What are the potential pitfalls of using flush() in PHP for real-time updates?

Using flush() in PHP for real-time updates can potentially cause performance issues, as it can increase server load and slow down the application. To solve this, consider using alternative methods such as WebSocket or Server-Sent Events for real-time updates, which are more efficient and scalable.

// Example of using Server-Sent Events for real-time updates in PHP

header('Content-Type: text/event-stream');
header('Cache-Control: no-cache');

// Your real-time update logic here
echo "data: New update\n\n";
flush();