Issue Date: April 5, 2009
Gamers' gripping gripe
Called "PlayStation palm," it's a painful hand rash.
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A sedentary lifestyle isn't all video games may cause.
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According to data from the American Time Use Survey, which is conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, people between ages 15 and 19 spent, on average, more than two hours a day watching TV and nearly an hour playing on the computer in 2007. That's about three hours a day of sedentary "plop time" -- more than triple the time these teens spent on sports, exercise and recreation.
The ramifications of such behavior are numerous and increasingly well known. Obesity, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes: We see news stories every day about the increase in people being treated for these illnesses.
Now there's a new addition to the list of problems caused by video games: PlayStation palm.
In February's "British Journal of Dermatology," Swiss dermatologists published the case of a 12-year-old girl who sought treatment for painful spots on her hands. A physical exam revealed "highly tender" red nodules from the girl's palms to her fingertips. A biopsy of the tissue revealed an infiltration of white blood cells into the sweat glands of the affected areas of the hand. No infectious cause was found, no immune system abnormalities were noted, and no other areas of her body were involved. This type of dermatitis in the absence of specific underlying health conditions or trauma is unusual.
After further questioning, it was discovered that several days before the onset of the rash, the girl had started to play a video game for several hours a day. Even after the appearance of the rash, the girl continued to play, albeit less intensively.
Her continual, sometimes tight, grip on the controller and working the buttons with her fingers led to an inflammatory response on her skin and in the sweat glands in her hands. After she abstained from video games for 10 days, her rash cleared up.
Time spent with video games can lead to more than just a sedentary lifestyle. I hope her doctor's prescription also included some exercise.
Tedd Mitchell, M.D., president and CEO of the Cooper Clinic in Dallas, writes HealthSmart every week.
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