Speaking on the phone is a daily activity for most people. We tend to do it with friends, colleagues, and family, and whenever we need to hire a service. However, extended periods on the phone may affect your health.
Common Problems
While phone conversations may seem harmless, they may bring a variety of health issues if you do it for long periods. These effects apply to both traditional phones and smart devices. Here are the 5 most common problems people may suffer due to speaking on the phone for extended periods.
1. Numbness in the hand: The posture while holding the phone is not natural.
Therefore, blood irrigation may be affected when done for extended periods. This may cause your hand to become numb. Prolonged numbness is a clear sign of dysfunctional blood circulation.
2. Cubital and carpal tunnel: If you’ve ever heard about “text claw” or “cell phone elbow”, they are popular names to refer to cubital tunnel syndrome and carpal tunnel syndrome.
3. Repetitive strain injuries: As with other repetitive and unnatural positions caused by daily activities, prolonged phone usage can cause pain or discomfort.
4. Weight gain: In a weird way, using the phone for extended periods can cause people to gain weight. This is thought to be due to lack of activity and movement.
While speaking on the phone, people may not get sufficient physical exercise. Using the time for walking, jogging or running could be more beneficial instead.
5. Neck and upper back pain: While using the phone, we unconsciously adopt unnatural body postures. If recurring and for long periods, our neck and upper back may start to ache. Overtime, this can lead to more chronic problems.
While avoiding using the phone is one of the most common, but not always realistic fixes, there are other measures people may adopt.
• Look for a relaxed place to speak on the phone: When possible, try to look for a place where you can sit and relax while you speak on the phone.This will help you avoid adopting unnatural postures that may harm your back and neck.
• Use hand-free devices: Using hand-free devices, such as Bluetooth or speaker functionalities, may help you avoid involving your hand and elbow repeatedly while speaking on the phone.
• Take breaks from endless phone usage: Speaking on the phone may be a work-related activity and, therefore, practically unavoidable.
Despite the necessity of using the phone, there are simple measures people can implement to avoid suffering from the negative effects of prolonged usage.
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