After many years of no AF, it has restarted and one trigger I have identified is sitting in front of my Apple Mac.
I am hoping someone out there knows of a screen of some sort that blocks the rays being emitted 🤞🙏🏻. either on the computer or on me!
Urgently needed as I can't work comfortably and I enjoy it too much, probably with that and entertainment reasons I have spent too long in front of a computer over the last couple of years plus being complacent on some lifestyle issues and now paying the price 😩
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secondtry
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You used to be able to buy screens to put in front of the computer screen, not sure how affective they were or if they even exist still.
Other than that you could try a grounding mat? Where you around on the forum when we had big discussions on EMF and grounding? Much cheaper way of doing the same thing is get up and walk around in bare feet on concrete, grass or sand every hour or so.
Are you sure it’s the computer itself and not sitting with poor posture?
might it help if you stand and use the computer on a high surface? Sitting at my Apple Mac I easily find I get hunched over and this isn’t good . Standing also limits how long you spend on it!
Hi secondary , i have followed you on this channel since i was diagnosed with af two years ago as i am on flecanide the same as you , albeit a smaller dose at the moment than yourself and listened to your advice on lifestyle changes which i agree play a big part in the triggers for sure...i cant comment on the computer screen problem your having as indont even own a lap top at home or use one at work...but the complacency part you mentioned i can relate to that for sure , i think your spot on with that .. ive been af free for two years on 25mg flec twice a day but had a can of coke a while back and while i didnt have an af episode as such ,my heart rate did speed up a bit which reminded me about cola being a trigger...its easy to become complacent when everything is going ok isn't it..oh well I hope it all settles down again for you , and you can carry on staying af free for another large number of years..all the best andyb
Posture may not help , but in this case standing to work may make things worse especially if your AF is also triggered by changes in blood pressure on standing or you have poor circulation which can happen to people whom have spent a lot of time at a desk or in a sedentary job.Using a chair that gives good posture , keeping legs raised on a stool at the right height, not leaning forward or hunching over and taking 5-10 minutes each hour away from a seated position , to stretch and stroll about and be physically active, preferably in fresh air could make a big difference.
A screen or a mat is unlikely to be of help because an Apple , as Bob says, doesn't have emittance issues of that sort.
The only way a screen could help is if you have an issue with the light or flickering from the screen and suffer with photophobia ( light sensitivity) or you have eye issues. In that case a change in the screen brightness and colour could help or the use of colour tone glasses may be effective.
Keep well hydrated and maybe even consider whether you eyes are becoming dry , as we are prone to blink a third less than our eyes require when we concentrate closely on screens and dry eyes can also cause changes in brain responses and tiredness which are autonomic triggers for some cardiac conditions too.
Changes in vision or the need for a change in prescription for glasses can often be a trigger for palpitations when using light emitting devices and aFib could also flare because of that type of visual overstimulation.
If you're eyes are ok though , you may not want to hear it, but you may find that it's actually visual and brain overstimulation to screen use and long periods of sitting still affecting your autonomic nervous system responses and you may just be like many of us and need to limit screen time. Only using it for short essential periods or if it is part of your work taking 15-20 minutes away from the screen each hour and not using screens in your free time.
Thank you, much appreciated! You made a lot of potentially important points for me eg poor circulation, too much screen time, brain overstimulation...time for a step change in business & leisure computer use, 🤞it works. I will report back in due course.
You make some really good points. Ever since my cataract surgery which was in Sept of last year, I have been on the miserable side. I also still need glasses to further correct my vision. Hard to explain but it seems I am always straining to see something either far away or close even with glasses and I often have dry eye so bad it hurts, I have drops that help. I am annoyed about 60% of the time. On top of that I did grow the second cataract that is talked about immediately and the surgeon told me on my last visit, "you see good enough" which totally angered me, that he didn't see them. My regular eye doctor caught it right away and I went to a different surgeon to get the Laser surgery to clear out the second cataract which made a huge difference but I still need glasses for distance and close. Some people do but it seems I still don't see all that well. thank s for listening.
Peacefulneedshelp - Try these eyedrops. A friend and I both use them. She complained of dry eye a lot, but it's gone since using these drops.
5 X Ayurvedic Herbal Eye Drops Natural Allergies 10ml by ITON
I get from Amazon. Came directly from India. My eyes feel better and my cataracts seem to be less intrusive on my vision. Someday I will need the surgery, but not for a while yet. Knocks on wood...
Yes, you can buy screens, I cant tell you where but probably from a place that sells computers, even Apple may do one. Plus you can get glasses, have a word with an optician who can advise you on this. Good luck x
Hi I work on a computer six hours a day. I find the lack of movement triggers my AF. I try to move around at least five minutes for every 30 minutes on the computer. It’s not the screen as I’m totally blind so the screen has no effect on me whatsoever, probably the same with you , try to get up. I do squats bend eggs touch the tolls that sort of thing every five minutes or so at least every half an hour if it doesn’t stop AF at least stop the joints from stiffening
Hi secondtry, As has been noted modern computers don't have cathode ray tubes (which weren't really a problem either). My instant thought was posture, one option might be to buy a different screen to plug in, or a laptop stand so you can raise the screen higher and use a plug in keyboard. These things are worth trying anyway. In all cases computer screens should be at eye level so that you are not tipping your head down to them.
Even if it doesn't affect the AF you should find it more comfortable anyway. if you were in an office using a desktop pc the screen would be set up like this. All the best
In the unlikely event that the screen is the cause, I guess it will be caused by its refresh rate and the way the images shimmer slightly. There is some information online about this. More likely is the possibility of a mechanical effect from the seating position and the interaction with the screen content. Leaning forward in my case can bring on ectopic beats and these can set off AF in prone individuals.
Hallo Secondtry. My AF is mostly triggered by straightening up after having been sitting bent over at the computer for a while. I’m sure it’s postural. I lt doesn’t happen when I’ve been sitting upright at the pc, only when I’ve been bent over typing. I don’t have the same problem on other gadgets and I am on gadget a lot. My osteopath says how I sit bent over foreshortens the front rib cage muscles so restricting blood flow to the heart. He connects it to specific ribs which affect the heart
Working on the computer is one of my triggers for AF. Not during the day so much but in the evening when the ambient light is dark and the screen is bright. What I put it down to is being close to the screen. My desktop screen is about the same size as my TV yet I would never sit so close to the TV as I do to the desktop. I don't work on my computer in the evening for these reasons. One way foward might be to see if you can link up your computer to your TV - I can do that via an HDMI cable. Then you could sit at a reasonable distance.
hey there that’s not good… I’ve been good on low dose Flecainide for a few months and have just spent 2 days on my IMac and getting ectopics, to me it’s not the computer it’s the stress I’m creating working on it. Writing up an objection to my Land Tax going up 75% in 2 years and yes I’m fired up. So I went for a long walk came back and no ectopics while I’m looking at Greek Island holidays on the IMac. For the last hour. I agree with one of the other comments that posture plays a big part.
Take some deep breaths remind yourself of your own good advice you’ve given others. Do some brisk walks during the day to break up the time in front of screen and keep well hydrated
Thanks stress is a contributor. I put my hands up I haver been too focussed through the computer on business (v enjoyable reaching national influence in my v small field), health, international politics (crazy!) and entertainment. So here comes a complete change.....will report back after a few months silence. Stay well yourself.
I’ll do my best but sometimes I’m a stress magnet! 😊 for the time being I’m following your path and trying the low dose Flecainide to keep me in Sinus and hopefully keep my heart structure sound at least until ablation outcome's improve. Looking at the rapid advancements by Abbott and Medtronic in terms of PFA devices and their accuracy I think outcomes will improve
I have long thought that emf may be causing af, what we cant see we dont usually blame, i would think the prevalence of af has increased in line with computer and phone use , how do we escape it though with wifi everywhere, at home , smart phones wifi hotspots etc.
I have been a computer technician since 1978 and am still working. All computers and most electronics emit EMF that most don't think about. It's unknown how much these emissions affect us. Much like smoking, some can go years without issues (George Burns 105!), others get lung cancer much younger. I have an EMF detector and it's amazing how much is given off from computer devices and BOY the microwave. I make sue I am at least 10 feet from it (as measured by the meter) while it's running.
I like the grounding idea others have mentioned. Short of being behind lead impregnated glass, I do not believe there is much you can do. An aside, the man who photographed the early disney pumpkin growing scenes used for movies like Cinderella earned an honorary degree from a university due to his expertise in lighting. He later designed lighting for various businesses so folks would have better lighting. He put his TV's from back in the day due to the X-ray emissions of the CRT in lead lined box and had the picture bounce of two lead impregnated mirrors to reduce/eliminate the affects.
Blown away by all the helpful replies from you generous people.
FORGOT TO MENTION another caveat when working on your computer, make sure you are not like me who tends to hold their breath when concentrating on typing an important email 🤔🤔🤔 Breathe normally!
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