Are Your Gadgets Making You Sick? (7)
Seizures, Blood Clots and Death
The condition(s): Here's a medical mystery worth at least one 'House' episode: A 14-year-old British boy is rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment on a blood clot that had developed in his leg. A teenage girl in Iowa is hospitalized after lapsing into a violent seizure. On the other side of the planet, a 28-year-old South Korean man collapses and dies of exhaustion. What vicious and mysterious strain of bird-borne illness is responsible for striking these young people down? Actually, it's video games.
Dominic Patrick, the British boy, spent a rainy day inside playing games. Tucking his legs underneath himself for 10 straight hours caused Deep-Vein Thrombosis, a serious condition that often affects long-haul air travelers who sit in one place for too long.
After five hours behind the controls of a game called 'True Crime: New York City,' Amy Kopaska of Iowa was found by her mom thrashing around, eyes dilated and foaming at the mouth. According to her doctor, long-term exposure to light patterns in the game had triggered Amy's seizure.
The South Korean man, identified only as Lee, spent 50 straight hours playing the game 'Starcraft' in an Internet café, pausing only for toilet breaks and brief naps. Lee had eaten next to nothing in that time, and his death following a collapse was attributed to heart failure caused by extreme exhaustion.
How to prevent or cure it: So, how can video gamers avoid ambulance trips? In all three cases the answer is simply to limit the amount of time you spend gaming, and take plenty of breaks. As we recently reported, the Chinese government is actually writing this bit of advice into law.
Get more info on gaming addiction at Joystiq.
Related Links:
Engadget: Engadget Gets A BlackBerry Massage
Engadget: When Cell Phones Attack...
AOL News: Video Game Addicts Now Have Detox Clinic
Dominic Patrick, the British boy, spent a rainy day inside playing games. Tucking his legs underneath himself for 10 straight hours caused Deep-Vein Thrombosis, a serious condition that often affects long-haul air travelers who sit in one place for too long.
After five hours behind the controls of a game called 'True Crime: New York City,' Amy Kopaska of Iowa was found by her mom thrashing around, eyes dilated and foaming at the mouth. According to her doctor, long-term exposure to light patterns in the game had triggered Amy's seizure.
The South Korean man, identified only as Lee, spent 50 straight hours playing the game 'Starcraft' in an Internet café, pausing only for toilet breaks and brief naps. Lee had eaten next to nothing in that time, and his death following a collapse was attributed to heart failure caused by extreme exhaustion.
How to prevent or cure it: So, how can video gamers avoid ambulance trips? In all three cases the answer is simply to limit the amount of time you spend gaming, and take plenty of breaks. As we recently reported, the Chinese government is actually writing this bit of advice into law.
Get more info on gaming addiction at Joystiq.
Related Links:
Engadget: Engadget Gets A BlackBerry Massage
Engadget: When Cell Phones Attack...
AOL News: Video Game Addicts Now Have Detox Clinic
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Pearl @ Apr 12th 2007 3:23PM
WOW. . .
Is there something about prolonged use with laptops causing violent headaches, nausea and weakness in muscles. Thought I'd ask since there seem to be other odd reactions.
Any thoughts anyone? p
shawn @ Apr 12th 2007 4:01PM
Uhh... I like the advice colums for giving some helpful tips, but when all the author can site is 3 health cases out of the millions and millions of people logging in, it really holds little credability.
Pearl @ Apr 12th 2007 5:30PM
Anyone have any experience with severe headaches, nausea or pain in abdomen from working with Laptop on your lap for hours?
p
Dominique @ Apr 12th 2007 5:33PM
i agree with shawn....i mean, how often does some one die like Lee did.....this is stupid...and the thing about the sperm count......there is probaly no conection......and one question....did Amy Kopaska have a history of siezures or epilepsy? if she did then she and her mom should have been watching out for the lights triggering that....btw i used to have siezures (so i know what its like) and im 13
Ashley @ Apr 12th 2007 5:36PM
Uhh, Yeah I think it pathetic to let your kids sit that long in front of a screen anyways. But being a video game junkie myself I do infact KNOW they have labeling warnings for this in EVERY game you buy...in the little booklets they always warn you about seizures. You must take breaks from this stuff. People ARE NOT ment to be sitting in front of screens all the time. If you do take care of your body while doing so...take breaks...eat...drink water. Then go back to playing.
Wendy @ Apr 12th 2007 6:20PM
In response to Pearl- I think it is very possible to have these affects from laptop usage. Our bodies are electrical. Some peoples' energy systems are more easily affected by outer electrical sources and can be damaged- altering the natural proper and healthy energy flow that nourishes our body systems. I have personally been helped by an alternative health care practice called Health Kinesiology. Look for a well-trained, well-educated practitioner with credentials.
Cary Levin @ Apr 12th 2007 6:31PM
I get a headache from using a bluetooth earpiece. I've tried a couple different ones but with the same result. ANYONE ELSE?
Robyn @ Apr 12th 2007 6:35PM
Okay, those 3 people were idiots. Playing one game for 50 hours? Even 10 straight hours? they asked for it if you ask me. As far as the seisure, 5 hours, still a long time, but some people are more sensitive to light. A boy in my class had one when another kid was flicking the lights on and off. Those three cases had nothing to do with the games, it was the idiots playing them.
Robyn @ Apr 12th 2007 6:38PM
Cary, your headache was more likely just the peice being on your ear putting pressure on your head. I get headaches from sunglasses, headbands, and earphones all the time.
bigford42851 @ Apr 12th 2007 6:38PM
My kids are grone! And I,m almost gone myself.
zack @ Apr 12th 2007 6:55PM
i think ur all queers
Nick @ Apr 12th 2007 7:10PM
I think sitting down and holding a video game controler or typing all day would cause some slight muscle weakness in your arms. 1.) With Controllers all your doing is mashing buttons ... all day, and if you try feeling it, you can feel stuff going on in your forearms, but your not actually using your arms, just your thumbs. 2.) With keyboards, if your trying and you feel that feeling on the bottom of your forearm when you type that could cause some slight muscle weakness when your doing that all day. With headaches, sitting there straining your eyes at a screen can cause headaches, its like staring at a light in a dark cave for hours. Nausea may just be for certain people, because that doesnt happen to me...but people may get muscle spasms, not always so bad but theyre annoying and if you get spasms you should lay down or eat and go outside for 5 minutes.
Sasha @ Apr 12th 2007 7:18PM
well if a person did ANYTHING for 50 hours straight without eating im sure they would die. For example, im sure if you tried to have sex for 50 hours straight you would die. you don't need to blame video games on one person's idiocy
Jordan @ Apr 12th 2007 8:16PM
Hey AOL News, get your facts straight, the guy wasn't playing Starcraft he was playing World of Warcraft, I used to be addicted to that game until I heard about him.
Richard @ Apr 12th 2007 8:20PM
I believe that all 3 cases are not truly related to electronic devises. the british boys case is obvious that he cut off his blood supply to his legs and trapping the blood in his legs when he sat down so his blood began to coagulate. the girl probably had a severe history of epilepsy. lastly who in their right minds could play a video game for 50 straight hours anyway with little breaks. without eating and probably drinking nothing and if he was out of shape and probably genetically prone to heart attacksthen it could easily happen under those extreme circumstances.
Masmun @ Apr 12th 2007 10:25PM
there have been several newer studies in diffrent countries on the connection between cell phones and brain tumors, the findings show theat cell phones have no effect on them. do you realize that almost all electronic devices emit radiation of some sort? the type of radiation from cell phones is harmless unless in extremely high amounts. people worry themselves into being sick, higher stress levels increase occurances of illness. as an earlier poster said kids sitting at home and becoming obese is not technoliges fault but more of a parents fault.
parents and the media are always looking for someone to blame for things, be it music, video games or movies for either behavior problems or mental issues. the same thing goes for kids not playing outside anymore or having fun with friends. technoligy is a plus in our lives, what do you think has allowed us to live longer healthier lives? allowed communication over long distances? travel of distances with out need of walking or riding some sort of animal? knowledge and the overall improvement of life for humans? everything taken for granted today is from technoligy. if it wasnt for that we would still be living in the tree's eating nuts and berries and any meat we could catch with our hands raw. think about it. all of the tools we use is technoligy of a past age. for me i am glad for tech. and do not worry over it, because i know the truth about it and how it has improved the lives of the human race.
Nick @ Apr 13th 2007 12:22AM
Typing* not trying =p
Robyn @ Apr 13th 2007 1:24AM
Masmun- very well said. I completely agree.
Emiro Gonzalez @ Apr 14th 2007 9:59AM
Masmun / Robin: do either one of you have children?
Sounds to me like yo do not. Do you have any idea on how difficult (if not impossible) it is to fight against the millions upon millions of dollars that all these electronic manufacturers, music moguls, etc. pour into the airwaves just to target our children? Add to that the need for most parents to WORK to survive in this crazy economy and simply put food on the table and keep a roof over their heads, and what do you get? an extremely unfair competition.
You can ban TV, certain music, newspapers, magazines, etc. from your home to keep your children safe from the barrage of commercials. Is that realistic though? When they go to school they will talk to their friends, they will see what their friends play with, what they wear, what they eat. I suppose that children could be kept home at all times to prevent this. Is this realistic?
Before you add your two cents to a forum get informed. Do not sucumb to the all-too-common stereotype of "...parents blaming everyone else..." crap.
keli @ Apr 17th 2007 3:14PM
Emiro Gonzalez, well said. I agree 100%.