SMARTPHONE OVERUSE

HEALTH HAZARDS OF SMARTPHONE OVERUSE

Do you use smartphones, tablets or computers for long hours?

One in every five people in the world own a smartphone these days. And now there are a handful of new syndromes that come with that addiction.

1. EYE PROBLEMS {Computer Vision Syndrome}

Staring at the tiny font in your texts and scrolling through dozens of tweets,texts can lead to eyestrain, blurred vision, dizziness, and dry eyes.

And blurred vision plus sore neck muscles can also cause headaches.
Reading small fonts on a smartphone can damage your vision permanently.

This happens as your eyes are strained constantly by looking at the blue light from smartphone.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Smart phone users should try to hold their phones at least 16 inches away from their faces. Every few minutes look up from your screen at something far away for short breaks, and don't forget to blink.

2. HEARING PROBLEMS

Overuse of headphones can impair hearing
Repeated exposure to noises above 85 decibels can cause permanent hearing loss. ( Normal conversation happens at about 65 decibels)
Listening to music at maximum volume (105 decibels) for more than four minutes can result in impaired hearing.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Turn down the volume. Buy good quality headphones. If you listen to music while commuting, get noise-canceling headphones.

3. DISTURBED SLEEP

The blue-violet light from smartphone screens can create havoc on your sleep patterns. When you use your phone, this blue light is very close to your face and signals the body to stop producing melatonin (the sleep hormone).

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Refrain from using smartphones one hour before bedtime. Charge your phone in the other room at night. Use an alarm clock to check the time instead of your phone. There are some mobile shields available that block the blue light during the night.

4. NECK PAIN { i Posture and Text Neck}

Long term use of smartphones causes neck pain (Text neck).
When head is placed upright, there is no stress on the neck. To read and text on smartphones, people tend to bend their necks up to 60 degrees. This increases the pressure on the neck.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Bring up the phone to the level of your eyes and look straight into it. Lower your eyes instead of bending your neck.

5. WRIST PROBLEMS {Carpel tunnel syndrome}

Excessive texting causes overuse of tendons in the arms leading to inflammation, pain and numbness in fingers and wrist (Carpel tunnel syndrome).
Cell phone elbow results from bending at the elbow for long periods of time. It causes tingling or numbness in the ring and little finger.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Keep changing the posture of phone when performing tasks like reading. You can put down the smartphone while lying on the bed or in the lap while sitting on a chair and look down at it instead of always holding it in your hands.

6. PSYCHOLOGICAL PROBLEMS

70% people check their phones in the morning within one hour of getting up.
56% check their phones before going to bed.
Many people feel a compulsion to respond to texts, emails or other alerts as soon as they arrive
The fear of parting from phone is called Nomophobia. In this, you may get physically affected if you cannot find your phone.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Engage in real conversations with friends and colleagues. Set aside specific time replying mails, chatting and checking social media platforms. Restrict yourself from checking your phone too often.

7. PHANTOM POCKET VIBRATION SYNDROME

No, you didn't just get a text message! A professor at Indiana University found that 89% of the undergraduates in her study experienced phantom vibrations when their phones weren't actually vibrating. The study also found that students who were dependent on text messages and social media updates were more anxious when their phones weren't really vibrating.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

A good way to break the addiction? Try shutting your vibration function off and commit to only checking your phone during designated hours. If you have to keep your phone with you, place it in your bag instead. And try to resist checking your bag every five minutes. Otherwise, you might become the first case of Phantom Bag Vibration Syndrome.

Always Use Your Smart Phone With Caution……..

Keep Smiling Always…...