Health and Technology: What You Should Know

We are pioneers in a new world -- the digital world. As we seek to plant flags on new tech summits, it is important to be aware of the health risks involved in navigating this unknown and rocky terrain. Technology-induced accidents notwithstanding, the gadgets have already produced a variety of physical and mental maladies among the general public, which have been unknown or hitherto restricted to specific occupations. Living and working in the digital world entails long hours of sitting in one position, and requires movement of no part of the body other than the fingers. Such sedentary lifestyle is known to cause metabolic diseases ranging from obesity to cardiac problems and even cancer. While metabolic syndromes are long-term maladies (and in a way more dangerous because one doesn't quite see them coming), the use or overuse of technological tools can lead to short-term maladies that can or cannot be corrected. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, the tingling of the fingers due to pressure on the nerve in the wrist with too much mouse movement and keyboard typing, is almost passé now, and is being replaced by 'text neck', the excruciating pain at the back of the neck and upper back from too much texting. Far more serious injuries can sometimes occur, like deep vein thrombosis, the dangerous clotting of blood in veins of the limbs from lack of movement - it is now believed that DVT afflicts more computer users than airline travelers. Apart from posture-related maladies, the eye, ...
Source: Healthy Living - The Huffington Post - Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news