With winter here, television watchers can bask in the joy that comes with this season. We’ve been watching the commercials for months – amazing shows, new series and old favourites are all on their way back to a living room near you. But according to the American Heart Association, we need to watch with caution.
The American Heart Association Rapid Access Journal Report says the more TV we watch, the more likely we are to face major health risks, such as pulmonary embolism, a blood clot that typically starts when blood becomes more stagnant in places in your lower body and travels to the rest of your body.
“Without the specialized testing needed to diagnose it, it can be easily missed,” says Dr. Marla Shapiro, a medical expert.
The study shows that 70 percent of pulmonary embolism deaths stemmed from people who watched between 2.5 to 4.9 hours of TV daily. For each additional two hours of TV, the risk of death increased by 40 percent and for those who watched five or more hours of TV on a daily basis saw their risk of death more than double.
There are several risk factors that can increase the likelihood of pulmonary embolism. If you are obese, diabetic, a smoker, use hormones or have suffered from hypertension in the past, you need to be sure that you are as active as possible while in front of the screen. Some risk factors can be inherited, so setting up an appointment with your doctor to see what ‘invisible conditions’ you have is always a great idea.
Keep in mind, this isn’t just about television. It’s about screen time in general. If you spend eight hours a day at work in front of a computer, make sure you’re getting up and walking around in frequent intervals. Or if you spend hours playing video games on your smartphone, incorporate more activity into your daily life.
“It can be life-threatening,” says Shapiro. So be sure to keep your blood flowing, even while you’re binge-watching.
