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english
IMPORTANT HEALTH WARNINGS ABOUT PLAYING VIDEO GAMES
Photosensitive Seizures
Averysmallpercentageofpeoplemay
experienceaseizurewhenexposedto
certainvisualimages,includingashing
lightsorpatternsthatmayappearin
videogames.Evenpeoplewhohaveno
historyofseizuresorepilepsymayhave
anundiagnosedconditionthatcan
causethese“photosensitiveepileptic
seizures”whilewatchingvideogames.
Theseseizuresmayhaveavarietyof
symptoms,includinglightheadedness,
alteredvision,eyeorfacetwitching,
jerkingorshakingofarmsorlegs,
disorientation,confusionormomentary
lossofawareness.Seizuresmayalso
causelossofconsciousnessor
convulsionsthatcanleadtoinjuryfrom
fallingdownorstrikingnearbyobjects.
Immediatelystopplayingandconsulta
doctorifyouexperienceanyofthese
symptoms.Parentsshouldwatchforor
asktheirchildrenabouttheabove
symptoms—childrenandteenagersare
morelikelythanadultstoexperience
theseseizures.Theriskofphotosensitive
epilepticseizuresmaybereducedby
takingthefollowingprecautions:
• SitfartherfromtheTVscreen.
• UseasmallerTVscreen.
• Playinawell-litroom.
• Donotplaywhenyouaredrowsyor
tired.
Ifyouoranyofyourrelativeshavea
historyofseizuresorepilepsy,consulta
doctorbeforeplaying.
Musculoskeletal Disorders
Useofgamecontrollers,keyboards,mice
orotherelectronicinputdevicesmaybe
linkedtoseriousinjuriesordisorders.
Whenplayingvideogames,aswithmany
activities,youmayexperienceoccasional
discomfortinyourhands,arms,shoulders,
neckorotherpartsofyourbody.
However,ifyouexperiencesymptoms
suchaspersistentorrecurringdiscomfort,
pain,throbbing,aching,tingling,
numbness,burningsensationorstiffness,
DONOTIGNORETHESEWARNING
SIGNS.PROMPTLYSEEAQUALIFIED
HEALTHPROFESSIONAL,evenifthe
symptomsoccurwhenyouarenot
playingavideogame.Symptomssuchas
thesecanbeassociatedwithpainfuland
sometimespermanentlydisablinginjuries
ordisordersofthenerves,muscles,
tendons,bloodvesselsandotherpartsof
thebody.Thesemusculoskeletaldisorders
(MSDs)includecarpaltunnelsyndrome,
tendonitis,tenosynovitis,vibration
syndromesandotherconditions.
Whileresearchersarenotyetableto
answermanyquestionsaboutMSDs,
thereisgeneralagreementthatmany
factorsmaybelinkedtotheiroccurrence,
includingmedicalandphysicalconditions,
stressandhowonecopeswithit,overall
healthandhowapersonpositionsand
usestheirbodyduringworkandother
activities(includingplayingavideo
game).Somestudiessuggestthatthe
amountoftimeapersonperformsan
activitymayalsobeafactor.
Someguidelinesthatmayhelpyouwork
andplaymorecomfortablyandpossibly
reduceyourriskofexperiencinganMSD
canbefoundintheHealthyGaming
Guideatwww.xbox.com.These
guidelinesaddresstopicssuchas:
• Positioningyourselftouse
comfortable,notawkward,postures.
• Keepingyourhands,ngersand
otherbodypartsrelaxed.
• Takingbreaks.
• Developingahealthylifestyle.
Ifyouhavequestionsabouthowyour
ownlifestyle,activitiesormedicalor
physicalconditionmayberelatedto
MSDs,seeaqualiedhealthprofessional.
Hearing Loss
Extendedexposuretohighvolumes
whenusingaheadsetmayresultin
temporaryorpermanenthearingloss.
Someunapprovedthird-partyheadsets
mayproducehighersoundlevelsthan
approvedXbox360Headsets.
PLAY HEALTHY