Video Game Addiction And The Physical Infirmities

It is quite common that addictions have the worst effects on the mental and psychological health of a person. In case of alcoholism, smoking and drug addiction, severe physical ill effects of these tolerances have also been observed. And now -a- days, there is another name that is too much in the air – the internet and video game addiction – which are known to cause severe side effects on the psychological balance of a person. But, as of yet, the physical disadvantages of video game addiction haven’t been brought to the limelight, often. That doesn’t mean even a bit of there are no physical issues of health. There definitely are many, only that they are masked by the ones causing trouble to the mental and psychological health. Let us check out certain physical ailments that video game addiction has in store for us.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome possesses an age old association with the use of computer. Hence, if it turned out to be a physical ailment of gaming addiction, there would be no surprise. This syndrome gains way with the suppressing or squeezing of the main nerve between the hand and the forearm. In this disorder, the carpal tunnel, i.e. the wrist region housing the tendons and main nerve of the wrist, gets swollen and irritated, and this basically happens as an adverse effect of the over use of computer mouse and keyboard. While playing video games for continuous long durations can result in a carpal tunnel syndrome, thus, stripping your video game addiction.

Migraines

Migraine is another syndrome pertaining to headaches, typically beginning to occur at a single spot and gradually gaining control over half of the skull. With every instant of throbbing, it gets even more painful, eventually turning to a more severe pain leading to nausea and vomiting. Migraines can be caused and aggravated by light and noise, and the basic source of them is playing video games for long hours, at a stretch.

Sleep Disturbances

Disorders related to sleep can be one of the great physical dangers of video game addiction. Problems and sleep disturbances include insomnia, sleep apnea, narcolepsy, nocturnal myoclonus (periodic leg or arms jerks during sleep), parasomnia, sleep walking and talking, and nightmares. The sole reason for occurrence of sleep disturbances is the excessive stimulation caused in some part of the brain. And one of the major factors to bring about this over stimulation is playing video games for continuously long durations.

Backaches

Another common ill effect on the physical health due to video game addiction is the back ache caused by continual straightening of the back on a chair, in front of the computer, with no proper posture maintained for long time.

Auditory and visual ailments

The ears and the eyes are the front ends of the body that interact with a computer when playing a video game. Engaging these organs to the harsh light and sounds of the games and that too for long hours can cause problems with the eyes and the ears. A person may lose sight and hearing sense or get them misshaped due to his video game addiction.

Other ill effects of this kind of an addiction of the physical health of the participant are poor hygienic conditions, eating disorders, body ache, fatigue, gaining weight, irregular shape of the body, and many more to list.