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This episode of Health 360, presented by India Today's Sneha Mordani, highlights key medical warnings and health advice. The World Health Organization (WHO) warns that generative AI, social media algorithms, and excessive smartphone use adversely affect children, leading to 'smartphone brain', cognitive overload, shorter attention spans, and disrupted sleep from blue light exposure.
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00:00Hello and welcome. You've tuned in to Health360, your one-stop destination for all things health, wellness and fitness.
00:08On the show this week, doctors are now seeing patients with smartphone brains, headaches, brain fog, mental tiredness,
00:16warning that technology is taking over our lives like never before.
00:20Also on the show, the World Health Organization is warning that kids are now getting affected adversely with generative AI
00:29and obsession with gadgets.
00:32Also telling us that dementia is now being reported in places with a lot of air pollution,
00:39establishing a direct link with dirty air.
00:43We're getting you all the detailed reports and much more.
00:46I'm Sneha Mordani, you're watching Health360.
01:00We're getting you all the time.
01:30Transcription by CastingWords
01:31The World Health Organization has flagged the growing influence of generative AI, social media algorithms and excessive smartphone use on
01:42brain development, mental health and overall well-being.
01:45The agency says today's young people are growing up in an attention economy where AI-generated content, endless trolling and
01:54personalized feeds are competing relentlessly for their focus.
01:58Experts warn this could be contributing to what is increasingly being called the smartphone brain, a phenomenon linked to shorter
02:07attention spans, compulsive phone checking, disrupted sleep, poor concentration and cognitive overload.
02:14As digital technologies become deeply embedded in everyday life, the WHO is urging governments, educators, parents and technology companies to
02:24put children's brain health and development at the center of digital policies.
02:30Can your child's next health risk be hiding behind a screen?
02:35The World Health Organization has sounded the alarm, warning that social media, online gaming and even AI-powered platforms are
02:44increasingly shaping children's health for better and for worse.
02:49While technology has transformed the way children learn, play and connect, the UN Health Agency says children are also facing
02:58increasing exposure to cyberbullying, harmful online content, misinformation and AI-generated defects, threats that are becoming more sophisticated and harder
03:08to detect.
03:09The WHO has warned that recommendations, algorithms and AI-driven platforms are designed to keep users engaged, making it easier
03:18for children to spend hours online without even realizing how much time has passed.
03:24This message isn't to ban technology, but to use it wisely, health experts have been spotlighting the smartphone brain forever,
03:34a new generation of patients that neurologists are now reporting.
03:38So I asked a doctor on the show, what really is the smartphone brain that doctors have been speaking about?
03:44What really are the signs and symptoms, doctor?
03:46Those who are addicted to this high frequency smartphone, you know, light and sound and all those things, they may
03:58have an impact on the cognitive functions of the brain.
04:02So those who use a lot of smartphone, they generally have some structural changes in the brain, which is documented
04:14in some reports.
04:16And therefore, the usage of the brain, normal usage, what we have, like cognition, thinking, formation or processing of any
04:26thought or idea, all these get hampered.
04:30Doctor, are you seeing a new generation of patients with smartphone brains?
04:35Are people mentally tired all the time simply because they can't really get off their gadgets?
04:42Certainly, I feel people are more mentally exhausted than before.
04:45I think there are many reasons for that.
04:48If you are exposed to information all the time, your brain, all your senses, eye, hearing, everything is getting constantly
05:00bombarded,
05:01so many, so many wheels going inside, information all over the place, you do get exhausted.
05:08So the effects go beyond attention.
05:12Using smartphone late into the night exposes the eyes to blue light, which suppresses the production of melatonin, the hormone
05:19that regulates the body's sleep-wake cycle.
05:22The casualty here is sleep.
05:25So I asked the doctor on how sleep really has become a silent epidemic here, doctor.
05:32Sleep is absolutely important because during sleep, there are many things that go on inside the body, which we are
05:41not aware of, but it goes on inside the body because, you know, the hormones are secreted.
05:47Then the organs are given their relaxation and timing and they are able to recover and repair.
05:55So many things happen during sleep.
05:58Now, if we do not have normal sleep, be it because of the melatonin due to smartphone or any other
06:05issues, then definitely there is going to be a problem.
06:09But this really isn't about fearing technology.
06:12It's about using it wisely.
06:15What really, doctor, is the advice that you would give?
06:20Yeah, exactly.
06:21Like, I agree.
06:22I mean, you know, one should not blame the technology.
06:24Smartphones have changed the way we live, the way we communicate.
06:29There are so many advantages of smartphone.
06:32It's the way how you harness the technology, how you use the technology.
06:37And my advice would be educating people about how to use a smartphone, how to use this technology.
06:45Using technology in an indisciplined way is also harmful.
06:49So my advice to parents is not to give telephone or give smartphones to children and kids, but only they
06:58must fix a time and they must also monitor what they are watching.
07:03Viewers, what is it that you must know then?
07:06Remember, technology, I feel, is very much like fire.
07:11A terrible master, but a good slave to have.
07:15Don't make yourself a slave to it.
07:18Make yourself its master in control of it.
07:22Use it to your advantage and never let it make you dependent and sick eventually.
07:29That perhaps should be the way forward.
07:32Air pollution is no longer seen as just a threat to the lungs and heart.
07:37It is increasingly being linked to the brain.
07:41In a growing body of research, scientists are finding the long-term exposure to polluted air may significantly raise the
07:48risk of dementia and accelerate cognitive decline.
07:52The WHO has flagged this off.
07:54Tiny airborne particles, toxic gases are believed to trigger chronic inflammation, oxidative stress and damage to blood vessels, potentially affecting
08:03brain health over time.
08:06This report explores.
08:08Air pollution is not just hurting your lungs.
08:12It may also be affecting your brains.
08:15We all know that polluted air can cause breathing problems.
08:19But health experts warn that long-term exposure to air pollution may also be linked to cognitive decline and risk
08:27of dementia.
08:28Dementia is a condition caused by brain diseases and affects memory, thinking and ability to function.
08:36More than 57 million people live with dementia worldwide and nearly 10 million people get newly diagnosed every single year.
08:45Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia and is estimated to account for 60-70% of cases.
08:52India is facing a growing dementia burden with an estimated 8.8 million people aged 60 and above living with
09:02this condition.
09:03Health experts warn the figure could double by 2036, driven by an ageing population and increasing exposure to air pollution.
09:13The World Health Organization and recent studies have highlighted pollution as a major risk factor,
09:19raising concerns over the country's preparedness to tackle the rising public health challenge.
09:26Dementia is the seventh leading cause of death and a major cause of disability globally.
09:33So I asked the doctor, how does that really happen?
09:37Doctor, what is the link between pollution and dementia?
09:41When we inhale bad air through our lungs, it crosses the lung and goes into our blood circulation.
09:48And through this blood circulation, it reaches to our brain, where these pollutants lead to an inflammatory response
09:56and release of what we scientifically call as oxygen-free radicals, which leads to oxidative stress or in simple words,
10:05inflammation in the brain.
10:07Another mechanism is these pollutants can directly travel through our nose via the olfactory nerve,
10:14which leads directly to the brain and they again cause inflammation in the brain, which eventually leads to dementia.
10:23But does air pollution mean everyone will eventually develop some sort of cognitive disorder, some sort of dementia?
10:30A certain group of population or a large proportion of our population is actually exposed to this worsening air quality
10:37index
10:38and they are day in and day out breathing in these pollutants for a longer period of time throughout the
10:45year or at least six months in a year.
10:47So the total population who is now vulnerable and at increased risk of dementia is definitely increasing.
10:54What can we do to protect our brain because we don't really do anything consciously for our brain health, isn't
11:01it?
11:01We need to follow an active lifestyle.
11:04We need to continuously keep our brain busy, either in the form of physical as well as mental activities.
11:12A simple thing as solving a Sudoku puzzle every day helps keep our brain cells active.
11:17Regular exercise in the form of 30 minutes of moderate exercise each day helps keeping a good cardiovascular health.
11:26Up to 45% of dementia risk could be prevented or delayed, the WHO has said.
11:33The World Health Organization has updated its dementia risk reduction guidelines as well
11:38for the first time in seven years, identifying 20 modifiable risk factors for this disease.
11:47A lot of which is under our control.
11:51So what is it that you need to know and what does this really mean for you?
11:55Well, certainly cut down the factors that you now know can increase the risk of dementia.
12:01Air pollution is something that needs collective effort, obviously.
12:05But modifiable factors like hearing loss is something that should be checked at an early stage in life.
12:12Adoption of a clean lifestyle will only reap benefits.
12:16The world's first IVF baby was born in the year 1978 on the 25th of July.
12:24And that is why every year 25th of July is marked as World IVF Day.
12:30Let's tell you about some fun facts associated with IVF.
12:34More than 12 million babies worldwide have been born through IVF since the first successful treatment.
12:41Embryos can be safely frozen for years together and still result in healthy pregnancies when transferred later.
12:51IVF viewers stands for in vitro fertilization, which literally means fertilization inside a glass.
12:59So what is it that you must know before going in for this procedure?
13:03We asked our experts the most frequently asked questions here.
13:09I begin by asking our doctors on fertility challenges after 35.
13:15Doctor, what should couples really need to know before considering IVF?
13:21So what happens after 35 years of age is that the egg quality in the woman and the number of
13:26eggs, it declines very rapidly after 35 years of age.
13:30So if the lady has been trying for conception and she is undergoing unprotected intercourse for about 6 months after
13:3935 years of age,
13:41she should definitely go and see the fertility specialist.
13:44And after 40, immediately without waiting for any more period.
13:48And this actually after 35 years of age, because the egg quality and the number of the eggs, it goes
13:54down.
13:55It causes the natural conception also difficult.
13:58And also there are chances of miscarriage and the chromosomal abnormalities.
14:03Talking about endometriosis, doctor, I want to ask you, why is it diagnosed so late in women?
14:09These patients, when they come and complain, we routinely write, you know, physician will just prescribe an ultrasound.
14:15And more often than not, whenever the endometriosis is in its initial stages,
14:20the ultrasound will not be able to pick up these fine, subtle signs.
14:25And that is why the ultrasound, when it seems normal, then the patient is told that you do not have
14:30anything.
14:30So you just continue with routine painkillers.
14:33Doctor, often it is said that you have to ensure bed rest after embryo transfer and that improves success rates.
14:42Is there any truth to it?
14:43No, prolonged bed rest after embryo transfer does not improve the chances of pregnancy.
14:49Actually, there has been many scientific studies which have shown that the women who get up and go for regular
14:56work,
14:57their normal movements, normal routine work, and the women who were at complete rest,
15:02they had the similar success rates.
15:04So the embryo doesn't fall down if the woman walks, if the woman stands or coughs or uses washroom.
15:12Because uterus is a closed cavity which is protected, the embryo doesn't fall down.
15:18So woman is allowed to move around after a brief rest at the clinic after embryo transfer.
15:25She can resume her duties and all.
15:27What could be the possible early signs and symptoms of endometriosis that every woman should not ignore?
15:33She should know about it.
15:34When menstrual cramps are not normal, they have severe unbearable pain which incapacitates her to do her daily activities.
15:42We call it severe dysmenorrhea.
15:44She has pain while passing urine, dysuria.
15:46She has pain while passing stool, dyschisia.
15:49She has endobelid.
15:51We call it the dreaded endobelid.
15:53She always has a sense of bloating, indigestion.
15:56She has severe fatigue.
15:58And if the patient is also complaining of mid-menstrual pain, that is, she has pain in the mid of
16:05her cycle,
16:06then also it hints towards endometriosis.
16:09Many people say that if you are stressed, then IVF is something that will never work for you.
16:15Does stress alone cause IVF to fail?
16:18IVF stress causes the cortisol built up in the body and that will cause a lot of bad hormones developing
16:26in the body
16:27that will adversely affect the implantation of the embryo and the IVF can fail.
16:34Often we've seen endometriosis and thankfully, doctor, there is so much conversation around it.
16:39It is said that it causes infertility.
16:41So is IVF the only way forward for people, for women with endometriosis?
16:47Because recently, like I said, actors like Shamita Shetty has spoken about it and so I have other celebrities.
16:52We all should know that there are around 40 to 50 million women in India currently who suffer from endometriosis.
16:59And in the whole world, around one in every nine women suffers from endometriosis.
17:04So in 50 million people, imagine out of the 50% of the percent of the females who suffer from
17:11infertility are due to endometriosis.
17:14This is the volume to the extent to which endometriosis can cause infertility.
17:20Why do they suffer from infertility?
17:22Because in endometriosis, the normal architecture of the fallopian tubes, the uterus, the ovaries is distorted.
17:29How important is a clean lifestyle for IVF, doctor?
17:33The role of healthy eating, sleep and clean habits is really a martyr, isn't it, in success rates for IVF?
17:40This definitely affects the women's eggs, the sperm's quality, the embryo quality and the uterine health and everything else.
17:47So both the partners should stop smoking, tobacco, alcohol or if they are on any kind of recreational drugs or
17:55anything, they should stop.
17:56Balanced diet is very important, which should have adequate protein, vegetables, fruits and grains, nuts and natural fats.
18:04This is very, very important.
18:06They should take this thing and moreover, healthy weight maintenance is very important.
18:11So doctor, what do fertility experts want couples to know before they conceive?
18:17What are the misconceptions that need to be cleared?
18:19The first and most important thing the couple should be aware of, their probability of conceiving by any sort of
18:28treatment, whether it is medical, surgical or IVF.
18:32So generally, for that information, the clinician will make or should make a probable diagnosis to the maximum accuracy and
18:43we communicate to the patient and the patient should carefully listen to those diagnosis and their probabilities.
18:49And they should be aware that the age is the most important determinant of IVF success with regard to the
18:57female partner is concerned.
18:59So lots of common problems that many people deal with, but there are just so many misconceptions around it.
19:05For example, constant leg pain, blockage of arteries and varicose veins.
19:11So we got our experts to ask them these commonly asked questions.
19:16So doctor, I'm going to begin by asking you, a heart problem is the only reason arteries get blocked is
19:24what many people say.
19:26I also understand this is not the truth really.
19:29What does blockage in legs and kidneys lead to, doctor?
19:33So it all occurs because of the blockage of the arteries in the leg.
19:38And secondly, if it occurs into the kidney, so in kidneys, the patient will have a complaint of hypertension as
19:48an increased BP, which will not be controlled even by the medications.
19:52So those patients need to be treated very carefully and you should always consult when you have having this arteries
19:59blockage system through the body to an interventional urology.
20:02Many people think that varicose veins are just a cosmetic issue.
20:06They need to be fixed because it is an eyesore.
20:10It doesn't look good.
20:11But the fact is, doctor, there are many problems associated with it, isn't it?
20:15It leads to lots of problems in general lifestyle and living, isn't it?
20:19That is absolutely true.
20:22What you have said, like it is not just a cosmetic problem.
20:25The patient can have heaviness, swelling, pain in the legs.
20:29Okay.
20:29And if it is not treated on time, the patient will have a debilitating life throughout the patient's life.
20:36The reason being, if you get it treated early, it is very easy treatment, nothing, no pain.
20:44And you can go home same day and no cuts, no scars, very easy to treat.
20:50I've heard this often that a biopsy makes cancer spread.
20:54This is a completely misguided piece of news out there, isn't it?
20:59A lot of patients come to me like, does biopsy spread cancer?
21:03It's absolutely no.
21:05The biopsy doesn't spread cancer at all.
21:07We have been doing cancer biopsy from the last 15 years.
21:11We haven't seen a patient who had come and said to us that the cancer has spread because
21:18of the biopsy.
21:19It is absolutely safe procedure.
21:21And you should never be scared of getting the biopsy done by an interventional diologist
21:27for any diagnosis, whether it's a tumor or whether it's an infection.
21:31Doctor, many patients don't want to go in for procedures that require radiation.
21:36The belief is that it stays inside the body and harms us.
21:41I understand that diagnostic x-rays do not really leave radiation behind in the body, isn't it?
21:49The radiation which emits from the machine, it instantly leaves your body.
21:53And in fact, when you come out of that procedure, it doesn't even harm to the people surrounding you.
22:00Cautious, when the nuclear physicist injects any or gives you any radiotracer medicine,
22:07those are the things which leaves the radiation from your body and might harm the others also surrounding you.
22:13So those kind of radiotracers you should be wearing.
22:17Otherwise, fluoroscopy, CT and x-ray are absolutely safe.
22:21Safe radiation.
22:22It doesn't harm any anymore.
22:25Talking about common problems, hernias and appendicitis.
22:28We all know folks in our circles who've had to deal with these health problems,
22:32but there are lots of misconceptions around it.
22:35So I'm going to begin by asking our doctors today about that small lump that we see.
22:40It could be hernia.
22:42What exactly is it, doctor?
22:44Honia is basically a small swelling that is felt around the groin region or around the belly button.
22:52And it's mostly reducible, a soft swelling.
22:55And it is primarily because of the defect or a hole in the muscular layer of the abdomen.
23:01So it's mostly a reducible swelling, a soft swelling.
23:05And it is very common in people, you know, who have chronic cough, chronic constipation.
23:14And it's basically the outpouching of the small intestine or the large intestine.
23:18Many people say that heavy lifting is the only cause of a hernia.
23:22And a hernia will heal on its own if it doesn't really hurt.
23:26Isn't this worrisome?
23:29So improper weight lifting is definitely one of the causes for hernia to develop.
23:34But it's not the only cause.
23:36As I said, hernia can be seen in patients who have chronic...
23:40Any patient who has sustained reasons for sustained increase in intra-abdominal pressure,
23:46primarily chronic cough or constipation, or sometimes people...
23:51Some patients are born with hernia.
23:53That's called congenital hernia.
23:54Improper weight lifting, recurrent surgeries, recurrent pregnancy.
23:58They all may cause a hernia.
24:00And some patients also have intrinsic muscular wall weakness.
24:04Doctors, we've seen patients with appendicitis.
24:08And things go completely awry if it is not dealt with at the right time.
24:14Why is the surgery so time sensitive here when it comes to appendicitis?
24:19Tell us what really is appendicitis.
24:22Appendix is basically a small tubular organ.
24:25Or mainly seen in the right lower quadrant of the abdomen.
24:28Mainly present in the right lower quadrant of the abdomen.
24:31And sometimes the appendix gets filled with pus or it has a lot of swelling in it.
24:36And that swelling may lead to the rupture of the walls.
24:39And if that happens, then there is spillage of stool or infected fluid or pus inside the abdomen or inside
24:50the peritoneal cavity.
24:51And that's a life-threatening condition.
24:52It's called peritonitis.
24:54And peritonitis is a life-threatening condition.
24:56So to avoid patients getting into that complication, timely surgery is advised.
25:02This, doctor, I've heard something very often is that eating seeds causes appendicitis.
25:09Is there any truth to it?
25:10It's a common myth, but it's not that any seeded fruit or seeded vegetable is not responsible for appendicitis.
25:20Whenever there's appendicitis, it is primarily because a small stool or what we call fecalate or appendiculate or a calcified
25:31form of stool that gets stuck in the appendix.
25:34And that primarily leads to appendicitis.
25:36Well, that report brings us to the end of this edition of Health360.
25:40You can catch all of that and much more up on our website.
25:43It's indiatoday.in.
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26:00Until next time, take very good care of yourself.
26:02Bye for now.
26:06Bye.
26:08Bye.
26:12Bye.
26:14Bye.
26:15Bye.
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