Gear « Weekly Gravy

As helpful as your smartphone is, it’s easy to develop an unhealthy attachment to it, one that can even become an addiction. It also can isolate you from other people. For instance, looking at your phone in social settings keeps you from looking at others, whether loved ones, friends or co-workers, and missing the connection that comes from making eye contact. Research shows that just having a phone in view interferes with the connection between people and the quality of their interaction. There’s even a term for preferring your phone to people: phubbing (it’s pronounced fubbing). It’s short for phone snubbing, when you’re in a social setting and concentrate on your phone instead of talking to the person you’re with. Even more dangerous is “P-phubbing,” (it’s pronounced pee-fubbing) and happens when you phub your partner, or vice versa. People phub and are phubbed. It can erode marital satisfaction and overall satisfaction with life. Phubbing grows not only from smartphone overuse, but also from being addicted to the internet and the fear of missing out on something — yes, the famous acronym FOMO — if you’re not always connected. To prevent phubbing, keep your phone in a pocket or purse when you’re with other people and focus exclusively on them. Be part of the conversation that’s happening in front of you in real time. Your behavior… read on >

Drinking and driving an electric scooter doesn’t mix, according to a new study. Researchers reported serious injuries like brain bleeding or fractures that have happened while riding an electric scooter (e-scooter). Alcohol and drugs were a factor in many of these crashes. “E-scooters may look like fun and games, but it’s a vehicle. It’s a motor attached to wheels, and you need to have a healthy respect for it. Anyone drinking or using any mind-altering substance should not be operating an e-scooter,” said the study’s lead author Dr. Leslie Kobayashi. She’s an associate professor of clinical surgery at the University of California, San Diego. Several people have died while riding e-scooters, according to published reports. Though these devices aren’t new, their popularity soared when several companies introduced rentable, dockless e-scooters in 2017, according to the study authors. Less than a year after the introduction of this environmentally friendly mode of transportation, almost 4% of U.S. adults said they had ridden one. E-scooters are available in more than 65 cities, the study said. The laws regulating them vary depending on where you’re riding. In California, drivers over age 18 aren’t required to wear helmets, and they can use e-scooters on roads with speed limits up to 35 mph. Kobayashi’s study found that almost none of the injured riders was wearing a helmet. She said anytime you’re… read on >

Do all the ads for dry eye relief have you thinking you could have this condition? If you’ve ever felt like you had a grain of sand in your eye when nowhere close to the beach, you could be experiencing dry eye. Exactly what is dry eye? Simply put, it’s when you aren’t making enough tears to keep the front surface of the eye lubricated, or your tears don’t have enough water in them. Eyes can feel gritty, scratchy or like they’re burning. You might even notice excess watering or blurred vision. Tear production often lessens with age, but it can also be the result of a medical condition — not only eye diseases but also rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes and thyroid problems. It can also be a side effect of certain medications, including antihistamines, decongestants, blood pressure medications and antidepressants. Living in a dry, windy climate or just sitting in front of a cozy fireplace in winter can cause tears to evaporate. There’s much you can do to restore the normal amount of tears, according to the American Optometric Association, starting with over-the-counter artificial tear solutions, or prescription eye drops or ointments. See your eye professional to discuss the options and find out what’s most appropriate for you. Lifestyle changes can also help. Try getting more omega-3 fatty acids in your diet. Treat your eyes… read on >

A middle-aged woman had persistent symptoms that doctors couldn’t explain. Frustrated, she took an increasingly common route: a search through the internet. “Dr. Google” led the woman to specialists at Wake Forest University Medical Center in Winston-Salem, N.C. There, she was diagnosed with a rare genetic condition called autosomal dominant tubulointerstitial kidney disease (ADTKD). This gradually causes the kidneys to stop working. “My two brothers, mother, cousin, second cousin, uncle, and two great uncles suffered from kidney disease, but no doctor had made a diagnosis,” recalled the woman, who prefers to remain anonymous. “Two nephrologists I saw did not know about this condition,” she said. Another doctor made an incorrect diagnosis and treatment, while advising her to “just let me do the worrying.” The patient didn’t take that advice. “We were prompted to search the internet when several family members had worsening kidney disease, and no one could diagnose it,” she said. So her brother searched “gout” and “kidney disease” online, and found Wake Forest’s specialists. As her situation indicates, figuring out what’s going on when a rare disease strikes can be tricky. Most primary care physicians are not trained to spot a rare disease. And even specialists can have a tough time unraveling the mysteries of an illness they may not have seen before. For many patients, this means going months, if not years,… read on >

Bingeing on social media isn’t good for any teen, but new research has pinpointed three ways in which hours spent on Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat and Facebook may harm the mental health of young girls in particular. “Almost all of the influence of social media on mental health could be explained by the three mechanisms examined — namely experiencing cyberbullying, sleeping for less than eight hours a night and reduced physical activity — all of which have known effects on mental health,” said researcher Dasha Nicholls, a reader in child psychiatry at Imperial College London. “The influence of these mechanisms in boys was much less marked, however, and it is likely that other mechanisms are operating that we were unable to explore,” she added. Girls use social media much more than boys, Nicholls explained, and girls may use social media differently than boys. They also are exposed to and react differently to the content they see, she noted. “It’s important to keep a balance, so that social media does not displace other activities that are important for mental health,” Nicholls said. Another expert said social media is a mixed bag for teens. Social media use does not necessarily need to be harmful, said Ann DeSmet, a post-doctorate fellow in health science at Ghent University in Belgium. It can reduce loneliness, but can also increase exposure to… read on >

School kids who get to bed early rather than staring at their devices at night may be better equipped to control their behavior, a new study suggests. Researchers found that 8- to 11-year-olds who got adequate sleep and had limits on “screen time” were less likely than their peers to report problems with impulsive behavior. Impulsivity is generally described as a tendency to act without thinking, or an inability to wait for something you want. It’s a central problem in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Later in life, impulsivity may also make kids vulnerable to other problems, like substance abuse and other forms of addiction, said lead researcher Michelle Guerrero. Guerrero said her team wanted to see what factors might affect that tendency to “act before thinking.” In general, the researchers found, kids were less likely to report impulsive behavior if they met recommendations for sleep and screen time. That meant nine to 11 hours of sleep each night and no more than two hours a day devoted to “recreational” screen time. (School work didn’t count.) However, the findings only point to a correlation, said Guerrero, a fellow with the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, in Ottawa, Canada. They do not prove earlier bed times and screen limits will actually prevent impulsivity, she explained. “Is it that impulsive kids don’t meet the recommendations, or that… read on >

Taking a vacation from social media and digital technology while you travel can cause withdrawal symptoms, but a small study suggests you’ll come to enjoy the offline experience. The British study included 24 people. During their travels to 17 countries and regions, most unplugged from technologies such as mobile phones, laptops, tablets, social media and navigation tools for more than 24 hours. Their reactions before, during and after their “digital detox” were gathered through diaries and interviews. Many had initial anxiety, frustration and withdrawal symptoms, but then increased levels of acceptance, enjoyment and even liberation, according to the study published Aug. 14 in the Journal of Travel Research. “Many people are increasingly getting tired of constant connections through technologies and there is a growing trend for digital-free tourism, so it is helpful to see the emotional journey that these travelers are experiencing,” said lead author Wenjie Cai, a lecturer at the University of Greenwich in London. Researchers said there is growing demand for digital detox holidays. “Our participants reported that they not only engaged more with other travelers and locals during their disconnected travels, but that they also spent more time with their travel companions,” Cai said in a journal news release. The findings could be important for travel companies seeking to develop off-the-grid vacation packages, according to study co-author Brad McKenna, a lecturer at… read on >

Taking your blood pressure may become as easy as taking a video selfie if a new smartphone app proves itself. High blood pressure can be a warning sign of a heart attack or stroke, but half of those with hypertension don’t know it. Developing an easy at-home blood pressure screen could potentially save lives. A new technology called transdermal optical imaging gives a picture of the blood flow in your face, which reveals your blood pressure, researchers say. “We found, using a smartphone, we can accurately measure blood pressure within 30 seconds,” said lead researcher Kang Lee. Lee is research chair of developmental neuroscience at the University of Toronto. “We want to use this technology to help us to make people aware of their blood pressure and monitor it,” he said. Lee doesn’t intend this technology to replace standard “cuff” blood pressure measuring, but rather to make blood pressure easy to take at home. So how does it work? The technology uses light to penetrate the skin and optical sensors in smartphones to create an image of blood flow patterns. These patterns are then used to predict blood pressure, Lee explained. “Once you know how blood concentration changes in different parts of your face, then we can learn a lot of things about your physiology, such as your heart rate, your stress and your blood… read on >

Parents of budding teens can breathe a little easier: A new study says adolescent “sexting” is not an epidemic. On the other hand, it’s not disappearing, either, despite campaigns to curb it. “Sexting is perceived as an epidemic because the news highlights extreme cases that involve tragic outcomes, and because it goes against standards of morality and decency that are historically entrenched,” said study author Sameer Hinduja, a professor of criminology at Florida Atlantic University. But most teens have never sent or received a sex text, the new study found. It focused on about 5,600 students in American middle and high schools, ages 12 to 17. Of those, about 14% had ever sent a sexually or explicit image or had received one. For this study, researchers defined sexting as the exchange of nude or semi-nude photos or videos via text or private messaging on social media. Other researchers have included sexually suggestive or explicit texts. Hinduja said his team didn’t include those, because they can’t lead to sextortion, child pornography charges or related fallout. About 11% of the students said they had sent a sext to a boyfriend or girlfriend — and about 64% did so when asked to, the study found. But only 43% complied with a request from someone who was not a current romantic partner. Boys were much more likely to have… read on >