PC Gaming and YOUR Health, tell us your symptoms.

I'd agree with the Monster's post, sleep deprevation, some neglect of family/pets, poor diet, slouch...disconnection from the real world...I'm not so sure if it's a disconnection or a modification of my reality

I've gotten a nice little lump in my back from always being slouched over at the keyboard or on the floor. I also lost about 30 pounds one summer from playing video games- there wasn't much food in the house and the air conditioner wasn't exactly blowing out a ton of cool air. I'm not really sure how it happened, but it did. Computers in general have I suppose you could say crippled my social life and have made me more of a self-kept person. The social life I do have revolves around gaming. It's hard for me to carry on conversations with people too, probably from the amount of time I spent infront of my computer and not out in public. I have no want or desire to get exercise as well, which isn't very good. I'm constantly tired because of the lack of exercise- I wake up and spend my days infront of my computer tired. Gaming has helped me make some friends though. I've found several people who enjoy games and computers and I get along well with them. I've also become much more alert regarding my surroundings and pay more attention to detail when in public now. I have horrible eyesight but I'm not sure if that is directly related to games. Both of my parents have poor vision so who knows. It's kindof hurt me financially because it's probably my greatest expendature, but I suppose there's always much more worse things I could be spending my money and time doing.

voodoomelon

My Symptoms/Side effects:
Personally, i've been playing CS: Source since Christmas for about 2 hours everyday until recently. I was never really any good at it, but started getting good and found myself in the top 3 of my 500+ server and found I had to keep playing to keep my position. Only recently, as in the last 4 weeks or so, I was getting random muscle twitches, ALL OVER MY BODY. A muscle would twitch in my arms, my legs, my hands, my feet, my upper body at least every minute whilst sitting at my computer. Strangely enough, it didn't effect me whilst actually playing the game.
It would hit me in bed as well and was quite worrying. I have to say i didn't go to the doctor, but really should have. But I haven't played CS: Source OR ANY GAME IN OVER 2 WEEKS, and the twitches are 75% gone i'd say.

Please share any symptoms or side effects you have experienced through gaming and we can see which games have the largest impact on us, and also how you can get your condition solved.

Click to expand...

Wow, sheez. I would also get muscle twitches every now & then.

I have found that going out & exercising helps get rid of that though.
(use the muscles you don't while gaming)

Now, it's just my eyes get tired or sore. & yes, I use glasses while on the pc.

The only symptoms I got are a slight numbing of the arms do to blood lose, easily relieved by letting them hang for a minute. Some slight pains in my hand that always go away within a day. The biggest symptom would be the random strings of profanities that erupt from my mouth at any givin time.

I walked outside of my door today and was almost blinded by the sunlight, thanks to my new habit of eating playing kotor II and sleeping

Back in the day of plain UT, I would average 5 hours a day in high school. I would get massive forearm cramps due to the constant jumping I did. But I played through it and my g/f laughs b/c my forearms are nice and strong.

I used to be very active in sports but quit. Since I sold my main PC I have started excercising again to get my muscle mass back. Plus college grades were dropping so I had to castrate myself completely from gaming. Damned ADHD I have....

I've started playing Far Cry again after my 2 week break and I seem to be okay. Maybe it was CS: Source, I don't know, but I know one thing, I sure as hell miss it.

I'm a bit worried to start playing again, but I might just play for 20 minutes at a time...

Usually parents tell their kids to get off the computer because they "WILL GET FAT" or w/e. I haven't gained a pound lol. All I can say about health is the whole mental health factor, you become lazier, don't feet like doing anything except playing, or interferes with something else. If you think about it, gaming is almost a drug .....







And im enjoying every minute of it

*books xTrEmEoVrClOcKr in OC rehab*
>_>
<_<

Lol. Its an addiction ... .

No matter what i do behind my PC, be it browsing gaming or benching, my eyes start getting tired after about 5 hrs so i need to take a big break then.

It must be the combination with my Migraine, but i get 'blackouts' sometimes..for example when i just wake up and move from lying down --> standing up my vision gets black for like 20 secs and i feel dizzy like hell.

carpal tunnel....carpal tunnel...and dry eyes...and bruises (from the wife) hehe

gaming is probably the first step to creating some kind of "matrix" or something to keep humans happy, because the world is so full of sin and many horrible horrible things that im sure alot of us wouldn't want to deal with if we had the choice