Laptops are one of the most used devices in work and recreation today. They are small, lightweight, mobile, and have very high computing powers, making them an ideal device to most people. However, it doesn’t mean you should rest your laptop on your lap, which the very word ‘lap’ suggests a part of the body. This means you are likely to be in contact with a potentially ‘lethal’ electromagnetic frequency (EMF) radiation among other perils.
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Laptops give off EMFs at different levels and they are dangerous for your health. If you keep a laptop on your lap then your body including the tender parts such as your abdomen is more vulnerable do this radiation. To help you understand why this is a bad idea, here are six key reasons why you should avoid placing your laptop directly on your lap:
1. It Can Affect Your Male Reproductive System
These are relatively harmless yet a laptop for instance receives wireless signals and transmits radiation. Having it so close to your reproductive organs is dangerous, or at least it is for men. Some studies from Argentina indicated that exposure of the testes to a laptop can damage sperm DNA and thus negatively affect male fertility.
Similarly, another research done by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine established that when a man sits on a computer, whether typing on a laptop or using it with Wi-Fi internet connectivity, he exposes his sperms to elements that slow their movement and can even cause their DNA to break apart. Canada recognizes that this radiation could have an impact and that for women it might affect fertility and egg production.
2. But It Can Increase Your Risk of Cancer
You could also develop some types of cancer if you habitually use a laptop on your lap. Scholars from Switzerland concluded that skin on the lap is harmed by heat produced by laptop and can cause skin cancer. Chronic heat can increase the risk of getting a much advanced type of skin cancer known as squamous cell carcinoma.
The extremely close location of laptops to your reproductive organs also raises issues concerning the testicular or ovarian cancer.
3. It Can Cause Back and Neck Pain
Type on a laptop propped on your knees and it may cause you to develop neck and back pains at some point. Stop putting your laptop directly on your lap and use a desk or a stand for the screen to have it at eye level thereby helping to correct poor posture caused by laptop usage. A laptop also benefits from standing desks and can greatly improve posture when working at the laptop.
4. It Can Disrupt Your Sleep
Simply carrying a laptop on your lap, or using it for a long time in bed is not healthy for your sleep. The light emitted from the screen disrupts the body’s production of the natural hormone melatonin responsible for maintaining proper sleep. If you have been struggling to sleep, then try and replace the computer with a book before going to sleep.
Second, the use of applications such as f.lux that employs the tablet’s clock to automatically adjust the brightness of the tablet to the time of day will also minimize the exposure to blue light at night.
5. It Can Cause Problems During Pregnancy
Here is what pregnant women need to know: Using a laptop on your lap might be dangerous. It was seen that various affects of EMF radiation are seen both on the mother as well as the fetus in terms of laptops. Today’s media says that the amount of radiation emitted by laptops is even greater than that of high voltage power lines. This may be dangerous to the growing fetus as it may result in anything from congenital or developmental complications.
In order to help protect your baby, do not rest your laptop on your lap or directly on your abdomen during pregnancy.
6. It Can Burn Your Skin
When you sit protracted with your computer on your laps, it may cause “toasted skin syndrome,” a clinical condition also called erythema ab igne. This is a form of skin pigmentation that is uneven, or blotchy, as a result of heat from your laptop. Although itself is not lethal or dangerous at all and fades once the affected person halts exposure to high heat, the condition may in some cases bring about irreversible skin necrosis or hyperpigmentation.
Conclusion
The above six reasons explain why it is relevant not to place a laptop on one’s lap, much more when in a Wi-Fi network. To avoid exposure to dangerous radiation and to reduce heat problems avoid placing the laptop directly on your lap, bed or carpeted area when possible use a desk or table. You can also purchase a radiation indicating laptop protective cover to shield yourself from any radiation while keeping you warm. If you follow the above steps, you will be able to use your laptop safety without endangering your health.
