Smartwatches have a wide range of functions from telling time, playing games, receiving and responding to calls and messages to playing music. Also, smartwatches have usage extending to health monitoring such as step counts, sleep, and heart monitors.
Extensive use of smartwatches and exposure to cumulating bits of electromagnetic radiation, overheating and voltage irregularities are likely to cause the body health problems.
Smartwatches are designed in a way to prevent electrical contact with the user.
Unfortunately for humans, most technological products like phones, televisions, microwaves, fridges, and including smartwatches are not tested for Health and Safety before being released onto the market.
It takes user experiences and continuous studies and research to discover negative health implications as discussed in this article.
Possible Risks Of Smartwatches To The Body and Health
Overheating
Low cellular signal: Before taking calls or browsing the internet, it is important to check for a good cellular connection. More power is consumed by the smartwatch in trying to achieve better reception strengths leading to a considerable rise in temperature.
Unsupported applications: Installing mobile apps not optimized for smartwatches will lead to overheating. Always make sure the app installed is suitable for the smartwatch.
Background apps and updates: It has been found that background apps continuously use the processors, sensors and many more components of the smartwatch as well as wi-fi or cellular data which causes overheating.
Voltage irregularities
This might be a rare case scenario but the extensive use of smartwatches will require higher energy thereby a continuous change in the voltage. A loose connection might cause an electric shock from metal surfaces.
False Positive Health Results
It was studied that from December 2018 and April 2019, only 11% of patients who visited their doctors in Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, Florida, Arizona, Iowa and Wisconsin had a real medical problem after smartwatch diagnoses.
Do not panic or self-medicate when sensor results are bad. Always be sure or better still contact your physician.
Negative Health Effects From Radiations
Smartwatches operate on Bluetooth, Wi-Fi or cellular data connections. All of these connections are electromagnetic frequencies, EMF travelling a few feet for Bluetooth to several miles for cell data.
Some effects linked to electromagnetic frequencies exposure are Anxiety, depression, infertility, birth defects, sleep disruptions, miscarriage, brain tumour, thyroid cancer and many more.
SAR – Specific Absorption Rate measures how much radiation is absorbed by your body from your smartphone or smartwatch. For example, Apple watches have SAR values much lower than the standard 1.6 W/kg limit.
However, Apple states on the product, to keep the watch at least 10 mm away from your face. This can be given more attention because this is the same watch designed to be worn on the body.
Ways to Minimize Health Risks From Smartwatches
Minimize Usage
Due to accumulating little doses of EMF, it is advisable to minimize the usage of smartwatches. This is particularly directed to people who use smartwatches every day and even in their sleep.
When not necessary to track your sleep, take the watch off your wrist and keep some distance away from the continual dose of radiation. The simple act or habit of taking your watch off when not in use could go a long way to protect your health.
Turn On Airplane Mode
Offline apps such as time, alarm and calendar reminders will still work with no wireless connection. Turning on airplane mode will cut off all EMF exposures for as long as you do not need them.
Preferably, singly turn on Bluetooth, Wi-Fi or cellular connection for the specific need. Most of the time, you do not need all three wireless connections working simultaneously.
Always Stay Connected To Your Smartphone
Smartwatches begin to warm up when they lose connection to your smartphone. This forces smartwatches to use Wi-Fi or mobile data for any applications or update functions running.
Remove Protective Casing
Smartwatch covers are primarily for protecting smartwatches against falls, scratches, or damage. When answering calls, installing apps or updating software, take off smartwatch covers temporarily, if possible, to enable the loss of heat to the environment.
Smartwatches are still beneficial as biomedical monitoring devices to some people and also make life easier and more comfortable.
It is, however, important to be aware of how much radiation the body might be exposed to when extensively used or possibly burns from overloading and overheating the smartwatch.
In the end, we want to choose our good health over technology by using our smartwatch correctly.
