Seven physical problems you didn’t know your smartphone was causing
Selfie-elbow, 'tech-neck' and digital deformities: Here's how your hi-tech habits could be hurting your health
WE'RE all more and more addicted to our phones nowadays - and with apps for organising everything from our work calendars to our sex lives, it’s a wonder we ever manage to tear ourselves away.
Dating websites, fitness trackers and even apps for ordering a takeaway, you’d be forgiven for assuming that 21st century technology brings nothing other than convenience to our lives.
However, scary as it might seem, there could be a number of ways your smartphone is putting your health at risk. Worried? You probably should be.
Whether you’re an iPhone obsessive, Android addict or slave to your Samsung, here are seven tech problems that you didn’t realise you had...
Smartphone blindness
While some so-called 'i-injuries' can sound a bit silly, temporary blindness definitely isn’t something you’d be embarrassed to admit to.
Doctors have reported the shocking cases of two women who experienced “smartphone blindness” after staring at their phones while in bed at night.
They were looking at their screens with one eye, with the other covered by a pillow. When they’d finished indulging in their spot of late-night texting, they found that they could only see out of one eye.
Their vision hadn’t adjusted to the glaring light from using their gadgets in a dark room… leaving them BLINDED.
The scare prompted experts to warn that, while this vision loss was temporary - and harmless, midnight texters should stick to “looking at their smartphones with both eyes”.
Selfie elbow
From the sub-blind to the ridiculous... selfie elbow is caused by - yeah, you guessed it - taking too many selfies.
The height of your arm as you snap those shots for social media causes overuse of the tissues surrounding the elbow joint… resulting in painful aches.
The pressure placed on the joints as you pose at the most flattering angle also means you run the risk of JOINT DAMAGE.
Experts say alternating the arm you use to shoot your snaps with - as well as stretching to warm up your muscles before beginning a lengthy selfie session - can help avoid the problem.
Who knew that the simple selfie could be such a risky pastime?
Deformed Digits
If you’re more of a terminal texter than a solo selfie-taker, don’t feel too smug yet. You might want to take a look down at your hands…
People are reporting a strange MUTATION appearing, seemingly out of nowhere: a mysterious dent in their little finger. This bend is caused by supporting the weight of a phone while texting, typing and messaging.
Dramatic photos show the visible difference in users' pinky fingers.
No cure has been suggested for this iMessage-issue - but using FaceTime or Skype to chat to pals instead could be one way for talkative types to avoid long periods of time spent texting.
“Tech-neck”
While wrinkles are never a good look, we’ve always assumed they’re more or less unavoidable.
However, the rise in constant computer use and permanent phone-checking has led to us all spending far too much time looking down at our screens…
This means we’re running the risk of developing a “tech-neck” - a wrinkly throat and prominent JOWLS from tilting our posture to look down at our screens 24/7.
Gulp...
Ageing Instagram-ers
One for sun-worshippers to worry about… radiation emitted by our phones is damaging our skin in a similar way to sunburn.
So-called “high-energy visible light” is a different wavelength to harmful sun rays, meaning selfie-takers and phone users aren’t protected even when wearing sunscreen.
Scientists have also revealed that the light from screens penetrates the skin further than the UV rays that cause skin cancer. The damage causes early AGEING of the skin…
Now that won’t look good on Instagram.
iPad aches
The device’s larger screen makes the techy-toy perfect for gaming, movies or streaming TV shows on the go.
However, iPad users are complaining of painful, aching hands and joints after too much time spent swiping on the device.
The bigger size makes it harder to message or email than on a phone without causing strain to the unlucky user’s hand.
Doctors have confirmed that the size of the Apple product is causing a form of repetitive strain injury to develop.
Related posture problems can even lead to carpal tunnel syndrome: the SEIZING UP of fingers.
Worth the i-effects…?
Texting thumb
Typing messages on your phone often relies on the use of your dominant thumb - the one on the hand you write with.
Overuse of the joint can lead to inflammation - and a scary sounding SWELLING known as “tenosynovitis”.
The swelling and soreness can be treated with ice - and time away from texting. But what can be done to avoid developing it in the first place?
iPhone injury experts recommend using the voice-to-text function to compose lengthy messages, and not overusing apps with a left-to-right sliding function.
Time to swipe left on your Tinder habit…?