Smartphone use cause migraines, headaches: Study

If you have a chronic headache, we suggest you put your smartphone away. A new study finds that excessive time spent on your smartphone could be contributing to a relentless headache

Smartphone users may be more likely to use painkillers and find less relief and the subjects of this study were from India.

We are all guilty of being addicted to our smartphones whether it is surfing social media or online shopping.

Be it using WhatsApp to communicate or a trending news app to stay updated. From content consumption to content creation — the smartphone has become the hub of all activities.

People are relying on their phones to complete daily tasks.

And now, a new study finds a link between smartphone usage and headaches. Up until now, there has been plenty of anecdotal evidence suggesting that excessive use of smartphones and "screen time" can lead to lifestyle disorders and now, a study carried by researchers at the all India institute of medical sciences in New Delhi, makes some alarming suggestions.

It suggests that smartphone users were more likely to use pain medication for headaches and find less relief than those who didn't use smartphones.

The study was published in the medical journal 'Neurology: Clinical practice'. Researchers studied 400 people in India with headaches which included migraines, tension headaches and others.

They were questioned on their smartphone use, headache history as well as medication use. The study cites associations which suggest that smartphones may be a potential trigger for worsening headaches.

The study found that 96 per cent of smartphone users were more likely to take medication compared to 81 per cent of non-smartphone users.

In the study, smartphone users also reported a higher occurrence of "aura", which is a warning sensation before epilepsy or migraine attack. 

This was in comparison to non-smartphone users. Medical experts believe that excessive smartphone screen time hampers your posture.

The act of bending your neck to look at your phone, dubbed as "text neck", maybe a strain on one's spine.

While this new research doesn't make any conclusive claims, it adds to the existing knowledge which warns against increased smartphone usage
so put that phone down and step out for some fresh air.