The weekly newsletter for Fed2 by ibgames

EARTHDATE: October 19, 2008

Official News page 10


REAL LIFE NEWS: PHONE RASH

by Hazed

Finally, the sense of touch, and experts are warning of a new danger from mobile phones. Never mind the radiation giving you brain tumors, now the touch of the casing can cause a rash on the ears and face.

The British Association of Dermatologists said that people who spend a long time on the phone are starting to show signs of this phenomenon, caused by an allergic reaction to the nickel on handsets - it's often found in the casing or buttons.

A US study earlier this year checked out 22 popular brands of phone and found that ten of them contained nickel. Menu buttons, decorative logos and metallic frames around the LCD screens were the most common sites.

Nickel allergy is a very common contact allergy, usually associated with nickel in jewelry, and it's thought to affect 30% of the UK population. Women are particularly prone to "mobile phone dermatitis" as they are more likely to have been sensitized before following an allergic reaction to nickel-coated jewelry. In theory, it could even occur on the fingers if you spend a lot of time texting on metal buttons.

The organization advises anyone who develops a rash on their face which might be caused by prolonged mobile phone use should head for their doctor right away.


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