COVID-19, CYBER SICKNESS and HAIR LOSS

CYBER SICKNESS. This issue started to creep into our healthcare world long before Covid but the significant increase in screen time as a result of isolation and working from home has definitely increased its prevalence. Symptoms like eye strain, visual changes, headaches, sleeping problems and dizziness are all related to increased screen time. Our brains simply did not evolve to sit in front of a screen all day long, stimulating the virtual cortex with little else useful going on. Sitting in front of a screen also increases the chances of watching videos and news reports, the vast majority of which are negative, which increase stress. There are some early studies suggesting that early childhood exposure to all the screens impact on vision as a teen and adult. Some helpful hints to try to mitigate all the screen time include:

• Take lots of breaks. Get up and walk around at set intervals. Set an alarm on whatever device you use to remind you to move. Do some calisthenics regularly to move your blood and your muscles, not to mention giving your eyes and brain a break.
• Wear blue light blocking glasses which reduce eye strain. This is particularly important within 2 hours of bed since ALL screens decrease melatonin production, which dramatically impacts on sleep latency, duration as well as quality. Lower melatonin levels have also been linked to poorer outcomes from SARS-Cov-2 infections.
• Get a standup desk. Just standing and doing your work makes a big difference.
• Dim the screen. Definitely set the automatic dimming settings which most devices now have.
• Get off the darn device! And when you take a break, don’t look at another screen (ie binging on Netflix on TV). What’s the point of that? Go outside.

HAIR LOSS. At any one time, 1/3rd of your hair is growing, 1/3rd is falling out and 1/3rd is just sitting there doing nothing. Stress has been certainly linked to hair loss and these times are understandably more stressful than what most people are used to. Not to panic though. The hair which falls out usually regrows eventually. Chronic stress however, does cause chronic release of cortisol which leads to increased weight and disrupts hormone production. There is a reason heavier people have thinner hair. Fat cells produce hormones and the hormone dysregulation leads to increased hair loss, specifically because of increased levels of testosterone (there is a reason they call it male-pattern-balding). All the hormones also increase insulin resistance (pre-diabetes) and increases the risks of hormonal cancers like breast and prostate. No simple answer to stress here. I can tell people up the wazoo to “stress less”. I wish I could take my own advice, and I do try really hard.

• Exercise and move more.
• Meditate and practice gratitude.
• Eat better (less caffeine, fat, salt and sugar)
• Sleep better.
• Appreciate what you have and know that this will all pass eventually.

In the meantime, you got it:

• Wear a MASK and wear it properly covering your nose. PLEASE.
• DISTANCE when you have to be out.
• WASH your hands and use proper hand sanitizer judiciously (there are some crappy sanitizers out there so read labels).
• Get VACCINATED for the flu.

Stay safe and be well. 

AC 😎✌️🌱❤🐖🏃🏻🧘🏻‍♂️🌎😷