:
Ringxiety is primarily caused due to anxiety. That’s what is in the name – Rininging + Anxiety = Ringxiety. It is always better to be less anxious about anything for that matter. Stay calm and make the minimal use of your phone.
If you are someone who is suffering too much from this problem, put your phone in the silent mode when not needed. Even during work, if it doesn’t involve too much of using a phone, put it on the silent mode and check the phone every 40 minutes for a few months until you feel fine with the ringxiety.
If that’s still got you panic, then you can always calm yourself down by remembering that ringxiety like many problems caused by modern life isn’t a real recognized condition yet.
Today in some countries in the world there are more phones than people.
The Texters’ Neck or Text Neck syndrome is associated with people using mobile phones, laptops or tablets.
Keeping the neck and head stretched forwards for long periods strains the neck and eventually cause the natural curvature of the neck to reverse, potentially leading to serious neck problems.
The doctors say that the new condition is on the rise due to frequent texting by today’s generation.
In severe cases the muscles can eventually adapt to fit the flexed position, making it painful to straighten the neck out properly,
It might be time to put down that cell phone or to raise it up.
Prevention Tips:
Raise your mobile device up, aligned with your eyeballs, when you text.
Take regular screen breaks and look straight ahead while tucking the chin back towards the neck every few minutes.
Rotating the shoulders with your arms by your sides, sitting up straight while texting can help prevent this.
I had previously written a detailed article about the mobile phone and its radiation effects.
“The World Health Organization now says that there is a potential risk of cancer being caused from Mobile Phone radiation.”
Mobiles Phones emit signals in the form of microwaves.
When we hold a phone against our ear for a prolonged duration, the radiation is in direct contact with the tissue in our head which can cause changes in the brain cells.
If DNA in these brain cells gets damaged, they may become cancerous and cause brain tumors, in particular gliomas. This is a rare type of tumor that typically starts in the brain or spine.
Prevention Tips:
Recently, a study said that one should talk on mobile phones only for 6 minutes at a stretch and not more than that.
Using a headset or hands-free can significantly decrease radiation exposure to your brain.
As soon as you see fewer signal bars on your phone, just keep the phone away. The phone emits higher radiation to get the signal to the tower while it has weak signal strength.
Mobile phones use less power to send text messages than calls. So choose texting over talking.
Never keep your phone next to you while sleeping.
The laptop was invented so that we don’t end up being chained to our desktops at one place without any mobility.
But working for hours with the laptop placed on your lap could result in something serious which you would not have expected. It is called Toasted Skin Syndrome that makes your lap’s skin discolored and patchy.
Clinically known as Erythema Ab Igne and commonly known as laptop thigh, people with this syndrome develop patches which are caused by local hemostasis or stagnation of blood which later leaves behind the pigmentation.
People who spend prolonged periods of time studying, reading , or playing games on laptops resting on their upper legs could develop this skin syndrome says doctors.
Prevention Tips:
Always keep your laptop on a cooler before you place it on your lap.
You can also use a pillow instead of a cooler.
It is better to avoid placing laptops on your laps whenever possible.
Regular computer users suffer from various eye related problems which are collectively termed as Computer Vision Syndrome.
Continuously looking at computer screens for hours can result in severely reduced eyesight, blurred vision, overall eye tiredness and even Glaucoma.
Even though these days the LCD screens strain the eyes less than the old CRT screens, but at high intensity even they can cause much damage nevertheless.
Many individuals experience eye discomfort and vision problems when viewing a computer screen for extended periods. The level of discomfort appears to increase with the amount of computer use.
Prevention Tips:
It is necessary for the user to be within at least two feet of the monitor when performing any type of work on the computer.
Blink often and use eye drops to keep your eyes moist.
Look away from the computer every few minutes and focus on something in the distance.
Be careful not to stare too much at the screen.
Just take a look at people around you in the bus stand, metro stations or any place for that matter when you are commuting, they all have a headphone plugged into their ears.
Some listen to their favourite music stored on their iPod while others tune into FM stations.
What people don’t realize is that many have already damaged their hearing permanently with this habit of listening music using a headphone.
The growing popularity of portable music players and other items that attach directly to the ears including cell phones is only making things worse.
The impact of headphones on the ear is not instantaneous. It will take a few years but will definitely affect the hearing.
Prevention Tips:
Don’t always listen to the music using a headphone. Use it only when you are truly bored and low.
If you are too addicted to listening music using a headphone then keep the volume to minimum.
Even while on a call on your cell phone, keep the volume to minimum.
The RSI or Repetitive Stress Injury is caused due to repeatedly doing the same tasks without proper ergonomic care.
It is mainly seen in people working in front of computers for hours every day. Even people texting too much on their phone are prone to this injury.
It results in shooting pain, burning sensation as well as numbness in the hands which will eventually spread to many areas over time.
The pain is generally worse while doing the activity.
The strength in the hands of the patients also decreases and they find difficulty in maintaining a grip on everyday objects.
Prevention Tips:
The biggest example of this injury is me. I have been suffering from this from almost 3 years now and I have been using ergonomic mouse and a software called Workpace to tackle this. I have been pretty successful I must say.
Other corrective measures include wearing braces on the hands, maintaining good posture, exercising every day and swimming.
People already suffering from it must use ergonomic keyboards & mouse, use software like Workpace and do swimming at least thrice in a week.
The back is the workhorse of human body carrying all the burden on itself.
It is responsible for almost every move you make and this makes it susceptible to injury.
The result of the back pain can be quite immobilizing.
Back pain is common among people who hunch over laptops while working due to bad posture.
Incorrect posture directly affects the shape of the spine and causes pain in the muscles of the back and the shoulders.
Prevention Tips:
The prevention tips involve taking regular breaks during work, sitting in a good adjustable chair that provides lumbar support while resting your feet on the floor or a footrest.
Also, your desk should be large enough to allow your forearms to rest on it when using the keyboard.
You should also make sure that your keyboard and monitor are at a comfortable height.
With so many electronic gadgets around, loss of sleep has been a common problem among users these days.
These days, people are busy using laptop, tablets, phones, gaming gadgets or TV at any given time.
There is no particular time slot when they use it. While some spend all their time on Facebook or surfing the Internet, others spend the night away talking on the phone or chatting.
People using gadgets just before going to bed are the ones who are prone to sleeplessness because the body is exposed to the bright artificial light of the screens which in turn reduce the production of the sleep inducing hormone called Melatonin.
Instead, it promotes alertness in the body, which makes falling asleep difficult and can heighten sleep disorders.
Prevention Tips:
Try to keep your gadgets away a few hours before sleeping.
You can always attend those calls and messages in the morning unless it is not an emergency.
Late night calls are definitely a no-no. They not only eat away your sleep but also reduce your immunity making you vulnerable to all kinds of diseases.
Instead of the lifeless gadgets, why not spend more time with the family? This way you increase your bonding and will feel happy too.
10>> Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Did you know that spending long hours at your computer can cause something called Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?
Most people do not even consider that possibility, but it does, Working at a desk is extremely hard on your body and could result in a lot of unwanted medical conditions.
If you are experiencing severe fatigue that lasts for months and go back over and over, you might be a victim of this syndrome.
People who have this disorder usually complain of severe fatigue that is aggravated even by a simple action. They suffer from headache, non refreshing sleep, sore throat, muscle pain and depression.
Prevention Tips:
Resting for longer durations and regular exercise are the keys to preventing Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.
Eat balanced diet and try to pace yourself whenever stress gets too much that you find it difficult to handle.
People already suffering from this disorder are usually prescribed a lower dose of anti-depressant by doctors.
Last Words
I know that a lot of you don’t care enough about your health.
But remember – “Health is Wealth“. If you have a good health, you will definitely have a good life.
I would certainly feel happy if every one of you followed the simple tips mentioned in this article and stay healthy always.
Do remember to share this with your loved ones. Take care!
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