Over the coming weeks I will be writing a series of blogs about the stresses in our lives which can cause spinal misalignment, tension, pain and inflammation. I find in practice that the majority of patients’ health issues are caused by one of the following 9 causative stresses:
- Weak muscles (lack of movement, a sedentary lifestyle)
- Mental / emotional stress
- SAD (Standard American Diet)
- Sleep deprivation
- Blue light exposure
- Dehydration
- Sleeping position
- Physical trauma (RTA, sports, birth trauma, sitting)
- Wear and tear
I’m starting with blue light exposure as it’s a current topic in our house at the moment. My wife quite often needs to work in the evening after the children are in bed but I’m trying to persuade her to down tools by 9 – it’s hard to get the balance right but I think we’re getting there!
High energy blue light is everywhere: PCs, laptops, tablets, smart phones, TV and LED lights. Exposure in the evening impacts health and a hormone we produce called melatonin. It is not just eye health, but sleeping cycles and hormones that are affected. It affects young people more than the elderly and can cause reduced mental performance, fatigue, inflammation and blood sugar instability.
The best way to avoid health problems related to blue light is to avoid screen exposure for 2 hrs before sleep and to wear yellow/red tinted blue-light filtering glasses if using screens in the evening. The Walles family are now the proud owners of a pair of yellow tinted glasses for PC time in the evening…it’s an interesting look but I think it’s helping…