Kaboutjie SA Mommy Blogs by Lynne Huysamen
The modern technology has made many advances in various spheres – in space exploration, in connecting people, in broadcasts and many more. An interesting new trend is the advances made in virtual reality. A decade back, the very idea of VR was astounding and things one could only dream of, yet now it is a reality.
VR started off slow, with minimalist environments and soothing audio to far more realistic settings. It essentially is a world of its own. VR has greatly changed great many things. It is now truly possible to experience a video game as if you are inside that world. These innovations have influenced several other spheres as well.
A very popular trend in the gaming community is social VR. The article by Real New World describes this rising trend perfectly. This growing trend is a fun new way to socialize and interact with new people and build new bonds. It is a far more enjoyable experience than traditional social media sites like Facebook and so on.
An area that has greatly benefitted from this is healthcare. The ways in which its improved is many.
- Training
Using VR, a student of the medical sciences can study an operation in much more detail than ever before. They can understand far more about surgeries, which can further be enhanced with explanations and diagrams. All these are not possible in a traditional set up, but with VR, they are all possible, and much more. It is increasingly being used as the prime method to train doctors and nurses.
- Physical Rehabilitation
VR is an innovative and a far more enjoyable way for patients to rehabilitate after a surgery. They could be made to raise their hands by engaging them in a game of catching balls in VR. It would require a much bigger arena if it was done traditionally, but with VR that need is not there.
- Coping with Pain
It has been proven by research that VR has actually helped in reducing pain. It helps in dulling senses that helps reducing pain in the patient. So, it has been considered as an alternative for reducing pain during surgeries and as a way for coping with pain.
- Treating Phobias
An interesting application of VR is in helping patients coping with their irrational fears or phobias. For instance, those with fear of heights, may gradually, be put into a simulation of a tower and taught to relax in such situations. So, they learn to cope with their fears even without going to a tower physically.
- Awareness
The application of VR has done a great deal in increasing awareness about illnesses. For instance, through VR, people get a greater understanding of those who are suffering from schizophrenia or those having low vision. Similarly, it is used to recreate social situations in which an autistic individual is placed and so on. It is a very novel application of VR.
- Diagnosis
Just as VR can help in training the students by recreating surgical situations and so on, it can also help in explaining the process to the patients and make them more aware. Similarly, using other devices, it can help in re-creating a more detailed diagnosis of the patient and so discussing them with other doctors and get a better understanding of the problem.
- Surgery
VR can help in enhancing surgeries and are especially helpful in surgeries requiring more precision and are more delicate, as explained by a study. It offers a much more enhanced view, which makes it easier for the doctors to know where the source lies and so on. Similarly, the idea of using mechanics is also being considered.
- Relaxation
As mentioned earlier, VR can help in dulling senses. Similarly, they can recreate calm and soothing environments which can greatly help in the patient being calm and relaxed. It plays a very crucial role both during surgeries and also in rehabilitation of the patient.
Technology has led us to places that we could only dream of. If utilized rightly, it could take us so much further. There is still so much to be understood about ourselves that technology can greatly help in. Even VR itself has ways to go and could lead to great many more applications. It is undoubtedly a sphere that should be invested in.
As time passes, mankind keeps on advancing. These advances in technology have greatly improved healthcare and their application could continue to do so. They have greatly benefited research which in turn has helped in developing cure for many diseases.
So, who knows where we will be another decade from now. Let’s hope, it’s a world that is even more advanced, where diseases are non-existent and dreams a reality. After all, the application of these technologies is only limited by our imagination.
