From getting licked by your dog to checking social media, researchers are uncovering hidden hazards that may be lurking in our daily lives.
Researchers warn that overusing a smartphone could lead to sleep problems.
Adults who spent more time on their smartphones before bedtime took longer to fall asleep and didn’t sleep as well, or as much, compared with people who used their phones less before hitting the sack, the study revealed.
One reason could be that exposure to the screen’s blue light may suppress the brain’s production of the hormone melatonin, making it harder to nod off.
They found that smartphones may affect the brain in other ways: A small study found chemical imbalances in the brains of teenagers addicted to using their smartphones.
Brain scans showed the teens produced too much of the neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid in an area of the brain that controls emotions.
Another danger is logging on to social media. All that posting, sharing and liking could make some young people feel more alone, a 2017 study suggests.
Young adults who spent more than two hours a day on popular social-media sites, including Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, were about twice as likely to feel socially isolated as their peers who spent less than 30 minutes daily on these sites.
Social isolation means feeling like you don’t belong and lack the skills to engage with others and form fulfilling relationships.
The researchers say it’s unclear whether young people turn to social media because they already feel isolated, or whether they feel more isolated after increasing their media use.
Lastly, dog lovers usually regard receiving doggie kisses as a welcome sign of affection.
Researchers say sometimes this tongue bath to your nose and face can have unforeseen consequences.
In a 70-year-old woman’s case, the sloppy smooches from her pooch caused her to develop a severe bacterial infection.
She was taken to hospital after collapsing, according to a 2016 report.
Four days later, she came down with a high fever, headache, chills and diarrhoea. Lab tests showed her kidneys were failing.
Blood tests revealed she was infected with Capnocytophaga canimorsus, a bacteria found in the mouths of dogs and cats. – Live Science
