Long computer use may be linked to eye disease

Hours in front of a computer screen may increase the risk of glaucoma in people who are myopic or short-sighted. Japanese scientists said on 'Ihesday.

Glaucoma, which is caused by damage to the optic nerve, results in blind spots or visual impairments that can rob people of their sight.

Smoking and high blood pressure are potential risk factors but Japanese researchers believe excessive computer use may also play a role in short-sighted people.

"Myopic workers with a history of long-term computer using might have an increased risk of visual field abnormalities, possibly related to glaucoma," Dr Masayuki Tatemichi, of the Toho University School of Medicine in Tokyo, said in a report in the British Journal of Ophthalmology.

The researchers studied about 10,000 workers in Japan who were chosen for testing as part of a routine medical check-up. They also completed a questionnaire about how much time they spent using a computer and any eye problems. The average age of the participants was 43.

About 5 percent of the workers in the study had

visual field problems. A further test revealed about a third of them had suspected glaucoma. The scientists said there appeared to be a link between glaucoma and heavy computer use in the shortsighted.

They believe the optic nerve in short-sighted people may be more vulnerable to computer stress than in normal eyes.

"Computer stress is reaching higher levels than have ever been experienced before. In die next decade, therefore, it might be important for public health professionals to show more concern about myopia and visual field abnormalities in heavy computer users," the scientists added.

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Study reveals that pregnancy ultrasounds do not harm the baby

Having several ultrasounds during pregnancy does not harm the unborn baby or restrict the child's growth or development early in life, Australian scientists said Friday.

An ultrasound scan is a non-invasive procedure done routinely during pregnancy to assess the size, growth, health and gestational age of the fetus.

Earlier research had suggested that having several ultrasounds could increase right-handedness and affect the growth of the fetus, but Professor John Newnham, of King Edward Memorial Hospital in Subiaco, Australia, said the children grow and develop normally.

"Exposure to multiple prenatal ultrasound examinations from 18 weeks' gestation onwards might be associated with a small effect on fetal growth but is followed in childhood by growth and measures of developmental outcome similar to children who had received a single prenatal scan." he said in a report in The Lancet medical journal.

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Newnham and his team studied the progress of about 2,700 children. Half had been exposed to repeated ultrasounds before birth. None had any congenital abnormalities.

The researchers assessed the growth and development of the children up to eight years old. At one year, both groups of children were similar in size. By die end of the study, there was no difference between the two groups in their results of standard speech, language, behavior or neurological tests.

"Our results also provide reassurance that multiple prenatal ultrasound scans are not followed by smaller body size in infancy or childhood," Newnham added.

Despite their reassuring results, Newnham and his colleagues said more research is needed.

"In view of the widespread and liberal use of this technology, we are responsible for ensuring the safety of its use," he added.

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Nail the pain

If you bash your fingers with a hammer or slam it in a car door, plunge it in ice water for a minute. Then hold it over your head while pinching the wounded fingertip. After another minute, drunk it back into the ice water. Repeat this routine about 10 times. It will stop the throbbing pain and save your fingernail from blackening and falling off.