Doctors warn of rash from mobile phone use

  • 16 years ago
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LONDON (Reuters) - Doctors baffled by an unexplained rash on people's
ears or cheeks should be on alert for a skin allergy caused by too much
mobile phone use, the British Association of Dermatologists said on
Thursday.

Citing published studies, the group said a red or itchy rash, known as
"mobile phone dermatitis," affects people who develop an allergic
reaction to the nickel surface on mobile phones after spending long periods
of time on the devices.

"It is worth doctors bearing this condition in mind if they see a
patient with a rash on the cheek or ear that cannot otherwise be explained,"
it said.

The British group said many doctors were unaware mobile phones could
cause the condition.

Safety concerns over mobile phones has grown as more people rely on
them for everyday communication, although the evidence to date has given
the technology a clean bill of health when it comes to serious
conditions like brain cancer.

"In mobile phone dermatitis, the rash would typically occur on the
cheek or ear, depending on where the metal part of the phone comes into
contact with the skin," the group said in a statement.

"In theory it could even occur on the fingers if you spend a lot of
time texting on metal menu buttons."

Nickel is a metal found in products, ranging from mobile phones to
jewelry to belt buckles and is one of the most common causes of allergic
contact dermatitis, according to the Mayo Clinic in the United States.

Earlier this year Lionel Bercovitch of Brown University in Providence,
Rhode Island and colleagues tested 22 popular handsets from eight
different manufacturers and found nickel in 10 of the devices.
(Reporting by Michael Kahn; Editing by Opheera McDoom)
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