Ailments of Digital Age
Most of us swear by living the Digital Age. We even shop digitally. Is it healthy? Does it harm our health? If you know how to deal with the situation then all is well…..else a lot can go wrong.
Text Neck: An adult human head weighs about 5 kg, but when the neck bends forwards and down, the weight on the cervical spine increases. At a 15-degree angle, it is equivalent to about 12 kgs; and at 60 degrees it is as much as 27 kgs. Hence be careful as you use your smartphones, texting and checking social media, you are bending forwards and down and are putting a huge amount of stress on the spines. The least you can do is take frequent breaks.
Hearing Loss: Using the portable music device is making early hearing loss an epidemic like situation and it is not uncommon to have diminished hearing at younger ages. A study in US in 2006 found that among users of such devices, 35% of adults and up to 59% of teenagers reported listening at loud volumes not knowing that hearing damage is cumulative and irreversible. Listen to music…..but at lower volumes and take breaks…..else be ready for a hearing aid.
Brain Scramble: People spend their days at a computer and their nights checking mobile phones. According to a recent study, this robs us of the ability to recharge in off hours eventually diminishing our productivity and mental health. Constant multitasking reduces the ability to concentrate for sustained periods of time.
Computer Vision Syndrome: Sitting in front of a computer screen or constantly using the smartphone day after day to read can cause pain and discomfort to the eyes, blurred vision and headaches. The good news is doctors seem to agree that Computer Vision Syndrome doesn’t cause permanent eye damage.
Computer Face: Cosmetic surgeons are reporting that overusers of computers and smartphones are developing ‘computer face’ that is nothing but a combination of permanent frown lines, wrinkles around the eyes from squinting, jowls and double chins from looking down for long periods of time.
The only thing that can help is ‘TAKING FREQUENT BREAKS’.
Written by: Dr. Ajay Sati.
