PHONE ADDICTION LEAVES CHINESE STUDENT PARALYZED

In China, a 19-year-old student named Xiao Dong from Quanzhou, Fujian Province, ended up in a hospital bed after what seemed like a harmless habit — spending long hours with his head bent over his phone.

During the summer, the young man worked part-time in a café, where he spent hours washing dishes and wiping tables, constantly in a bent position. Instead of resting in his free time, he once again bent his head — this time over his smartphone screen, absorbed in games and social media. He often stayed up late at night with his phone in hand, just as many of his peers unfortunately do nowadays. The constant strain on his neck soon took its toll: he first experienced numbness in his arms, legs, and neck, and on July 30, Xiao woke up to discover that he could no longer move his legs.

He was rushed to the emergency room, where doctors discovered a large blood clot in the cervical spine, between segments C4 and T1. The clot compressed the spinal cord, causing near-total paralysis below the chest. Doctors explained that prolonged bending of the head had ruptured an abnormal blood vessel in the spinal canal. The resulting hematoma triggered acute paralysis.

The patient underwent emergency surgery to remove the clot. The operation was successful: Xiao is already regaining control of his lower limbs, and doctors expect a full recovery.

Medical experts warn that keeping the head bent forward for long periods of time is dangerous. It causes blood stagnation, vein dilation, and disrupts normal circulation. The first signs of looming problems include headaches, dizziness, chronic fatigue, and numbness in the shoulders, neck, and arms. In severe cases, the consequences can be critical — including stroke or paralysis.