Mobile phones, no doubt is the biggest and
fast moving electronic gadget market in the world today. The International
Telecommunication Union had reported in 2011 that about 6 billion mobile phones
have been subscribed at the end of that year. This means that 86 out of every
100 people have mobile phones worldwide. It have become a clip of our society,
with every Tom Dick and Harry right from school kids to grown-up adults owning
at least a mobile phone. Although mobile phones have made life easier but its
negative effects are detrimental to users. Medical and ICT experts have shown a
lot of concerns about the negative effects associated with the use of mobile
phone.
Bacteria on Mobile Phones
Along with important information stored in
mobile phones are deadly bacteria which are easily spread ignorantly by the
user or owner of the mobile phone. An average mobile phone user puts his or her
phone(s) in contact with several places where it can come in contact with germs.
A research carried out in University of
London in 2011, shows that one in six mobile phones is contaminated with some
sort of fecal matter, probably because their owners did not wash their hands
with soap after using the toilet. E. coli,
a bacterium from fecal origin was found in some phones. Such bacteria
causes diarrhea, vomiting and sever fever when injected into the body.
Another research carried out by health students
at South University Columbia, found out that mobile phones
were frequently contaminated with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Staph
aureus according to Dr. Robert J. Wolff “is always dangerous and MRSA forms
are worse because they cannot be stopped easily. Staph skin infections,
including MRSA, can quickly turn into deep, painful abscesses. The bacteria
might remain confined to the skin, or burrow deeper into the body, causing
potentially life-threatening infections in bones, joints, surgical wounds, the
bloodstream, heart valves, and lungs.”
If your hands are very dirty, there is
every tendency that your mobile phone would be highly contaminated with the
same type of bacteria found on your dirty hands at that moment. The public are
advised to maintain proper hygiene, keep their hands clean by washing with soap
and water. They can also use a hand sanitizer, and importantly, clean their mobile
phones often using a fairly dry towel and wipes that are safe to use on
devices.
Your Eyes maybe at Risk
Bright screens and tiny text character can
strain the eyes of mobile phone users and causes sever damage. It is important
for mobile users to constantly refocus and reposition the eyes so as to process
the text or graphics on the screen. This is because smartphones, tablets, and
other hand-held devices are designed for reading at close range. The higher the
use of hand-held devices, the more potential problems associated with vision. Symptoms
of digital eye strain include eye redness or irritation, dry eyes, blurred
vision, back pain, neck pain, and headaches.
The public are advised to follow the
“20-20-20” Rule. Which means, Take a 20-second break every 20 minutes when using
an electronic device and look at something 20 feet away. People should reduce
focus on the screen. They should make sure the screen is always clean and clear,
the surrounding light that is competing with the screen should be dimmed, and
there should be adequate distance between the eyes and the screen and also
increase the text character of the device.
Radio Wave Exposure
Radio waves emitted by mobile
phones transmit in all directions to find the nearest base station. It means
that some of the radio waves are directed at your body when you use a mobile
phone. Radio waves are absorbed into your body tissue as energy, which adds to
the energy being produced by your body's metabolism. There have been
speculations that the radiation from mobile phones can cause cancer and
infertility, however the only known effects of this wave in the body is a
little increase in temperature (about 0.2oC according to experts)
which is similar to normal rise in body temperature during rigorous exercise.
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