It Wakes in Me
Kathleen O'Neal Gear
This was apparently the 5th book in a series. Now I'll have to go back & read the ones that came before. I have read several of this authors work...The people series. she takes your mind to places way in the past & make you feel what it might have been like.
Don't overdo it! Play it safe and know the guidelines to healthy gaming.
This guide is designed to help you be comfortable while using your Xbox to play video games. It may also help you reduce your risk of experiencing painful and disabling injuries or disorders described in the following Health Warning.
Use of game controllers, keyboards, mice, or other electronic input devices may be linked to serious injuries or disorders.
When playing video games, as with many activities, you may experience occasional discomfort in your hands, arms, shoulders, neck, or other parts of your body. However, if you experience symptoms such as persistent or recurring discomfort, pain, throbbing, aching, tingling, numbness, burning sensation, or stiffness, DO NOT IGNORE THESE WARNING SIGNS. PROMPTLY SEE A QUALIFIED HEALTH PROFESSIONAL, even if symptoms occur when you are not playing a video game. Symptoms such as these can be associated with painful and sometimes permanently disabling injuries or disorders of the nerves, muscles, tendons, blood vessels, and other parts of the body. These musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) include carpal tunnel syndrome, tendonitis, tenosynovitis, vibration syndromes, and other conditions.
While researchers are not yet able to answer many questions about MSDs, there is general agreement that many factors may be linked to their occurrence, including: medical and physical conditions, stress and how one copes with it, overall health, and how a person positions and uses their body during work and other activities (including playing a video game). Some studies suggest that the amount of time a person performs an activity may also be a factor.
Some guidelines that may help you work and play more comfortably and possibly reduce your risk of experiencing an MSD can be found in the following sections of this Guide. These guidelines address topics such as:
If you have questions about how your own lifestyle, activities, or medical or physical condition may be related to MSDs, see a qualified health professional.
For information about arranging your gaming area and developing habits that may help to reduce your risk of experiencing an MSD, read this "Healthy Xbox Gaming Guide." Because there are a variety of factors that may contribute to MSDs, this guide cannot provide everything you need to know to prevent an MSD or reduce your risk of experiencing one. For some people, following the suggestions may reduce their risk of experiencing an MSD. For others, it may not. However, many people are likely to experience greater comfort when following these suggestions. Keep in mind that this guide is not a substitute for the advice of a qualified health professional. If you have questions about how your own lifestyle, activities, or medical or physical condition may be related to MSDs, see a qualified health professional.
Photosensitive Seizures
A very small percentage of people may experience a seizure when exposed to certain visual images, including flashing lights or patterns that may appear in video games. Even people who have no history of seizures or epilepsy may have an undiagnosed condition that can cause these "photosensitive epileptic seizures" while watching video games.
These seizures may have a variety of symptoms, including lightheadedness, altered vision, eye or face twitching, jerking or shaking of arms or legs, disorientation, confusion, or momentary loss of awareness. Seizures may also cause loss of consciousness or convulsions that can lead to injury from falling down or striking nearby objects.
Immediately stop playing and consult a doctor if you experience any of these symptoms. Parents should watch for or ask their children about the above symptoms—children and teenagers are more likely than adults to experience these seizures. The risk of photosensitive epileptic seizures may be reduced by taking the following precautions:
If you or any of your relatives have a history of seizures or epilepsy, consult a doctor before playing.
Using your body in comfortable, not awkward, postures is important, whether you're working or playing. Not only can this affect your overall performance, but also it can influence how comfortable you are while playing video games and may help you avoid MSDs. Keep in mind that changing your posture during extended gaming sessions may also help you avoid discomfort and fatigue.
When playing video games, adapt your surroundings and arrange your equipment to promote a comfortable and relaxed body posture. Because everyone has a unique body size and since many factors affect your comfort, we cannot tell you exactly how to set up your area to avoid discomfort; however, the following suggestions may help to provide you with a more comfortable environment. To support your back, consider the following:
To promote comfortable leg postures, consider the following:
To promote comfortable shoulder and arm postures, consider the following:
To promote proper wrist and finger postures, consider the following:
To minimize neck bending and twisting, consider the following:
To minimize eyestrain, consider the following:
Physical forces continuously interact with our bodies. We may only think of high-impact forces, such as car crashes, as injuring our bodies. However, low forces may also result in injuries, discomfort, and fatigue if they are repeated or experienced over long periods of time. Consider the following types of low forces:
Consider the following suggestions to reduce the effects of low forces on your body:
Taking breaks can go a long way in helping your body recover from any activity and may help you avoid MSDs. The length and frequency of breaks that are right for you depend on the type of activity you are doing. Stopping the activity and relaxing is one way to take a break, but there are other ways, also. These include:
A healthy lifestyle can help you perform and enjoy your everyday activities, including the time spent playing video games. For overall good health, consider the following:
Today was so nice! The flowers are blooming again. I can't always wrap my head around all this beauty I have right out my back door.
