If you are a laptop user to support your daily work, surely you have intentionally or unintentionally moved the laptop from the table to your lap, for aching or other reasons. According to the myths circulating, putting laptop on your lap can endanger health. Is this true?
Danger of Putting Laptop on Lap
1. Causes Skin Irritation
A laptop that is warm on your thigh, turns out to cause more serious problems than you imagine.
A study in the journal Pediatrics examines the case of a 12-year-old child affected by a skin condition that turns brown, freckled and painful. The symptom classically called erythema abigne or baked skin syndrome, is caused by long-term use of a laptop lap placed on the thigh.
The study also shows 10 other cases that were reported, and there are likely many more that are not. So this is not a myth but a fact.
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2. Infertility
One cause that interferes with male fertility or also called infertility is the habit of putting a laptop on the thigh. The heat from the laptop flows entirely to the reproductive area. This commonly goes unnoticed, because it has become a habit for office workers who often struggle with laptops.
The testicular region where sperm is produced, which is located around the scrotum, is directly exposed to heat. Because the position and shape of the scrotum sticking out.
Certainly, it is very different if we compare to female reproductive organs in the form of eggs. The position of female reproductive organs is protected because the ovaries are deep inside. Women’s fertility will not be affected even though the heat from the laptop is placed on the thigh.
According to the report, the scrotum where men produce sperm cells is very sensitive to heat in any form, including the heat of a laptop machine. When placed on the lap, the temperature rises like air or hot water, so the male species is threatened to decrease its quality. Please note, if you put the laptop on your lap for an hour, the temperature in the thigh has increased by 2.7 degrees Celsius.
Killing Sperm
In fact, the male scrotum must always be in normal temperature. An increase in temperature of one degree Celsius alone has the potential to cause fertility problems in men. If you want a normal and good fertility, then keep the temperature around the scrotum and testicles.
Not only limited to the condition of a hot laptop, but also pay attention to the position of the foot. Whether the right and left legs are too tight in order to maintain the laptop perfectly lap.
This condition is also dangerous to affect the level of fertility. Because, if you combine the laptop with the position of the thighs, it will double the heat in the groin area.
Until now, the experts are still researching about the direct effects of laptop heat placed on the thighs for male fertility. Even so, there have been studies that explain that sperm concentration has decreased dramatically, which is about 40% after the temperature increased by one degree Celsius.
An article in the journal Human Reproduction in 2005 examined the relationship of laptop heat with reduced sperm count in men. It turns out that the heat from the laptop can warm male sperm until it is no longer active.
This condition is known as scrotal hyperthermia which has the potential to be a major problem. Especially because laptops are very popular among young men of productive age. This is a fact that you must be aware of. Do not put the laptop on your lap because it can affect your fertility.
3. Cancer
Another danger that can actually happen when someone uses a laptop on their lap is that it can cause cancer. The heat radiation from a laptop placed on the thigh can cause skin cancer.
The first thing that is affected is likely to be the skin on the thigh, which then spreads to other parts of the body. In addition to the possibility of causing cancer in the skin, the position of the laptop that is close to the genitals can also cause radiation from the heat of the laptop causing health problems in the genitals and also in men can cause the appearance of cancer in the testes.
A Swiss researcher, Drs. Andreas Arnold and Peter Itin from University Hospital Basel found that the danger of a hot laptop can cause skin damage in your lap, and may even develop into skin cancer.
The claim is also supported by dermatologist Anthony J. Mancini, who said that prolonged skin inflammation has the potential to increase the chance of squamous cell skin cancer, which is more aggressive than the more common forms of skin cancer.
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4. Back, Shoulder and Neck Problems
Another risk associated with laptops is back and neck pain due to poor posture.
Unconsciously, it’s not uncommon for you to bend too much when using a laptop on the floor, on a small table, or on your lap. This can cause back and neck problems.
In addition, shoulder problems can also arise due to carrying a laptop with an incorrect position. The use of a sling bag can burden one side of the shoulder that you use more often.
To protect your body, you should use a wide-strapped, high-strapped backpack specifically designed to carry a laptop. Children who are still growing up need to be especially careful not to carry heavy laptops without adequate protection.
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Solution of Placing Laptop on Lap
Now you know the great danger of placing laptop on your lap. However, there are still safer way to place laptop the same way as you placing it on your lap.
Here are the safer alternative:
1. Use Pillow on Your Lap
Whenever you feel like placing the laptop on your lap, take a pillow to avoid the direct contact to your lap. This will protect you from getting all the bad impact that has been listed above.
The thickness of the pillow is safe enough hold the bad transmission from the laptop and act as barrier.
2. Use Adjustable Stand Desk
Adjustable stand desk is a product that specifically designed for it flexibility of using laptop. You can adjust the height and angle accordingly, allowing you to place your laptop without contacting your lap.
You get it here for the lowest price available:
