A study has found out that face and neck injuries due to the mishandling of Cellphone have increased drastically over 20 years. People tend to be distracted by their mobile phones are at high risk of tripping and falling and hurting their neck, face, and head more than often. The research has been put together by a facial plastic surgeon, whose patients include a woman who has broken her nose as she has dropped her cellphone on the face. The authors of the study have said that the majority of cases of such injuries have been mild but some included facial laceration and shocking brain injuries, which can lead to long-term consequences. The study has been published in Jama Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgeries.
Dr. Boris Paskhover, the lead author of the study has been observing his patients with broken jaws and facial injuries due to tripping while staring at their cellphones. He said that people are fragile as humans and falling can cause serious head face and neck injuries at times. Researchers have also collected data on cellphone related injuries from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System. As per the data, there have been 2501 incidents of such injuries from 1998 to 2017. More than 76000 people have been hospitalized after hurting themselves with cellphone related injuries on a national level. Around 40 percent of these patients were cellphone users in the age group of 13 to 29 years. One-third of these accidents have been related to the head area. Another one third has been linked to face injuries including eyelids, eye area, and nose. Around 12 percent of these incidents have involved major neck injuries.
Most of these injuries have occurred while walking or texting without paying attention to their surroundings. The laceration is the most common injury in such cases, which accounts for at least 26 percent of incidences. Laceration injuries leave a scar on the skin, which results in low self-esteem and anxiety issues among young adults. Some patients have also suffered abrasion and bruises. Eighteen percent of these cases are of internal organ injuries due to the reluctant usage of mobile phones. Accidents, which involve head injuries, are mostly diagnosed as traumatic brain injuries. The study suggests that there is a requirement for public education regarding the distraction caused by the cellphones and its consequences.
