Good Morning.

 

Hope you are all fine. Today, I would like to share an article on the New Age Health Problems which are commonly seen due to the changing lifestlyle. I hope you have a wonderful week ahead.

 

Rgds

 

Dr Rajesh Parekh

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New Age Health Problems

Changing lifestyle, computerisation and hi-tech living have led to newer problems being added to the long list of ailments that can afflict you

Computer hazards

Are you glued to your computer for hours together? Then you may be prone to carpal tunnel syndrome, a painful disorder of the wrist and hand. The problem can give you tingling sensation, burning, aching and episodes of numbness in the fingers. Although the condition is not serious, it can cause pain. Your doctor may advice you to wear a splint that keeps your wrist from moving. Ice packs, massage and stretching exercises can help.

 

Continuously staring at the computer screen can give you computer vision syndrome (CVS), medically termed as occupational asthenopia causing vision related problems. Around 75 per cent of computer users have CVS due to the glare, poor lighting and improper work set up. The American Optometric Association lists a number of symptoms for CVS – headache, dry, red and burning eyes, blurred vision, double vision, trouble focusing, colour blindness, light sensitivity and neck or back pain.

 

To prevent CVS, advises Dr Cyrus Mehta, consultant ophthalmic surgeon and director, Mehta International Eye Institute, consultant at the Masina Hospital, Breach Candy Hospital, Mumbai, “Make sure the computer screen is below eye level. Having a computer screen above eye level induces not only eyestrain but also neck strain. Brightness should be minimum. Blink more often and take a break once every 15 minutes to look into the distance. This helps the eye muscles to relax. If you can have the workstation near a window so the eyes can rest looking at faraway objects it is the ideal situation. And lastly, if you feel the eyes are dry, supplement with simple tear substitute eye drops.”

 

Desk-job immobility

 

You are at your desk in the office from nine to five and you get up only for lunch. You have loads of work to finish and you work for almost 12 hours at your desk. Under these circumstances you may be prone to e-thrombosis. Just as standing for long periods of time can cause deep vein thrombosis – blood clot formation in deep veins, you can develop e-thrombosis sitting at your desk for long.

 

The easiest way to save yourself from this condition is to stand up and move around every hour or two, tap your toes while you work, move around a bit. Avoid spending lunch break at your table. Go for a short walk. 

 

 

Music blues

 

Everyone loves music. Earlier, it was the stereophonic speakers, and then came the Walkman, the sound moved closer to the ear through the muff-style headphones. Now there are headphones with digital music players – i Pod, MP3 players, where music is pumped directly into the ear.

 

The intensity of sound is measured by decibel or dB. Near total silence is 0 dB, a whisper accounts to 15 dB and normal conversation is about 60 dB. According to Dr Deepak Desai, practicing ENT specialist and consultant, Wockhardt Hospitals, Mumbai, environmental noise permissible limit is 60-65 dB but occupational safety board recommends upper limit as 90 db for workers working for 8 hours. “Sound above 115-120 db can lead to permanent hearing loss if exposed even for a few minutes”, warns Dr Desai.

 

The close sound increases pressure on the ear and continuous listening of 110-120 decibels of sound is loud enough to cause hearing loss. Younger people are more at a risk of ear damage than elders today. Experts’ recommend turning down the volume and limiting the amount of time spent in listening to music through ear-buds for about an hour a day. Using headphones that fit outside the ear canal can reduce the sound decibels reaching your ears.     

 

 

The Health food junkie

 

It’s the age of being food conscious and weight conscious. It is good to eat healthy food but this can turn into an obsession. Do you think about health food whenever you eat? Are you, paying attention to your diet whole daylong? Have you lost your weight so much so that you look like an anorexic? Beware; you are turning into a health food junkie suffering from orthorexia nervosa. If your orthorexia nervosa becomes severe you must see an eating disorder specialist or opt for psychological treatment.    

 

 

Socially anxious

 

In this techno savvy age, with new social and work demands, you may go into a ‘shell’. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) defines people with social anxiety disorder having an intense, persistent fear of being watched and judged by others. The anxiety can cause trembling, stomach upset, diarrhoea, nausea, palpitations and confusion. The disorder, say experts, is a combination of environmental and hereditary factors. Medication and psychotherapy are the treatment therapies. 

 

          

With so much of competition in every field and the zeal to prove your best, many people have worries, uncertainties and extra concern regarding career and progress. The term used for this condition is generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), which causes fatigue, impatience, irritability, difficult concentrating, stomach upset, headache and shortness of breath. Consult your doctor before you take anti-anxiety medications or anti-depressants. Psychotherapy and counselling can help.   

 

 

Boxed-in effects

 

Do you suffer from headache, dry cough, eye, nose or throat irritation, dry itchy skin, nausea, fatigue or dizziness for no reason at all? The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), US, classifies this situation as ‘sick building syndrome’ (SBS) in which people working in closed environments experience ill health effects with no specific cause.

 

Modern day work involves working for hours together in a closed setting – centrally air-conditioned office buildings. Fresh air hardly circulates within the area. The contributing factors could be inadequate ventilation, chemical contamination from upholstery, copy machines or cleaning agents, pollutants from building exhausts; plumbing vents, bacteria, moulds, pollen, and viruses.

 

The EPA recommends maintenance of the AC systems, cleaning or replacing filters, replacing soiled tiles, carpeting, restricting smoking in the building and ventilating areas. 

 

 

Beware of the cell

 

In this hi-tech age, all of us are equipped with our ‘cell’ extensions. The possible cancer-causing effects of cell phone use, is a debatable issue. There are reports about the long-term use of cell phones causing hearing loss too. Avers Dr Desai, “Electromagnetic waves from mobile handsets are supposed to have harmful effect on the brain, while headphones/hands-free and insert type of devices present loud noise directly at the ear drum level; hence, prolonged use of such devices needs to be avoided.

 

You can take steps to reduce these health risks.

• Use a hands-free headset
• Opt for a cell phone with an antenna that can be placed far away from you
• Use your phone in open spaces
• Limit use of cell phone by children
• Have lengthy talks on the landline instead of your cell phone