Mobile phones cause rash

Posted on 17 Oct 2008 at 16:15

The British Association of Dermatologists has warned that excessive mobile phone use could cause a rash on people's ears and cheeks.

The group is calling the red and itchy rash "mobile phone dermatitis", and said that it affects people who develop an allergic reaction to the nickel surface on mobile phones, after spending long periods of time talking on their handsets.

"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," said the association in a statement.

"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 association added that in theory it could even occur on the fingers if you spend a lot of time texting on metal menu buttons. The group also said many doctors are unaware that mobile phones could cause the condition.

In the past, mobile phones have erroneously been linked with conditions such as brain cancer, but evidence to date has dismissed any connection between mobile phone usage and any serious illness.

Nickel 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.

Author: Theo Salvador

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