Excess mobile phone use- Health Issues……….
Preventive measures include
- Take regular breaks from texting
- Look straight ahead every few minutes; pull the chin back into the neck and hold that position for a few seconds
- Rotate your shoulders while keeping your arms by your sides to increase blood-flow to the shoulders
- Sit up straight every time you text
- Put the phone a little higher when texting.
If left uncared it can lead to serious problems like cervical disc prolapse, persistent radicular pain and even paralysis. It can also hamper the normal erect posture and accelerate kyphosis( old mans bend)
- Electromagnetic interference
When mobile phones are used very close to some medical devices (including pacemakers, implantable defibrillators, and certain hearing aids) there is the possibility of causing interference with their operation. The risk is much reduced for 3G phones and newer equipment. There is also the potential of interference between mobile phones signals and aircraft electronics. Some countries have licensed mobile phone use on aircraft during flight using systems that control the phone output power.
Health hazards related to proximity to base stations currently says that there is no demonstrated short-term effect of electromagnetic fields on health, but that there are doubts for long-term effects. Also it’s easy to reduce exposure via technological improvements
5. Traffic accidents
Research has shown an increased risk of traffic accidents, some 3-4 times greater chance of an accident, when mobile phones (either handheld or with a “hands-free” kit) are used while driving due to distraction.
Psychological problems
Excess mobile use is definitely associated with numerous psychological problems.
Researchers found high mobile phone use was associated with stress and sleep disturbances and symptoms of depression. Mobile phones addiction can interfere with human relationships and cause emotional blunting. There is disregard and lack of interest in ones surrounding.
Some other problems include
Phantom pocket cell phone vibration syndrome– A false feeling that your phone is vibrating compelling you to look and realize that it was a false feel. They keep on having such feel.
Textaphrenia- Always thinking that a message has arrived
Texteity– Anxious feeling of not sending or receiving messages
Nomophobia –The fear of being without your cell phone. Symptoms include anxiety or negative physical symptoms if you have lost or cannot use your cell phone, obsessively checking to make sure you have your phone with you, and constantly worrying about losing it somewhere. Women suffer from this more than men. There is still a severe lacunae in confirming the various health hazards of excess mobile use and research is still going on from various quarters
Dr Arun Oommen
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