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Publications International, Ltd., the Editors of. "7 Health Problems for the Modern Age." 24 September 2007. HowStuffWorks.com. <http://health.howstuffworks.com/7-health-problems-for-the-modern-age.htm> 16 May 2008.
7 Health Problems for the Modern Age
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7 Health Problems for the Modern Age
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Modern life, with its emphasis on information, automation, computerization, and globalization, has made work easier and given us more leisure options, but we now have a whole host of new health problems. Only time will tell if these modern health problems disappear like 8-track tapes and rotary phones. Until then, here are some of the new maladies we have in store for us.
1. Computer vision syndrome
If you spend all day staring at a computer screen, you may be at risk for computer vision syndrome (CVS), also called occupational asthenopia. CVS encompasses all eye or vision-related problems suffered by people who spend a lot of time on computers. According to the American Optometric Association, symptoms of CVS include headaches; dry, red, or burning eyes; blurred or double vision; trouble focusing; difficulty distinguishing colors; sensitivity to light; and even pain in the neck or back. As many as 75 percent of computer users have symptoms of CVS due to glare, poor lighting, and improper workstation setup. To overcome CVS, keep your monitor about two feet away from you and six inches below eye level, and be sure it's directly in front of you to minimize eye movement. Adjust lighting to remove any glare or reflections. You can also adjust the brightness on your monitor to ease eyestrain. Even simple steps can help, like looking away from your monitor every 20 or 30 minutes and focusing on something farther away. And you can always use eyedrops to perk up your peepers!
 If this is your view every day, you may be in danger of computer vision syndrome. |
2. Earbud-related hearing loss
Earbuds are the headphones used with many digital music players. They fit inside the ear but don't cancel out background noise, requiring users to turn up the volume, often to 110 to 120 decibels -- loud enough to cause hearing loss after only an hour and 15 minutes. And today, people spend much more time listening to their portable players, exposing themselves to damaging noise for longer periods of time. As a result, young people are developing the type of hearing loss normally seen in much older adults. Experts recommend turning down the volume and limiting the amount of time spent listening to music players to about an hour a day. Headphones that fit outside the ear canal also help, as can noise-canceling headphones that reduce background noise so listeners don't have to crank up the volume.
On the next page, you will find the next three items on our list of seven health problems for the modern age.
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Please copy/paste the following text to properly cite this How Stuff Works article:
Publications International, Ltd., the Editors of. "7 Health Problems for the Modern Age." 24 September 2007. HowStuffWorks.com. <http://health.howstuffworks.com/7-health-problems-for-the-modern-age.htm> 16 May 2008.
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