New Medical Disorder Linked To Gaming 224
oldspewey writes "A new skin disorder caused by use of games consoles has been identified by skin specialists. The condition, dubbed "PlayStation palmar hidradenitis", is described in the British Journal of Dermatology. Researchers outline the case of a 12-year-old girl who attended a Swiss hospital with intensely painful sores on the palms of her hands. The girl, who had been using a games console regularly, recovered fully after 10 days of abstinence. The doctors suspect that the problem was caused by tight and continuous grasping of the console's hand-grips, and repeated pushing of the buttons, alongside sweating caused by the tension of the game. Nina Goad, of the British Association of Dermatologists said: 'This is an interesting discovery and one that the researchers are keen to share ... If you're worried about soreness on your hands when playing a games console, it might be sensible to give your hands a break from time to time, and don't play excessively if your hands are prone to sweating.'" We called it Tekken thumb.
Button mashers (Score:5, Funny)
Not to be confused (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Not to be confused (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Not to be confused (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Not to be confused (Score:5, Funny)
Although these two conditions are often linked.
Re:Button mashers (Score:5, Insightful)
The fact they "just discovered" it is more along the lines "I am a worthless doctor and want to get my name into the medical books. Now i can spin-off a book 'why gaming consoles are dangerous to your health'"....In other news "12 year old girl bashes doctor in the face with her Ps3 console"
Re:Button mashers (Score:4, Funny)
Have you seen a PS3 console? there's no way in Hell a 12 year old girl could pick that thing up. But it is a lethal weapon in the hands of those who can wield it.
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Wow...like really, DUH! Anytime you repetatively perform an action, especially when it can be strenuous and cause things like sweat, you will get sores/callouses/etc.
I dunno. Regular exercise certainly qualifies, and isn't really such a bad thing--your body destroys itself pretty quickly if you don't get any. Of course, sporadic exercise causes sores, blisters, etc. It's entertaining that some forms of exercise are healthy whereas others (button mashing, typing, etc) are less so.
I'd guess that wool glove liners would help with this particular disease. Just as jogging without shoes is dangerous...?
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I play mine with my feet half of the time, so far no problems except my scores suck.
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I dunno. Regular exercise certainly qualifies, and isn't really such a bad thing--your body destroys itself pretty quickly if you don't get any. Of course, sporadic exercise causes sores, blisters, etc. It's entertaining that some forms of exercise are healthy whereas others (button mashing, typing, etc) are less so.
Actually , it depends on how much you warm up : if you excercise without warming up , you are bound to get problems. I guess the same counts for gaming
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Cello scrotum (Score:4, Funny)
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Cello scrotum is nothing, playing the accordion can be fatal.
If you do it near me, that is.
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Bwuh?
I play cello (15 yrs). I've never gotten cello scrotum. Do people really play their cello against their scrotum? Most people call that a "guitar". However, if you are unsecure about your manliness, your penis could recede into your scrotum as a result of playing especially emotional music or repeated watching of sixteen candles, etc. I think they call it emasculitis.
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That's because cello scrotum is made up. Never heard about it and the first time I did, I was told that somebody invented it as a prank.
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*WHOOOSH*
I don't suppose you've ever heard of emasculitis either, then? :D
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Cello scrotum was exposed as a hoax by none other than the creators of the hoax themselves.
Someone alert Jack Thompson! (Score:4, Funny)
Quick!
Back from the Atari days.. (Score:4, Funny)
We called it a Joystick Ow-wee
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I've got NES thumb. Both my thumbs pop when I bend them. I blame this stupid motorcycle game where you had to do Left-right, A-B really fast. I don't remember which game it is, but my thumbs remember skipping school to play it.
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I remember constantly having a right arrow image imprinted on my thumb and now being able to play because of the blisters. This is indeed old condition.
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No, it was called "Pac Man thumb"
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We always called it ... (Score:2)
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We called it a Joystick Ow-wee
Totally, I got the same thing from playing Joust back in the day. You know, when you had to push the buttons uphill BOTH WAYS!
I'm just amazed that someone who is not a doctor didn't put this together faster, and laugh rather than make a big deal out of it. But no! Over protective parents suck. Seriously, if my parents had brought me in to the doctor for every simple-to-diagnose problem in my life, I would have been a medical mystery, too.
I say bring back lawn darts and let the stupid people weed themselv
what? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:what? (Score:5, Informative)
Although the picture does indeed look like blisters, the condition that they diagnosed this kid with is more of an open sore. The previous type is usually documented on feet, and couldn't be caused by the same thing (sweaty feet + jogging). So they gave the hand one caused by console gaming a new name. It's sort of like you might have gotten a blister if you hadn't been so sweaty, but instead it turned into a crazy inflamed open sore.
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My right hand always gets those blisters from sitting on a mouse most of the day. If I let them go (or pick at it... bad, I know) they open on their own exposing the nice fresh soft under skin. I just attributed it to a hazard of gaming at home and working in the computer industry during the day. I've taken up R/C Helicopters as a hobby to try to get away from gaming too much at home.
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Yeah. I have a killer callus on the right edge of my right wrist, from where there is a rough spot on the edge of my desk that rubs my mouse hand. Crappy.
Re:what? (Score:4, Insightful)
I've taken up R/C Helicopters as a hobby to try to get away from gaming too much
Good thinking - replace a finger-intensive task involving lots of fine movements with a finger-intensive task involving lots of fine movements. Nerd logic at its finest!
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There's quite a bit less contact with the radio though (considering I use a lanyard to balance the radio)... and I get the added side benefit of sunlight and movement. ;)
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Have you considered holding your mouse with just your fingertips, rather than resting the palm on the mouse? I don't game quite this way, but at work at least it seems very confortable. A wrist rest lets my wrist stay cushioned, and then I can move my wrist using both wrist and finger movements (rather than only hand/arm movements).
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Although the picture does indeed look like blisters, the condition that they diagnosed this kid with is more of an open sore.
The picture isn't related to the story - samzenpus just posted a photo of his own hand.
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Yeah, well, someone needs to explain to this girl that all those times her mom insisted that she wash her hands that there was a damn good reason.
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Doesn't it seem a bit... silly? for them to be giving it a new name, though? It's the same observed phenomena, just at a different location.
I remember this happening to me back in the NES days. It was, basically, a blister without the callous, or maybe a blister without the call a callous, with a bruise. I've had similar things happen to me since while working.
Calling this a "medical disorder" is farcical. People in the medical establishment are so fucking excited to discover something that'll potentially g
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Most of the defining characteristics of any disease state have to do with what causes it, not the symptoms that are present. The difference between having a cold and having the flu is what virus infected you, even though they can produce almost identical symptoms at times.
That being said, yeah, its pretty gay to make it specifically PLAYSTATION caused.
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you don't say (Score:2)
If you're worried about soreness on your hands when playing a games console, it might be sensible to give your hands a break from time to time, and don't play excessively if your hands are prone to sweating.'
I could think of another situation where this might be true.
Because if it had been a 12 year old *boy*.... (Score:2, Insightful)
...they would have assumed it was something other than video games.
Not the first (Score:5, Funny)
There are a whole slew of gaming-related illnesses, going back decades, such as Space Invaders Wrist. And let's not forget the terrible losses suffered due to Pac-Man Fever
This Calls For... (Score:2)
Dr. Mario!
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I thought Space Invaders caused "crippling arthritis".
Groundskeeper Willie thought so, anyway.
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Robotron palm... those round plastic grips on the arcade version's joysticks could literally wear holes in your palms if you were marathon playing (I got good enough to play for more than four hours on a single quarter so I had personal experience with that :) )
SB
Is this a joke? I can't tell... (Score:5, Interesting)
Next Slashdot/medical journal article title:
People get sores on their hands from rubbing stuff!
Re:Is this a joke? I can't tell... (Score:5, Funny)
People get sores on their hands from rubbing stuff!
Also known here at Slashdot as, Friday night.
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Sadly, it's not. But all the other 'news' blogs picked it up, so Slashdot had to, too, I guess.
It's a complete farce. 1 person who can't put down a tool/toy even after they have sores is not a new 'disease'. It's just stupid.
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This is a medical establishment thing that people don't seem to always get. Naming it doesn't magically make it serious. If you can identify the symptoms and the cause, you put a name to it.
In 10 years. (Score:2)
A *girl* ?
with a *tight hand grip* ?
and a love for video games ?
In 10 years, she's going to receive proposals by every single /. geek !
Controllers with fans. (Score:2)
This sounds like the consoles need a redesign. (Score:2)
A bit of ergonomic work on the consoles is indicated.
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The real issue is that the ergonomics of an off-the-shelf product can only be so good. And they can't make up for repeat and excessive use.
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No change in design from the original "Dual Shock" (released as a PS1 accessory) and the "Dual Shock 3" used with the PS3.
Other consoles have improved noticably...
recovered fully after 10 days of abstinence (Score:5, Funny)
But did the blindness go away?
Hardly new (Score:2)
This hurts. (Score:5, Insightful)
medicalitis: doctors inventing new diseases (Score:2)
Doctors vs. Lawyers. (Score:2)
It seems like job of medical researchers is to invent new disease when it may not be necessary. We read about new diseases almost every week.
It seems like job of lawyers is to invent new ways to sue when it may not be necessary. We read about pointless lawsuits almost every week.
(There we go, hope that cleared things up for you. Remember the world is all about balance, regardless of how stupid Ying and Yang may be...)
This is OLD NEWS (Score:2)
Penny Arcade covered this back in 2005 [penny-arcade.com].
This condition is commonly know as the soul callous.
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Wow! (Score:2)
They've discovered that blisters are caused by friction!
What an amazing discovery!
I am an early sufferer! (Score:2)
Back when I was a kid one of my friends had a Decathlon/Olympics whatever game for the Atari 2600, I don't remember the exact title.
The foot race portion consisted of moving the control stick left to right as fast as you could, the winner obviously is the one who was best at doing that. Of course the Atari 2600 joysticks were rubber coated, and they were rather stiff. Long story short, I got blisters on my palms from shaking the joystick to vigorously to often.
Now that I reread that a lot of what I just p
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Long story short, I got blisters on my palms from shaking the joystick to vigorously to often.
It may not be what you meant, but it still put soda all over my keyboard.
More to it? (Score:2)
I wonder if she also abstained from typing on a keyboard and texting on a cell phone. Kids are doing more and more things with their hands and fingers since child labor laws were enacted. Well, I just made that up, but I'm sure gaming isn't solely to blame.
"doctor.. (Score:5, Funny)
In the Atari 2600 days (Score:5, Interesting)
I joined the Imagic "Numb Thumb" Club. The Atari 2600 only had one button but we pushed it with our thumb. Doctors called it "Numb Thumb" and Imagic turned it into a club.
Blisters are a new medical discovery? (Score:2)
Really?
Take a break! (Score:5, Informative)
Seriously, if you ever get pain from gaming, you need a break. Don't play through it or tough it out or try stopgap solutions. The game isn't going anywhere, and your health is far more important than entertainment. Switching controllers to play something different often helps, but even then you can get posture fatigue or eye stress.
I say this as someone who games a lot and has run into nearly as many different repetitive stress injuries as there are ways to control games. This week I've found Street Fighter 4 on the PS3 d-pad is pretty hard on my thumb, and even trying to press lightly and not mash it, you can still overdo it pretty easily. Despite what the manufacturers say, 4 hours seems to be about the longest I can play something continuously before running the risk of problems. I recommend having a water bottle to drink from frequently, as it will also encourage you to take regular bathroom breaks.
If it hurts, just stop.
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This week I've found Street Fighter 4 on the PS3 d-pad is pretty hard on my thumb, and even trying to press lightly and not mash it, you can still overdo it pretty easily.
My thumb was quite painful after playing Street Fighter 4 for a few hours. But after a few days of pain, I once again developed the "Street Fighter Callous" that I had had as a kid. Now my thumb laughs at the PS3 controller's feeble attempts to cause it further injury.
This is not a gaming disorder (Score:5, Interesting)
Those sores and blisters look exactly like my hands from lifting weights without gloves.
I can't believe they are calling this a "disorder" and relating it to gaming when it is just a simple and common case of friction blisters and callous that form under any similar circumstance.
There's more going on here... (Score:5, Funny)
"abstinence"? How does not having sex help out in this situation? And it took her 10 days to recover?!? Who's she dating?
Nintendo Thumb (Score:2)
I remember not having much feeling in my left thumb throughout my childhood. It was pretty much attributed to that horrible sharp edged X control pad that the original Nintendo had. Was some good times. Eventually you get a callus and its not so bad, you just have to play through it.
Nothing new (Score:2)
I remember when in 1986 when I used to get blisters on my hands from playing NES for too long. My family called it "Nintendo thumb." Nothing really noteworthy here, if you tightly grab a piece of plastic with sweaty hands for hours on end while rapidly shifting the pressure around...you get blisters. Not exactly a medical mystery.
Try cleaning the controller... (Score:2)
Much like many computer keyboards, gaming controllers tend to be extremely unsanitary to handle... perhaps even more so because the user constantly rubs against the controller while gripping it tightly, resulting in a large amounts of skin flakes and sweat getting into these devices.
It's possible that such sores aren't exclusively caused simply by gripping a game controller over an extended amount of time, but that the left over crud from previous uses is being forced into the skin, setting the stage for i
Clean the damn thing! (Score:2)
This is stupidity. (Score:2)
I've been gaming for 18 years and my hands aren't cramped, sore or any such thing.
My forearms are a bit weak because all they do is hold a mouse, controller or a twinkie (or 3)
I've had marathon gaming sessions, no sores on my hands.
BLAME THE VIDEO GAMES :/
Next.......
ahhh (Score:2)
Wireless ? (Score:2)
I really-really wonder if that condition has anything to do with the controller being a wireless one. I heard someone telling how afraid they were seeing that kids have a wireless radio in between their legs (resting the controller on their laps while playing) and that how that could cause testicle cancer and other bad stuff.
There are also some electro-sensitive (not sure if this is the correct word) people who get all kinds of irritations/headaches/rashes when submitted to EMF fields of certain kinds. Some
Re:The controller did this? (Score:4, Funny)
Re:The controller did this? (Score:5, Funny)
Dude, this was a 12 year old *girl*.
Everyone knows girls can't masturbate.
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they retire to several hours
Exagerating a bit aren't we? More like "several minutes".
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"Idiopathic", meaning "you're an idiot for still letting your daughter play video games after she develops sores on her sweaty little hands."
Actually, "idopathic" means "the doctor doesn't know what caused it (but it wasn't the usual suspects)".
I.e. it's the medical establishment being ignorant and nothing to do with idiocy.
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So lupus is out of the question?
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If it's idiopathic then it wasn't caused by a game controller then. I submit the doctor discovered nothing, or used the wrong name. Might i suggest Videopathic eccrine hidradenitis.
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I've had minor arthritis since I was a little kid. Agreed, the NES controls were brutal, but I found gripping the 90 degree corners to be the part that got me, my index fingers would "seize" up from holding the controls to long. I got Nintendo thumb to, but it wasn't as bad.
Of course the fix to this was I used the NES advantage on ALL games (except for Duck Hunt smart ass). The last truly all games usable joystick. I have bought joysticks for other systems, but they only fit certain games properly (like
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Ah, yes, I remember getting my NES Advantage. That made life so much easier and less painful. Man, I love that controller. I've still got it, actually, and last I used it a few years back it and the NES were still working great.
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Saw them, never had one. I have a Retro Duo now so I can play 8 bit games with SNES controls (like the ASCII fight stick)
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Are you kidding? The NES controller was HEAVEN compared to atrocities like the Atari 5200 [atariage.com], Intellivision, or Colecovision controllers. It was even a big step up from the classic Atari 2600 joystick.
I still play all these systems fairly regularly, and the NES controller is extremely well suited to the games it was designed for. A little curve on the corners would have been nice, but otherwise that pad kicks ass. Playing Megaman with a PSX controller just doesn't feel right.
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I should also point out another great feature of the NES pad, it's easy to play with your wrists straight. When using a PSX controller, the tendency is to nestle the handles into the palm of the hand. That forces your palms together, and puts a pretty severe angle in your wrists unless you're playing with your arms outstretched which is pretty uncomfortable. With the NES pad, there's nothing to grasp, so you can put the bend at your knuckle instead of the wrist which is much more comfortable.
The fact tha
Re:Nintendo Brick Controller (Score:4, Informative)
Loosen the screws a little, put some putty in the seam, tighten it down again, shave off the excess, and let it cure.
Otherwise, just wait for it to accumulate enough dead skin cells and body soil to fill it in.
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Yeah, computer gaming, that's what carpal tunnel is for.
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... and claim it's a terminal desease.
Bloody KDE users, blaming everything on Terminal. This article explicitly states that its caused by a gaming Konsole. Don't blame Gnome by calling it a Terminal disease ;-)
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There were a number of mini-games that used that mechanic.
And I, too, suffered from a blister in the middle of my palm pretty rapidly after trying.
In fact, under threat of a class-action lawsuit, Nintendo allowed anyone with a UPC symbol for the game to receive a free glove for use while playing. Yes, a glove. I never ordered one, but I can only assume it was covered in rhinestones.
Also, they removed that type of game from the sequels. I guess they figured regular RSI took long enough and was hard enough
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Yeah, but to get the most painful of the injuries one had to intentionally improperly use the analog stick by rotating the stick with the palm of one's right hand. The intended, but clumsy proper method was to use one's left thumb. I have a friend who played a session of Mario Party which lasted several hours and he played in several games. The next day, after waking up he had a large and deep wound on his palm that was not present beforehand. My semi-informed conjecture is that it was not like a bliste
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They should have offered replacement thumbsticks for the controllers too.
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I agree with you, but there is one part of this story here that could be considered news. The fact that she was dumb enough to keep playing when it hurt, the fact that her parents were dumb enough to take her to a doctor for it, the fact that the doctors were dumb enough to treat it like it's something new and interesting (or that they think we're dumb enough to give them credit for "discovering" it), and the fact that the reporter was dumb enough to report it as such. It could all lead to an interesting ne