'PlayStation Palm' is diagnosed
A new ‘modern ailment’ has been identified, following the supposed ‘texter’s thumb’, as people are now being diagnosed with ‘PlayStation palm’, reports The Times.
Swiss doctors diagnosed a 12 year-old girl with “idiopathic eccrine hidradenitis”, which is a skin condition that gives sore, red lumps on the palms of the hands and feet. The girl’s parents revealed that a few days before taking her to the doctors, she had been using her PlayStation for several hours a day, and after stopping for 10 days she made a full recovery.
It’s thought the pressure on the palms from grasping the controls and repeated button pressing was the cause of the girl’s condition, and doctors have renamed it ‘PlayStation palmar hidradenitis’.
Nina Goad, from the British Association of Dermatologists said: “This is an interesting discovery and one that the researchers are keen to share with other dermatologists, should they be confronted with similar, unexplained symptoms in a patient.
“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.”