Beware! Excessive messaging can cause ‘WhatsAppitis’

With the excessive usage of the famous instant text messenger WhatsApp, it was only natural that the condition could affect the person involved, and it does indeed. The first case of a new medical condition called WhatsAppitis has been diagnosed.

According to the British medical journal, the first official case of WhatsAppitis has been diagnosed in a pregnant woman in Granada who complained of sore wrists after over-using the mobile phone text message service. The patient apparently held her mobile phone that weighed 130g, for at least 6 hours to respond to messages on WhatsApp, for which she had to make continuous movements with both thumbs.

The continuous movements resulted in bilateral wrist pain which is termed as WhatsAppitis. For now the treatment is non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and complete abstinence from using the phone. Given the heavy usage in India, we can presume there are several unreported such cases. Also common is ringxiety — a phenomenon in which users imagine their phone ringing or feel it vibrate when it actually doesn’t.

Via