Coronavirus (COVID-19) has been recently announced as a pandemic, affecting people globally. The infectious disease is “spreading very easily and sustainably between people” requiring us to actively prevent the further onset and distribution of the disease to protect ourselves. Across the world measures have been put in place to prevent the spread of infection, including self-isolating to avoid person-to-person contact and exposure airborne particles or surfaces which may be infected plus the increased practice of personal hygiene methods including washing hands, using >60% alcohol based sanitizers, not touching our face (esp. mouth, eyes and nose as these are ‘entry routes’ for the virus and other bacteria harming immunity) and wearing additional protective materials e.g. face masks. These precautions are recommended to all individuals, with emphasis to those with an increased risk although even those who are young and healthy are still required to practice social distancing, which is essentially minimizing contact with people and therefore limiting our exposure outside our homes for non-essential ventures. With consideration to the months of self-isolation and social distancing, it's only fair to expect consequences to our physical, mental and/or spiritual health and wellbeing.Statistics display that ~48-55% people are worried about physical health and ~22-33% mental health.
Additionally, COVID-19 has had an impact on our usual lifestyle including daily habits and behaviours. Statistics show that approximately 76-84% of people are staying at home, 23-46% are cleaning the house more, 64-82% are social distancing, 63-70% are avoiding public places, 15-67% are wearing protective face masks outside, 27-31% are working from home and 18-20% are exercising less. In recent months, statistics have highlighted that the sale of alcohol beverages have significantly inclined alongside an increase of tobacco smoking and consuming less healthy meals.
So how does this affect our health?
BONE:
Fundamental determinants of healthy bones may include a balanced lifestyle with regular physical activity and a healthy diet. Nutrients essential to support bone mass include calcium which is sourced through a healthy diet and vitamin D3 which is absorbed through sun exposure. During these difficult times of self-isolation, many of us are experiencing reduced sunlight exposure. Vitamin D plays many essential roles in bone health including bone mineralization, bone strength and density and produces calcium-regulating hormones, including Calcitriol which stimulates calcium absorption directly into the bones. Several factors such as smoking and excessive alcohol intake can also reduce bone mass, which in the long-term contributes towards the development of skeletal conditions i.e. osteoporosis.
MUSCLE:
Having reduced accessibility to exercise facilities such as gyms or trainers plus social restrictions has resulted with individuals having decreased levels in physical activity and poor eating habits, with many starting to feel unmotivated and sluggish. Getting back into or starting a new exercise routine could leave your muscles feeling painful, sore and/or stiff with a gradual increase in discomfort, referred to as Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). As many of us have had to succumb working from home, muscle pain, soreness and strains are common. The lack of ergonomic structure can contribute to poor posture when sitting in unsupportive furnishings causing complications such as back muscle pain, joint degeneration and other unfitting structural presentations. Work-related stress has been linked to muscular pain in the lower back and upper extremities. Stress causes muscle tension and when prolonged is associated with chronic muscle tension and atrophy of the shoulders, neck and head which may trigger the onset of tension-headaches and other stress-related musculoskeletal conditions. As mentioned, volumes of people reported concern for their mental health in COVID-19.
SKIN:
The increase in hygiene practices such as repetitive hand washing and sanitizing with alcohol based products can be linked to causing skin dryness, cracking, irritation and sensitivity. Frequent washing of hands and use of sanitizers have shown to trigger to flare-ups of eczema and psoriasis of the hands. More frequent household cleaning involves use of household cleaning products which can cause skin irritating conditions including contact dermatitis which can cause pain, swelling, itching and redness. A healthy amount of sunlight exposure has shown to support immunity and reduce eczema/psoriasis but unfortunately due to our given self-isolating circumstances, sunlight exposure has been limited. Other factors including stress, alcohol intake, smoking, an unhealthy diet and poor skincare routine all contribute to a poor skin appearance including redness, uneven tone, blemishes and rough texture.
Space Touch: LUNA
The perfect solution to support the maintenance of optimal bone, muscle and skin health during COVID-19 self-isolation is the Space touch LUNA Light-Emitting Diode (LED) technology which is a convenient at-home device that is easy to use, non-invasive and safe for use on body (muscle and bone). The Space Touch LUNA is a phototherapy device which offers 6 variations of light penetration including the scientifically proven medical technologies from infrared, green, amber, blue, ultraviolet and calcium wavelength settings. The LUNA device is unique on the market as it has a function of calcium supplementation light therapy, LED light bulbs plus Ultraviolet-B (UVB) rays which naturally occur from sunlight allowing the light to penetrate into the deepest layers of the skin to provide their effects. The LUNA device supports bone health including increased bone mineral density, treating conditions impaired by abnormal calcium metabolism such as osteoporosis and preventing cartilage disorders or joint pain. Additionally, LUNA also helps to reduce muscle pain, soreness and stiffness. LUNA also compliments the Space touch range of supplements to treat various skin disorders including eczema, psoriasis, uneven skin tone, rough skin texture, redness or rosacea, scarring and breakouts. Other advantages of the LUNA beneficial during COVID-19 is aiding with mood and sleep disorders and importantly, proven effects in killing bacteria which supports our healthy hygiene habits.
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