Much has been said about monitoring screen time and restricting smartphone usage to the minimum. However, the judicious use of mobile phones is associated with incredible convenience and several benefits. Besides ensuring hassle-free communication, they facilitate essential daily activities, from shopping to entertainment and on-the-go research. Consequently, life without mobiles is impossible to fathom. That said, you must follow a few healthy phone habits to make the best of your gadget.

Set reminders to perform healthy daily habits
You can use your smartphone to remind yourself to perform the essential tasks that are easy to miss on busy workdays. For example, you may set reminders to drink water at fixed intervals, apply sunscreen in the mornings, take breaks from work to walk about and stretch, or have meals on time. Such habits can help you establish a healthy routine and allocate time for personal well-being.

Track screen time
Mobile phones now have software that help you track how much time you spend with your gadgets. You can even track how much time you spend on individual apps. Moreover, apps like Facebook and Instagram have settings that let you lock them automatically after browsing them for a fixed period each day. Such settings prevent phone overuse while ensuring you enjoy the gadget’s benefits and features.

Use fitness apps
Today, there is an influx of fitness apps with built-in features that help you with everything, from calorie counting and meal planning to setting an exercise routine and getting started with different workouts. Such apps help incorporate health and wellness activities into everyday life and prevent potential lifestyle diseases like cholesterol and heart problems.

Use apps for mental health and meditation
The importance of mental health and well-being cannot be emphasized enough. With increasing awareness of the need for good mental health, several apps have emerged to help individuals take a breather from their hectic schedules and follow essential mental practices. For example, several apps have guided meditation audio and mood trackers to help you boost your emotional and mental well-being. Such apps can also ensure better sleep and lower stress levels.

Integrate your smartwatch with your phone
Gone are the days when watches were used only to tell the time. Today, they help people track fitness parameters, such as their average daily number of steps, sleep duration and quality, and heart rate. Such features help you ensure optimal physical fitness and track abnormalities like irregular heartbeat, ensuring a doctor is promptly consulted in such cases.

Capture the little moments
Life is full of precious little moments, which most of us often overlook amid the hustle and bustle of daily life. The market has many smartphones with exceptional camera features and lenses, which you can use to capture these little moments, creating a vibrant album of precious memories. Indulging in nature photography, clicking pictures with family and friends, and capturing the places you visit (even the local ones) are just some ways to utilize the camera feature of your smartphone.

Video call loved ones regularly
Interacting with loved ones over the phone is not restricted to audio calls. FaceTime, Duo, and other apps have facilitated undisturbed video calling, bringing individuals from different corners of the world face-to-face. So, make connecting with family members and friends over video calls a part of your daily routine. Such calls can help you stay in touch with your loved ones far away, ensuring fruitful relationships.

Download brain games
Brain games have been shown to enhance cognitive function and reduce the risk of mental health conditions like dementia. Both Android and iOS users can download and play brain games like Sudoku, crossword puzzles, chess, and checkers. Many websites also offer innovative and fun brain games that broaden your horizons. It helps to use these resources on your phone to challenge yourself and boost your problem-solving capability.

Use the phone to manage your finances
Managing multiple bank accounts and tracking your transactions can be a hassle. The good news is that mobile phone users can now integrate their bank accounts using banking apps for easy monitoring. These apps can also help you carry out various financial activities, including payment transfers, credit-card bill payments, increasing card limits, activating card features, and electricity and phone bill payments. Online payment apps also offer gift vouchers, cashback, and several other perks, motivating you to continue using these apps.

Use note-taking apps effectively
Note-taking apps can prove helpful in carrying out several everyday tasks, such as preparing grocery and to-do lists and maintaining a diary. Specialized note-taking apps also have advanced features like adding pictures and videos to your notes, fostering creativity. Compare different note-taking apps and download the one you like. Nowadays, most phones come with a built-in note-taking app, so ensure you try that before downloading another option.

Besides incorporating these healthy phone habits into your routine, avoiding certain practices, such as using the phone just before sleeping and not using the “dark” mode while viewing the phone at night, is vital. While giving up such habits can be challenging in the initial phase, it proves incredibly beneficial in the long run.

Atopic dermatitis or eczema is a condition in which the skin gets itchy, with painful, red, swollen patches. It is observed that the illness commonly affects children and infants. However, it can develop at any age. It is common for a person to also have a history of asthma or hay fever along with skin rashes to diagnose eczema. Let us look at the causes, symptoms, and available treatment options for this illness.

Causes and triggers
There is little understanding of what causes this condition. However, research suggests that this illness is accompanied by other infections like hay fever and asthma. It is observed that eczema could also be an immune reaction to fight off allergies that could get worse.

There are some triggers that could worsen the condition:
Allergens: Environmental factors or allergies can trigger the symptoms of the disease. This includes cold or dry weather, dampness that could lead to infection and itching, pet fur, pollen, molds, or even dust mites.

Irritants: These include everyday products like soaps, shampoos, laundry detergents, or cleaning supplies. Most of these products have harsh chemicals that leave the skin dry, which can cause inflammation and itching. Bubble baths using harsh soaps can also trigger symptoms.

Food allergies: Some foods like soya, cow’s milk, peanuts, eggs, or even wheat can cause a reaction. It is best to know the foods to eat and avoid with the help of a health professional who makes a complete diagnosis to understand food allergies.

Fabrics: Certain cloth materials like wool or synthetic fibers can cause irritation and rash on the skin. Be sure to speak to a doctor to understand which type of cloth material can be worn.

Hormones: This is mainly for women during pregnancy or those close to their period cycle. The symptoms can worsen around this time, and strict management is needed to avoid complications.

Symptoms
The common symptoms are as follows:
Tiny blisters are formed, which have clear fluid
These blisters can even burst and turn into scabs over a period of time, making them painful
The skin gets dry, flaky, and itchy to the point that it is painful

Treatment options
There is no permanent cure for the disease, but some management options keep the symptoms at bay.

Applying repair moisturizers can be helpful as they keep the skin from getting dry, avoiding any scratching that can lead to painful scabs. One of the treatment options is using Opzelura as a topical cream for mild to moderate eczema. This is a short-term treatment plan for non-immunocompromised adults and children 12 years old or older.
Using vitamin D supplements and probiotics is also a way to manage the symptoms to a large extent.
Some patients need UV light therapy over the affected areas in case other treatment options are not working.
It is also advised to avoid the triggers mentioned above to ensure no flare-ups or irritation.