Woman in China suffers stroke after using mobile phone for 20 hours

Mobile phone addicts, here's a compelling reason to put that device away.

A Chinese woman nearly died of a stroke earlier this month after using her mobile phone for 20 hours.

During the long train ride from Henan to Gangzhou, she swiped at her phone to pass the time. With the carriages packed full of people, the woman in her 40s barely moved from her seat.

It seemed like any regular journey until she got off the train.

The woman fainted at the station and was rushed to Jinan University First Affiliated Hospital where she was found showing symptoms of a stroke.

They included sudden confusion, slurred speech, and weakness on one side of the body, said Dr Meng, the hospital's deputy director of neurology.

CT and MRI scans showed that blood clots had caused a blockage on the left side of her brain.

The critically ill patient was then wheeled into surgery for a three-hour operation.

During the procedure, they removed numerous blood clots measuring 2cm. The woman also had twice the number of blood clots as other patients, Dr Meng noted.

As she recovers from the ordeal, the woman said she was shocked to learn that she had a stroke.

She enjoyed general good health and had no history of cardiovascular disease.

What had brought on the sudden illness?

Turning the head to look at the mobile phone for prolonged periods of time can compress the neck's blood vessels, Dr Meng explained.

Maintaining the same posture for too long can also cause poor blood circulation which may form blood clots.

There's an increasing number of younger patients are suffering from the condition, the doctor said.

He advises mobile phone users to adopt good postures while using the devices, and to take frequent breaks.

And with reports of people turning blind from drama and gaming marathons on the mobile phone, it's about time that we kick the habit.

minlee@sph.com.sg