Mobile phones and adverse effects

Experts tell you the ill effects of using mobile phones for long periods

How long can you go without your precious cell phone? If you’re amongst those who break into a sweat at the very thought of being separated from their mobiles, remember that you could be doing yourself a lot of damage. While cell phones have become an essential part of are lives, prolonged use will result in more harm than good.

Dr Kaushal Malhan says that by operating a mobile phone repeatedly, we put a lot of stress on the thumb. “This repetitive stress can eventually lead to a thickening of soft tissues and hence reduction of space in the front of the wrist joint. This space, also called the carpal tunnel, transmits an important nerve called the median nerve, whose function can be jeopardised,” says Dr Malhan.

This results in pain, tingling and weakness in the hand. The symptoms are worse at night, disturbing sleep and during the day, your grip feels weak. Another problem due to repetitive stress and injury to the soft tissues is the trigger thumb, which occurs due to tightness around the tendons that move the thumb, leading to a lot of pain.

Simple movements of the thumb can become difficult. Neurologist Dr Girish Nair says that cell phones look poised to play an ever-expanding role in our lives. “While the health risks have been a source of concern to health care professionals and the public alike, a lot of the information available today is outdated and irrelevant to understanding the real risks posed by cell phone.

Millions of people have been using cell phones for years now and the rate of brain cancer has not gone up in a manner suggesting any association. Cell phone emission of radiation is minuscule and incapable of damage even when applied directly to the brain for prolonged periods. More over, the radiation emitted by cell phones is non ionising - it doesn’t damage cells and their genetic material-DNA. However, there exists a great deal of confusion about the effects of cell phone use on neurological disorders, ranging from cancer to dementia,” says Dr Nair.

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