Young man suffers from stroke after 24-hour binge in internet cafe

Taiwan—Who would have thought that a young man could suffer from a stroke just from sitting in front of a computer?

According to a report by UDN, a 22-year-old man was found unconscious in an internet cafe in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. People noticed that the man was hunched over the desk for a long time, so they tried to wake him up.

The people at the cafe thought that the man was merely asleep. When they tried to wake him up but he still would not budge, they called for emergency medical assistance.

At the hospital, doctors discovered an obstruction in the man’s left brain hemisphere which caused the stroke. The man’s right-side limbs became paralysed and his speech was slurred.

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Staff at the internet cafe said the young man was a regular patron there. The man, reportedly unemployed, had stayed at the internet cafe for 24 hours straight. For some reason on that day,  he did not eat, drink, or stand up from his chair in front of the computer.

The doctors said the man had no preexisting medical condition, but they noted that he was slightly overweight and physically unfit. These factors along with the young man’s unhealthy sedentary lifestyle caused him to suffer from a stroke even though he was still young.

Bound to a wheelchair due to paralysis, the man underwent therapy and rehabilitation in order to be able to walk again. However, his speech was greatly affected and doctors said it would be near impossible to regain full speaking ability.

The consequences of internet and gaming addiction can be severe and fatal. Doctors advise everyone to take breaks from sitting in front of a computer and exercise regularly to avoid health risks./TISG

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