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It’s no secret that gambling and betting have become a crucial element of the worldwide entertainment industry in the last few decades. Every day, more and more people are interested in casino games – it’s a simple and inexpensive way to enjoy your leisure time, but if staying within limits. It’s because gambling can quickly grow into addiction without the player noticing it.
According to the 2017 study by Browne, and then this was confirmed by the University of Sydney, playing online pokies or other casino games is considered a safe and unharmful recreation activity. However, some people involved in it can face serious consequences. These may include financial problems, decreased work productivity, emotional breakdown, and poorer health.
People can spend their entire time staying in their room playing casino games, continuously staring at the screen. Such behavior and lifestyle can quickly “awaken” countless health problems. And if not prevented on time, they can sooner become a reason for more severe issues.
So, in this article, we will explore all the significant health challenges caused by gambling activities and point out effective ways to prevent them. Let’s get started.
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#1 Back Problems
If you have ever played online, you know that you will need a smartphone, tablet, or PC to engage in your beloved games. It’s not like brick-and-mortar gambling establishments where you are playing in the real world, with real people, without staying in the same spot in the room and continually looking at the screen.
Because of this, people either have to sit or stand near their devices. Sitting or standing for an extended period can slowly damage the body posture. This, in turn, brings back pains and aches.
To prevent or avoid such problems, mapping your gameplay and controlling resting times can be an efficient solution. Take frequent breaks, sit in a “healthy” posture, and if you start experiencing back pains, stop playing for a while and do physical exercises to relax your body.
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#2 Sore Fingers and Hands
As we have already mentioned, engaging in online gambling requires constant monitoring, tapping with the help of fingers, and movement of hands. Such practices can result in a variety of severe effects on your hands.
The cause is that in such cases, only a selected part of the body continuously moves while the rest sits or stands still. But for the complete circulation of blood, the human body needs synchronous movement.
If not taking good care of this issue, online players can get sore fingers and hands, which can become a source of more severe health problems in the future.
To avoid such scenarios, gamblers can regularly perform the full-body exercise. Soaking your hands in ice-cold water will also be helpful to get some relief.
#3 Eyesight Problems
Like any other activity and job related to continuously staring at the screen, gambling for hours through phones or PCs can damage eyesight. These screens discharge some harmful rays that can cause eyesight problems.
If you want to prevent such issues, you can try to wear UV-protection sunglasses. Other efficient ways to reduce the harm include using the eye protection feature on your device, taking frequent naps and breaks, doing eye exercises occasionally, and decreasing the time you spend on your computer or phone.
Rinsing your eyes with cold water or using special eye drops by doctor’s instructions can also help cool down the burning sensation of your eyes.
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#4 Respiratory, Cough, and Liver Problems
A great part of long-term gamblers tend to be addicted to drinking or smoking. They like to have drinks or cigarettes in every tense situation. And as you know, regular drinking or smoking can severely hurt our bodies and mental health. In addition, in more serious cases, there is also a huge risk of heart failure.
To eliminate such unpleasant consequences, it’s better to change your life habits. Try to slowly reduce the number of cigarettes and the amount of drinks you take every day. If the problem has already gotten out of your hands, get help from professional doctors.
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#5 Headaches and Migraine
If combined, all the health problems mentioned above can damage the brain severely, resulting in regular migraines and headaches.
Not to let things come to this dangerous point, taking precautions on time and following your health condition is essential.
Some Final Notes
No matter how fun and entertaining online gambling can seem to you, if it starts to “hit” your health, you better stop engaging in such activities. As you know, there is nothing more important than one’s health.
So, even if you gamble, do it responsibly, follow all health precautions, take frequent breaks, and keep your body and mind healthy all the time.
