Your cellphone alarm wakes you up much too early and you fumble for it so you can check your emails before dragging yourself out of bed. You grab a takeaway coffee and muffin on your way into the office. Then you spend all day hunched over your computer. You don your headphones to drown out the buzz of the computers and your colleagues.

Lunch is a microwave meal in a plastic container and by 3pm you’re medicating that throbbing headache with a painkiller and some bottled water. Sound familiar?

Modern-day conveniences may make your life easier, but they could also be impacting your health negatively. Here’s what you need to know about reducing the risk factors.

Danger zone: cellphones

Your phone is your secretary (beeping several times a day to remind you to email the travel agent, defrost the chicken, set the PVR to record The Wild), your contact list, a status symbol and your conduit to friends and family. You can’t imagine living without it.

“But that constant plugged-in state can cause psychological and health problems,” says Cape Town-based psychologist and behavioural specialist Justine Jackson-Fraser.

“There’s no escape from being on call. It becomes emotionally and physically draining, often resulting in problems like increased stress levels, mood swings and sleep deprivation.”

Prof Jerry May from the University of Nevada (US) has studied the cellphone “addiction” effect on a group of 3000 high achievers over the past 15 years.

“Without recovery time, it decreases our ability to fight off disease and takes a toll on energy levels and vitality,” he says,

What’s more, the debate about the link between cellphone and brain cancer doesn’t add joy.

“Studies all over the world are now in progress, but it’ll take years to confirm whether there is a link between cellphone usage and cancer, says Dr Carl Albrecht, head researcher at the Cancer Association of South Africa.

“However, just because there’s no definite evidence at this stage, doesn’t mean there is no potential danger.”

What to do: “You can switch sides of the head when taking a long call and use a hands-free kit or speaker phone to keep the phone at a distance from your head,” says Albrecht. And when you get home, ban your cellphone.

“Give yourself a cut-off time, where cellphones, iPods and laptops are put to bed.

By doing this earlier and more often, you can gradually unplug, relax and reconnect,” advises Jackson-Fraser.

Danger zone: plastics

Plastics, used to make hard toys, bottles and food containers, have received a bad rap for good reason. Studies have shown that certain plastics might contain the toxic chemical bisphenol-A (BPA), which is an endocrine disruptor.

“Over the past decade, there’ve been several reports that have found that there’s actually no risk when it comes to the levels of BPA that we’re exposed to daily,” says Dr Sascha Edelstein, a gynaecologist and fertility specialist,

“However, the 2007 Chapel Hill report, a consensus statement by international experts, concluded that ‘the effects of low doses is a cause for concern’.”

The report highlighted how BPA exposure can cause an increase in early sexual development; neuro-behavioural problems like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism, an increase in childhood and adult obesity and type 2 diabetes, a decrease in sperm coun; and an increase in hormonal cancers, such as prostate and breast cancers.

“For now, chronic exposure has not been properly assessed, but the effects are likely,” says Edelstein.

What to do: Focus on eliminating the worst BPA offenders: that is, those products marked with the recycle code 3 or 7. Or, better yet, eliminate plastics for storing food altogether and opt for glass or lead-free ceramics. You can also use new BPA-free water bottles (preferably stainless steel or glass) with built-in filters, which remove up to 99% of pollutants.

Danger zone: earphones

If it’s too loud, you’re too old, right?

Actually, if it’s too loud you’ll get permanent ear damage. If your ears start to hum or hurt after listening to your MP3 player for hours, it could be due to listener fatigue.

This is caused by using little “ear bud” earphones that fit into your ear, sealing your ear canals. This means you turn up the volume, often to 110 to 120 decibels – loud enough to cause hearing loss after only an hour and 15 minutes.

“In the US, there have been reports of an increase in young adults and teens being diagnosed with hearing loss at the level of 50-year-olds,” says Cape Town audiologist Lisa Nathan. “They’re the ones listening to iPods or MP3s for hours every day. It’s a problem facing SA youths too.”

What to do: According to the South African Family Practice journal, experts recommend limiting yourself to 60 to 70 minutes per day (at 60% to 80% of the maximum volume).

Headphones that fit outside the ear canal also help, as can noise-cancelling headphones that reduce background noise so listeners don’t have to crank up the volume. Try out “open-air” or “supra-aural” headphones.

Danger zone: computers

If you spend all day staring at a computer screen, it’s likely you’re at risk of computer vision syndrome (CVS).

Johannesburg-based optometrist Nishan Rama says: “As many as 75% of computer users have symptoms of CVS due to glare, poor lighting and improper workstation setup.” CVS encompasses all eye-or vision-related problems suffered by people who spend a lot of time on computers.

Symptoms include headaches; dry, red, or burning eyes; blurred or double vision; trouble focusing; difficulty distinguishing colours; sensitivity to light; and even pain in the neck or back.

What to do: Keep your monitor about 60cm away from you and 15cm below eye level. Be sure it’s directly in front of you to minimise eye movement. Adjust lighting to remove any glare or reflections and change the brightness on your monitor to ease eye strain.

Even simple steps can help, like looking away from your monitor every 20 or 30 minutes and focusing on something farther away.

Danger zone: OTC painkillers

Modern stress and fatigue mean we’ve rapidly become a drug-orientated culture – where an addict can be anyone from a stay-at-home mom to a businesswoman.

“Any of the thousands of available prescription and OTC medications can be toxic, especially when too much is used or when they’re used for a prolonged period,” says Pretoria-based Dr Bets Breedt.

For example, OTC painkillers may be dangerous in certain conditions as they can have adverse side effects.

“You can’t take aspirin such as Disprin or Codis, or anti-inflammatories like Voltaren or Brufen, if you have a stomach ulcer.

“You must be careful taking painkillers if you have kidney impairment. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can cause water retention, which can be a problem if you have heart failure.

“And NSAIDs and Disprin can provoke an asthma attack,” says Dr Breedt.

What to do: Treat your health issues with lifestyle changes rather than masking the symptoms with medication. Pinpoint your coping strategies and what triggers your pill-popping behaviour. Then look at alternative coping mechanisms like exercise and meditation.

“If you have to take pain tablets, start with a mild painkiller like Panado, Disprin or Nurofen (if it is safe for you to use).

“If the pain persists, or increased dosages or strengths do not bring relief, rather see your doctor.

“Always follow the instructions on the bottle and never use it for longer than 10 days without consulting a doctor,” advises Dr Breedt.

Danger zone: fast food

If you occasionally crave fatty fast food, look up its nutritional information to curb your craving.

“Most fast foods are generally kilojoule dense, nutrient poor and high in sodium, which increases your risk of chronic disease, such as diabetes and heart disease,” says Joburg-based dietician Jade Campbell.

“A regular pizza is about 3500kJ, which is equivalent to 12 ½ bread slices. A burger, chips and Coke combo meal is about 6300kJ, equivalent to 22½ bread slices. Chances are you would never make your way through so many slices of bread in one sitting.”

What to do: Knowledge is power, and knowing exactly how unhealthy these foods are makes it that much easier to just say no.

“Avoid a weekly habit and save the fast food splurge for a special occasion,” says Campbell.

“It’s not necessary to avoid it completely, but limit the frequency and decrease the portion sizes by perhaps sharing your pizza with a friend.”

Danger zone: energy drinks

The next time you’re ready to knock back an energy drink, think again. The ingredients have raised concerns about toxicity and serious health effects.

These include raised blood pressure, increased risk of heart disease, sleep disturbances and dangers to pregnancy, says dietitian Berna Harmse, president of the Association for Dietetics in South Africa.

“For example, energy drinks have a high caffeine content, which increases your blood pressure and heart rate.

“The drinks may also contain potentially toxic combinations of ingredients, such as guarana, taurine, yerba mate, gingko biloba and ginseng,” says Harmse.

What to do: Caffeine is not a nutrient. You don’t require it in your diet. So try to avoid a high intake.

“If you are often tired and use these products to make it through the day, rather consider making changes in your lifestyle.

“Sleep deprivation cannot be reversed by anything other than sleep,” advises Harmse.

Courtesy of SHAPE magazine