Are Your Gadgets(small machines; cell phone, games,pc) Making You Sick?

[Aania]

Are Your Gadgets(small machines; cell phone, games,pc) Making You Sick?

by Tom Conlon
Filed under: Audio/Video, Cell Phones, Computers, Video Games, Advice


Acne and Rashes




Are Your Gadgets Making You Sick? Acne and rashes
The condition: According to microbiologists from England's Manchester Metropolitan University, your cell phone is home to more bacteria than your toilet seat -- bacteria that can cause very serious illnesses such as pneumonia and meningitis. In most cases, though, a visit from the acne fairy is the worst it gets.

How to prevent or cure it: "If you're prone to breakouts, don't press the phone to your skin," advises New York Dermatology Group's founder Dr. David Colbert. "Wear an earpiece [or headset] if you can, or use a gentle cleanser on the phone before using it."

[Aania]

Re: Are Your Gadgets(small machines; cell phone, games,pc) Making You Sick?

Remember the old Stephen King flick 'Maximum Overdrive,' in which all machines suddenly go berserk and start murdering humans? While we're not quite there yet, lots of casual technology users are paying a very high price for the modern conveniences that their gadgets afford them: Their health, and, in some cases, even their lives, are in jeopardy. The next time you visit the doc (or a mortician) for one of the following ailments, you may discover it's your electronics that are to blame.

Sore Thumbs



Are Your Gadgets Making You Sick? Sore Thumbs
The condition: The diminutive keyboards on BlackBerrys, Treos, Sidekicks and other QWERTY phones can wreak havoc on one's ability to signal approval with a good old "thumbs up." Pain, numbness, swelling and tendinitis are all symptoms of what the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) officially recognizes as "BlackBerry Thumb," caused by overworking the one digit that separates us from the apes.

How to prevent or cure it: Avoid BlackBerry Thumb by typing with your fingers instead of your thumbs, and not typing for more than few minutes at once. If you're already stricken with the ailment, several massage therapists now offer massages specifically for the treatment of BlackBerry Thumb. Engadget founder Pete Rojas went for one, which he chronicles here. Pete's assessment: "I don't think a single massage can remedy years of abuse!"