Man constantly stares at his cell phone: Then he develops a dangerous disease
Oita (Japan) - A 25-year-old Japanese man stared at his smartphone incessantly, but it made him very ill. The doctors diagnosed him with the rare "Dropped Head Syndrome" (DHS).
Doctors from the Oita Orthopaedic Clinic in Japan report on the case in the specialist journal"JOS Case Reports".
The young man had been living with the symptoms for six months before the 25-year-old patient presented to the doctor. The young man had developed Dropped Head Syndrome (DHS) and could no longer lift his head because his spine was completely deformed. Instead, he remained in an extremely uncomfortable neck-bending position, according to the report.
The 25-year-old also complained of numbness in his arms and shoulders and had difficulty speaking. It was only when he also developed difficulty swallowing, subsequently only ate one meal a day and lost a lot of weight that his relatives finally took him to the doctor.
According to the doctors, the cause of the severe DHS is believed to be a combination of an underlying developmental disorder and habitual, long-term flexion posture when playing smartphone games. The young man is said to have played with his cell phone non-stop.
Diagnosis: "Dropped head syndrome"
The doctors were able to stabilize the deformed spine with pedicle screws in a complex surgical procedure. The head posture improved as a result. The complaints subsided.
According to the doctors, the patient developed autism at secondary school, possibly due to severe bullying. He then dropped out of school and became increasingly withdrawn.
The patient has since been able to leave the hospital. He is said to still stare at his smartphone for hours on end with his head bent.
Doctors can help patients with acute DHS
Dropped head syndrome is an extremely rare disease of the spine. According to a case report published by scientists at Balgrist University Hospital (Zurich), the main possible causes are neuromuscular diseases such as Parkinson's or ALS.
In addition to neurological complaints, those affected often have problems walking and are severely restricted in their daily activities. Many complain of discomfort when eating and drinking. DHS is curable.
Another case of DHS recently came to light when a 23-year-old man in Iran suddenly developed a crooked neck after years of drug use.