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93 Results for search "Cellphones".

Health News Results - 93

If you have raging headaches and you spend a lot of time on your smartphone, a new study suggests you might want to put your phone down whenever you can.

Researchers found that folks who use their smartphones frequently and have headaches or migraines also tend to need to take more medications than those with headaches who do not have smartphones.

Of course, this study can't...

Here's a good reason to put your electronic devices down whenever you can: Experts say that using them incorrectly or too often can put you at risk for a range of injuries.

"When people position their hand, arm or neck in uncomfortable positions for a prolonged period of time, it can lead to strains and overuse injuries," said Dr. Michael Darowish, an orthopedic surgeon at Penn State ...

Smartphones appear to be more effective than wearable fitness devices in helping doctors track patients' physical activity, researchers say.

Their new study included 500 patients who joined activity tracking programs at two Philadelphia hospitals. Half used a smartphone app to track their daily steps after leaving the hospital. The other half used a wearable device.

Patient...

Many U.S. teenagers may be using their smartphones to harass, humiliate or otherwise abuse their dating partners.

That's according to a recent national survey of teens who'd been in a romantic relationship in the past year. Researchers found that 28% had been victims of "digital dating abuse" -- surprisingly, with boys being targets more often than girls.

While teen dati...

The dangers of "distracted driving" are well-known, but texting while walking may also be a road hazard, a new research review finds.

Pedestrians who are busy texting are less likely to look both ways before crossing the street and have caused a growing number of "close calls" with cars, the review found. And while chatting on a cellphone or listening to music can be distracting, neit...

Virtual assistants like Alexa and Siri are little help for people seeking information about how to quit drinking, smoking, vaping or taking opioids, a new study finds.

"Alexa can already fart on demand, why can't it and other intelligent virtual assistants also provide lifesaving substance use treatment referrals for those desperately seeking help? Many of these same people likely hav...

Your smartphone, television and computer screens may be contaminating your home with potentially toxic chemicals, a new study suggests.

An international team of researchers found the chemicals -- called liquid crystal monomers -- in nearly half of dozens of samples of household dust they collected.

Liquid crystal monomers are used in a wide number of products ranging from fl...

Talking and texting on your smartphone is a big no-no for drivers, but new research suggests the same should be true for pedestrians.

According to one database, more than 2,500 men and women went to an emergency room for head and neck injuries sustained while using a smartphone between 1998 and 2017. When that number is extrapolated to include the whole country, the total is likely to...

"Sexting" may sound salacious, but it isn't always about sex, a new study shows.

In fact, two-thirds of adults who send these sexually oriented text messages don't have sex in mind at all, the Texas Tech University researchers report.

Some sexting is about foreplay for sex later on. Sexting is also used for reassurance about the relationship. And sometimes it's done to scor...

Even infants are now watching screens, and as they grow so does the time they spend doing it, two new studies show.

In fact, watching TVs, computers, smartphones, tablets or electronic games occupies about an hour a day of an infant's time and increases to more than 150 minutes by age 3. That's way beyond what's recommended, the researchers said.

"Since screen-time exposure ...

More Americans are having trouble falling and staying asleep, and smartphones and technology are probably to blame, researchers report.

Their analysis of data from nearly 165,000 adults nationwide showed that the number who reported difficulty falling asleep at least once a week was up 1.4% between 2013 and 2017, and those who had trouble staying asleep rose 2.7%.

Th...

Toddlers who spend loads of time looking at tablets, smartphones or TVs may be changing their brains, and not for the better.

A new study using brain scans showed that the white matter in the brains of children who spent hours in front of screens wasn't developing as fast as it was in the brains of kids who didn't.

It's in the white matter of the brain where language, ot...

While 6 in 10 Americans say they're concerned about developing cancer, only 1 in 4 make cancer prevention part of their daily lives, a new online survey reveals.

Roughly a quarter think there's nothing they can do to prevent it. But the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) says as many of half of cancer cases are preventable.

"Tobacco use, diet, sun exposure, alcohol...

Forget doctor's instructions: New research shows a smartphone app is the best way to get heart patients to remember to take their medicines.

Heart attack survivors are typically prescribed medications to prevent another attack, but one in four stop taking at least one drug within 30 days after leaving the hospital. That increases the chance of re-hospitalization and premature death.<...

The health risks that spring from poor posture while using mobile devices don't concern many Americans, a new survey finds.

But maybe it should.

Poor posture can lead to health issues such as chronic pain in the back, neck and knees, circulation problems, heartburn and digestive problems, according to researchers from the Orlando Health system in Florida.

American ...

Spending time on their phones or online doesn't harm teens' mental health, according to a new study that challenges a widely held belief.

"It may be time for adults to stop arguing over whether smartphones and social media are good or bad for teens' mental health and start figuring out ways to best support them in both their offline and online lives," said study co-author Candice Odg...

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 ...

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...

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 tha...

In a new study, more than a third of young people surveyed said they'd posted on social media while under the influence of drugs, while more than half had called someone or sent a text.

But in the cold light of day, one in five said they regretted a social media post made while high, the study found. About a third of those who called or texted regretted that choice the next day.

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 pictur...

Because of their capacity to distract, cellphones and sleep are not the best of bedfellows.

But besides keeping you awake, new research warns that bringing your smartphone to bed could literally shock you.

The report describes instances of people who were accidentally electrocuted and burned by phone charging cords.

"A charger relies on the contained transfer of ...

While you're watching your calories to avoid packing on extra pounds, you might also want to cut down on your smartphone usage, new research suggests.

Spending too much time on your smartphone is linked to a higher risk of obesity, investigators report.

Their study included 1,060 students at Simon Bolivar University in Colombia and was conducted from June to December 2018. T...

With most people never far from their cellphones, new research on college students finds that "problematic" use is tied to a variety of mental health problems, as well as lower grades and more sexual partners.

The study, which surveyed more than 3,400 students in the United States, also found that alcohol misuse was markedly higher in those with problematic smartphone use, compared to...

Smartphones have become an essential part of modern medicine, but they might be exposing patients to potentially deadly staph infections, a new study suggests.

Tests of cellphones at a Brazilian medical school revealed that 40% carried Staphylococcus aureus, a common cause of hospital infections.

Worse, 85% of the bacteria isolated were resistant to antibiotic...

Women, beware: Sleeping with a light on or the TV going in your bedroom could make you put on weight.

That's the finding of new research published in JAMA Internal Medicine. While the study doesn't prove that sleeping with a light on causes weight gain, it suggests the two may be linked, the researchers said.

"Turning off the light while sleeping may be a useful tool...

Exercise apps and fitness trackers are all the rage, and now a new study shows they might actually work.

A combination of an exercise app, an activity tracker and personal counseling increased women's physical activity levels, researchers found.

The study of 210 inactive women found that three months of this combined approach increased the number of steps they took each day ...

Cutting teens' evening screen time can improve their sleep in just one week, a new study finds.

Research shows that exposure to too much light in the evening -- particularly blue light from smartphones, tablets and computers -- can affect the brain's clock and production of the sleep hormone melatonin, resulting in reduced sleep time and quality.

It's believed to be a bigger...

Can a smartphone app spot an ear infection?

It did so with high accuracy in new research.

Ear infections occur when fluid builds up behind the eardrum and gets contaminated. Though an ear infection can hurt and make it hard to hear, sometimes there are no symptoms and diagnosis can be difficult.

This app uses a smartphone's microphone and speaker and a piece of pa...

Despite countless public service messages warning against texting and driving, more than two-thirds of parents have read a text while behind the wheel and roughly half have written a text while driving, a new survey finds.

Millennial parents were more likely to report distracted driving behaviors, such as reading a text. But both millennial parents (born between 1981 and 1996) and ol...

Everyone knows about cellphones and the threat of distracted driving. But how about distracted shopping?

Using your cellphone while shopping might make you susceptible to buying stuff you didn't intend to buy, a new study suggests.

Researchers found that people who used cellphones while shopping were more likely to forget what they went to the store to buy.

This oc...

Teens spend countless hours glued to their phones and tablets, continually posting to social media, but British researchers report that might not be as terrible as many parents may think.

It appears that teens who are less satisfied with their lives do tend to spend more time on Snapchat, Instagram and the like, but the link between life satisfaction and time spent on social media was...

Need to see your doctor, but can't take time off from work? There's an app for that. And new research shows patients find the ability to see a doctor "virtually" convenient and satisfying.

Nine out of 10 people who had a virtual visit with a doctor said it was more convenient than other ways of getting care, and it addressed their medical needs. Only four in 10 said they would prefer...

Five-year-olds who spend more than two hours a day in front of a smartphone or tablet may be at risk of attention problems, a new study suggests.

Excessive "screen time" among children has been the subject of much research -- particularly now that even the youngest kids are staring at phones and iPads every day.

The American Academy of Pediatrics advises parents to set limit...

In many U.S. states, teenagers who send "sext" messages to each other can be prosecuted as child pornographers -- and that should end, researchers argue.

Many states have recently passed laws that specifically address teen sexting -- exempting it, to varying degrees, from longstanding child pornography statutes. But in 23 states, those outdated laws still apply to teenagers who willin...

Mindlessly switching from your smartphone to other media devices and back again might lead to added pounds, scientists say.

A small, new study found that heavy-duty media multitaskers also tended to be heavier, weight-wise.

It's possible that these devices are actually changing the brain, theorized lead author Richard Lopez, a postdoctoral fellow in psychology at Rice Uni...

The risks of using voice-based technology in your car may be greater than you think.

Many consider this technology safer than using their hands to operate devices while driving, but it's not risk-free, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety warns.

Mental distractions can last as long as 27 seconds after drivers use voice-assisted technology to dial, change music or send a te...

A smartphone application that works with Google Glass might help kids with autism build their social skills, a small clinical trial suggests.

Researchers found that over six weeks, kids who used the app at home with their families made greater gains in certain social abilities, compared to those who stuck with their usual therapy alone.

Experts said the findings, published o...

When a state bans texting while driving, will the number of car crash victims showing up in its emergency rooms drop?

New research suggests the answer is yes.

In the study, states that have full bans in place had an average of 8 percent fewer car crash victims seen in emergency rooms.

"People tend to think of these bans as inconveniences, but they actually do have ...

Screens: They're at work, at home and even in the palm of your hand. But stare too long at them and your eyes -- and mind -- could pay a price, experts warn.

For example, too much screen time can lead to problems such as eye strain, dry eye, headaches and insomnia, the American Academy of Ophthalmology warns.

"Eyestrain can be frustrating. But it usually isn't serious and go...

MONDAY, Jan. 28, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Young children spend a lot of time fiddling with smartphones, tapping away at tablets and staring at TV screens.

Could this time be taking away from their early physical and mental development?

A new study argues that's precisely the case -- screen time can affect how well children perform on developmental tests.

"Kids who...

Drug users suffering an opioid overdose might soon have access to an unusual lifeline -- a smartphone app.

University of Washington researchers have developed an app that can detect when a person's breathing dangerously slows or stops.

The Second Chance app accurately detected opioid overdose symptoms more than nine times out of 10 in experimental tests, which took place at ...

Less than 9 percent of Americans shared fake news in 2016, but seniors were far more likely to do so than young adults, a new study finds.

"Despite widespread interest in the fake news phenomenon, we know very little about who actually shares fake news," said study author Joshua Tucker, a professor of politics at New York University.

"This study takes a first step towards an...