With the growing popularity of smartphones and tablet computers, the number of people keeping their heads down all the time is also on the rise, and one doctor in particular has found that the number of patients coming to see him for eye-related problems has increased by 30 to 40 percent in recent months. Some of his patients are also complaining about neck and shoulder pain and soreness in their wrists.
Liu Ching-chih, an ophthamologist at the Chi Mei Medical Center, says that people frequently using smartphones or tablet computers should pay more attention to their health. Try to avoid bowing your head or staying hunched over for extended periods of time, and be sure to rest five to 10 minutes every 30 to 40 minutes, he says. Liu also says that blinking more can allow moisture in the eyes to stay more balanced, and he warns people not to use cellphones or computers while riding in moving vehicles.
Liu says that the number of people coming in to see him due to discomfort in the eyes over the past six months has increased between 30 and 40 percent, and 90 percent of the patients, including both children and adults, frequently have their heads bowed down to look at mobile devices. Symptoms seen in adults include distension, soreness, and dryness in the eyes, as well as blurry vision and lacrimation. Some patients are also suffering from sore necks, shoulders, backs and wrists, and even experiencing headaches and elevated blood pressure. The prevalence of worsening nearsightedness in children has increased quite a lot as well, he says.
Photo: Weng Yu-huang, Liberty Times
照片:自由時報記者翁聿煌
Staring at a computer screen for an extended period of time keeps the eye’s ciliary muscle from relaxing, the number of times you blink decreases, and moisture in the eyes becomes less balanced, all of which causes discomfort in the eyes and exacerbates nearsightedness.
Liu says that when people are operating smartphones or tablet computers they usually lower their head and stay hunched over, which can cause tension in the muscles in the neck, shoulders, waist and back, and subsequently lead to discomfort and soreness. Problems with the wrists often occur because both hands are typically left in the air when operating mobile devices. Strain on muscles in the neck and shoulders increases when starting and stopping for the many people using the gadgets while riding in moving vehicles. Some people even get to the point where they have to get help from a physical therapist and wear a neck brace to keep the damage from getting worse.
Liu says that lowering your head, hunching over, keeping your hands in the air, and your fingers constantly moving and on clicking things, means that pretty much the entire body is in a continual state of tension, which can affect the automatic nervous system, causing headaches, constriction of blood vessels and a rise in blood pressure.
(Liberty Times, Translated by Kyle Jeffcoat)
智慧型手機、平板電腦普及,低頭族愈來愈多,眼科醫師發現,近來眼睛不適的求診者增加約三、四成,有的還伴隨肩頸酸、腕部疼痛等問題。
奇美醫院眼科醫師柳景豒呼籲經常使用智慧型手機、平板電腦者要注意保健,盡量不要長時間低頭或彎腰駝背操作,每三十、四十分鐘要休息五到十分鐘,多眨眼讓淚水分布較均衡,也不要在行動中的交通工具上使用手機電腦。
柳景豒表示,近半年來因眼睛不適來求診的患者平均增加三、四成,九成是低頭族;小朋友到中壯年都有,大人的症狀包括眼睛脹痛、酸澀、乾燥、視力模糊、流眼淚,有的還伴隨頸肩、腰背、腕部疼痛,甚至有人頭痛、血壓升高等;小朋友則以近視度數暴增較多。
柳景豒指出,長時間注視小螢幕,導致睫狀肌無法放鬆,眨眼次數減少、淚液分泌不平衡、結果就是眼睛不適、近視加深。
柳景豒說,使用智慧型手機、平板電腦時都是低頭操作,也常常彎著腰,造成頸、肩、腰、背肌肉緊繃,酸痛不適跟著發生,操作時雙手又多懸空,也容易引發腕部問題;很多人在搭交通工具時操作平板或智慧型手機,起步、煞車時都會加重頸、肩部肌肉的負擔,已知有人向復健科醫師求助,戴起頸圈保護以免不適惡化。
柳景豒表示,低頭、彎腰、手懸空,手指一再的點、滑動,幾乎全身的肌肉都處在緊張的狀態,有可能影響自律神經系統,帶來頭痛、血管收縮、血壓升高。
(自由時報記者孟慶慈)
The strongest earthquake to hit Taiwan in 25 years killed at least 16 people and damaged dozens of buildings, but the destruction was largely contained thanks to decades of preparedness work. Taiwan sits on the “Ring of Fire,” an arc of intense seismic activity along the Pacific Rim, and — much like neighboring Japan — has a long history of catastrophic quakes. How does April 3 compare with other recent quakes? The April 3 earthquake, which measured 7.4 on the moment magnitude scale, was felt across Taiwan. It was the most severe since a 7.6 magnitude quake in 1999 killed
A: Artificial intelligence technology has been causing controversy lately: a student was caught cheating with AI to win the grand prize in an art contest. B: That’s so absurd. Does this mean that AI paints better than humans? A: Maybe. Luckily, the student was later disqualified. B: And more absurdly, it’s becoming more and more popular to use AI technology to “resurrect” people. A: Yeah, some netizens even posted videos featuring the late singer CoCo Lee, who was “resurrected” by them with AI software. A: 人工智慧的爭議不斷,有學生違規使用AI參加美術展,甚至贏得首獎。 B: 真誇張,這是不是代表AI比人類還強大? A: 或許吧,幸好得獎資格被取消。 B: 還有更誇張的︰讓死者重現的「AI復活」技術越來越熱門。 A: 對啊,還有網友製作已故歌后李玟「復活」的影片呢! (By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times/台北時報張聖恩)
Around the time of the Dragon Boat Festival in June, the streets of Taiwan are filled with the delightful aroma of zongzi, a traditional snack made of sticky rice wrapped in leaves. The leaves are folded into a cone and then filled with sticky rice and other ingredients such as braised pork belly, peanuts and salted duck egg yolks. The filled leaves are then tightly tied with kitchen twine and ready for cooking. 每到六月端午時節,街頭巷尾就會飄出粽子的香氣。粽子是將糯米包進粽葉的傳統美食,先將粽葉折成圓錐狀塞入糯米,以及紅燒肉、花生、鹹鴨蛋黃等配料,用棉線綁緊後即可烹煮。 Dragon Boat Festival (n. phr.) 端午節 aroma
It’s another school day with the same ritual. You wake up to your smartphone’s alarm, scroll through messages during your commute, and listen to your favorite playlist with your wireless earbuds between classes. These devices, integrated smoothly into your daily routine, certainly make life more convenient. However, where do these devices end up after you replace them? In fact, the issue of electronic waste is a growing global concern. According to the United Nations, in 2019 alone, we generated an astonishing 53.6 million tons of e-waste—an average of 7.3kg per person. Projections hint at the figure soaring to 110