Boy Developed 'Toasted Skin' Condition From Using a Laptop Every Day (arstechnica.com) 62
A medical report published earlier this week says a boy in the U.K. developed erythema ab igne, or "toasted skin syndrome," after resting a laptop on his abdomen for up to eight hours a day, often while it was charging. "The marks were described as being in a patch about 15 centimeters (six inches) wide, made of flat, reddish-brown 'interlacing lines forming irregular circles and a lace-like morphology,'" reports Ars Technica. From the report: Based on the appearance, the doctors started reconsidering some sort of bruising and started asking him more questions. This is when he mentioned that he was homeschooled and used a laptop for his schoolwork. He said he typically did his work by resting his laptop on his abdomen while he worked, sometimes for up to eight hours a day, and often while the laptop was charging. Then they understood what it was.
The doctors diagnosed the boy with erythema ab igne (EAI), which translates from Latin as "redness from fire" and is also sometimes called "toasted skin syndrome." This is a skin condition caused by repeated, prolonged exposure to low-grade heat -- heat not hot enough to cause actual burns. It's most often seen in adults, and common causes include using heating pads or hot water bottles for chronic pain or sitting too close to space heaters. Some people also develop it from certain occupational hazards, like glassblowing and metal work. EAI produces a lace-like rash, just like the boy's.
It's unclear how EAI develops exactly. But researchers hypothesize that chronic heat exposure leads to damage to superficial blood vessels and the release of red blood cells, forming the tell-tale red reticulated pattern. While the boy's condition looked ominous, the good news is that EAI is generally benign and reversible -- once you remove the heat source. For severe or long-term conditions, some pigmentation and scarring can remain. But the boy's parents checked back in over several months, reporting that the rash faded and then completely resolved. Hopefully, he also got some sort of laptop stand.
The doctors diagnosed the boy with erythema ab igne (EAI), which translates from Latin as "redness from fire" and is also sometimes called "toasted skin syndrome." This is a skin condition caused by repeated, prolonged exposure to low-grade heat -- heat not hot enough to cause actual burns. It's most often seen in adults, and common causes include using heating pads or hot water bottles for chronic pain or sitting too close to space heaters. Some people also develop it from certain occupational hazards, like glassblowing and metal work. EAI produces a lace-like rash, just like the boy's.
It's unclear how EAI develops exactly. But researchers hypothesize that chronic heat exposure leads to damage to superficial blood vessels and the release of red blood cells, forming the tell-tale red reticulated pattern. While the boy's condition looked ominous, the good news is that EAI is generally benign and reversible -- once you remove the heat source. For severe or long-term conditions, some pigmentation and scarring can remain. But the boy's parents checked back in over several months, reporting that the rash faded and then completely resolved. Hopefully, he also got some sort of laptop stand.
How bad is that kid's eyesight? (Score:2)
That laptop screen has got to be less than a foot from his eyes given where the heating pattern is. How does he even type?
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Absolutely! Not only, what about his overall posture? Cervical lordosis? Carpal tunnel?
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Even above all of the other physical problems, I'd be more concerned about his mental state of being. I don't think it's normal to idly let your skin get toasted.
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Even above all of the other physical problems, I'd be more concerned about his mental state of being. I don't think it's normal to idly let your skin get toasted.
some people, like me, have a very different threshold to certain sensations.
i got a similar temporary condition on my thighs from my laptop that i didn't notice for a long time as my vision is quite poor.
the marks faded entirely after about 2 years
Re:How bad is that kid's eyesight? (Score:4, Insightful)
I don't think it's normal to idly let your skin get toasted.
Except it's the name itself which is a misnomer. No one is toasting anything, they are exposing themselves to above average temperatures for a prolonged period of time, temperatures I'm sure you've never given a second thought to and have exposed yourself to without a care in the past as well.
Re: How bad is that kid's eyesight? (Score:1)
The issue, as described in the article, is prolonged exposisurecto long-term, low temperature heat, described as too low in temperature to actually burn skin - they give examples of prolonged use of electric blankets or hot water bottles.
Re: How bad is that kid's eyesight? (Score:2)
"Instructional videos" on the internet (Score:2)
That laptop screen has got to be less than a foot from his eyes given where the heating pattern is. How does he even type?
I think we're discussing hands free use of a computer, the watching of "instructional videos" on the internet. :-)
Re: How bad is that kid's eyesight? (Score:1)
How can he type?
If only voice to text was a thing...
(See assistive technology)
Hopefully, he also got some sort of laptop stand.
Hopefully he'll get a desk, or maybe start doing his school work at a proper table/chsir, rather than horizontal in his bed for countless hours...
Re: How bad is that kid's eyesight? (Score:1)
That laptop screen has got to be less than a foot from his eyes given where the heating pattern is. How does he even type
You seem to think that he's put the laptop on his rib cage, not his abdomen - the rib cage is his upper chest, his abdomen is his lower chest.
on his adbomen (Score:2)
Gang, I know they're called lap-tops but most people sit at a table.
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What is an 'adbomen'? Oops.
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Why do you assume it's a mistake? Maybe Chunder is a Dutch person whose space bar is sticking and they're trying to type something like "regarding the trees", "to the trees", "toward shooting the breeze", "priced in trees", "chug trees", etc.
Re: on his adbomen (Score:2)
Re:on his adbomen (Score:4, Funny)
Oh shit guys, someone made a typo on the Internet. Get 'em!
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Oh shit guys, someone made a typo on the Internet. Get 'em!
How did their AI assistant allow that?
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Do they? I thought most people literally use them on their laps. I do, certainly. Why get a laptop if you're just going to use it sitting at a table as if it were a PC?
I've also gotten this condition, BTW (after getting sick of it, I got a laptop tray, and that solved the problem), though on my thighs, not by abdomen (I sit using a laptop - laying down to use one sounds difficult?). Patterned just like that kid's. I didn't have a name for it before, now I do. I'm not sure why you'd have to go to the ho
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Most people use laptops because in addition to your lap, every table and desk can be a computer desk: the cafe table, the kitchen table, work desks with docking stations, etc. Tables/desks also allow you far better posture.
Re:on his adbomen (Score:4, Insightful)
Far better posture than what? The whole notion of 90-degree upright posture being good for you Victorian-era pseudoscience. Sitting upright at 90 degrees is actually the most demanding position your back can be in. Your muscles have to constantly work to balance you against gravity. A 135 degree reclined position, such as in a recliner, is much better for your back [www.cbc.ca] than a 90 degree upright posture or a 70 degree forward slouch (e.g. your two typical "table positions"). When you're reclined, the chair takes a lot of the weight off your back.
The whole concept of there being a "correct posture" is generally considered a myth today. There's very little correlation between static posture and the presence of back or neck pain. We're not bridges or columns designed to hold a fixed geometry; we're built for motion. Your body tells you what posture is best for you by your level of comfort/discomfort. Pain means "change positions, blood flow is dropping, tissues are tired". It has nothing to do with "your spine is misaligned" or anything like that.
The one catch to sitting reclined is that your neck is looking more down, usually more than is comfortable for long periods; most people prefer their laptops somewhat elevated. For me, I have a footrest, so my legs are up and bent, and it's up from my thighs to my knees. Laptop trays / lap desks, which often have some padding at the bottom, also add some extra height.
Re: on his adbomen (Score:1)
Yes, laying on your back, laptop on your belly, for up to eight hours/day would likely have no negative effects on your posture...
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Why get a laptop if you're just going to use it sitting at a table as if it were a PC?
So it's easy to throw in a bag and use somewhere else.
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Why get a laptop if you're just going to use it sitting at a table as if it were a PC?
So it's easy to throw in a bag and use somewhere else.
IF the somewhere is a location with a display, keyboard and mouse available taking a mini PC like a ASUS NUC or Apple Mac mini can be more convenient and less expensive. Home, work, friends, ...
Re: on his adbomen (Score:1)
IF the somewhere is a location with a display, keyboard and mouse available taking a mini PC like a ASUS NUC or Apple Mac mini can be more convenient and less expensive. Home, work, friends, ...
Really? Carrying around a computer that can ONLY be used where there is a spare monitor, keyboard, mouse and power outlet is "more convenient" than a laptop that is self-powered and has a built-in keyboard, trackpad, and display?
No, it isn't - and you know it isn't, but you just had to be a contrarian... you can always hook up your laptop to your friends 'spare' monitor, keyboard, mouse and wall outlet if you like, if you find that "more convenient"
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Carrying around a computer that can ONLY be used where there is a spare monitor, keyboard, mouse and power outlet is "more convenient" than a laptop ...
Yes. I've done both. A MacBook Pro that is nearly always used as a desktop replacement at home and away. A Mac mini and a small case for the mini, keyboard, and mouse. Often the keyboard and mouse never leave the case. Away being an employer's office, a collaborator's home or workplace, or a client's site. I've never had a problem getting a spare display that would be an improvement over the built-in. And better keyboard and mice are common too.
I'm doing software development, collaborating with others ov
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Do they? I thought most people literally use them on their laps. I do, certainly. Why get a laptop if you're just going to use it sitting at a table as if it were a PC?
I've also gotten this condition, BTW (after getting sick of it, I got a laptop tray, and that solved the problem), though on my thighs, not by abdomen (I sit using a laptop - laying down to use one sounds difficult?). Patterned just like that kid's. I didn't have a name for it before, now I do. I'm not sure why you'd have to go to the hospital to figure it out, as it's very obvious what's causing it - you leave a hot thing on one part of your body for a long time and then it turns red; it's not exactly rocket science to put two and two together.
ED: I just looked it up; about 80-90% of people use them on a table, 10-20% on their lap, so I guess I'm in the minority. *shrug*
If I use mine in my lap, it's on a lap-desk with a cushion that raises it up a bit on the knee end to keep it from slipping. Wonder if that counts as table or lap?
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I thought most people literally use them on their laps. I do, certainly.
I suspect most people don't have as bad ergonomics as you do.
Why get a laptop if you're just going to use it sitting at a table as if it were a PC?
Because you may not always want to sit at a table? Because you may not want to sit at the same table? Because sometimes that table is at work? or at home? or in a meeting room? or in a hotel room? or on the tray table of an airplane?
Heck my laptop spends most of its time in one of 3 docking stations, not even open.
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My back tells me that my ergonomics are spectacular, thanks.
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Why get a laptop if you're just going to use it sitting at a table as if it were a PC?
This question assumes people only ever use their computer in one place. I have a laptop because I am constantly at different worksites. The computer is constant in my daily routines but the tables available to me are transient. However, I always use it at a table or a desk. Hunching over a device on my lap is not comfortable or efficient.
If my work was strictly in one location, then yeah, a desktop would make more sense.
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He actually bought a belly-top. It was given away for a bargain: now he knows why...
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Gang, I know they're called lap-tops but most people sit at a table.
And the rest use a laptop pad/cooler to insulate oneself from the heat. Better for laptop cooling, less likely clothing is blocking air vents.
Thermometer RNA (Score:5, Interesting)
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How heavy was this kid? (Score:1)
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Heating Pads (Score:5, Interesting)
I had to have both my hips replaced last year.
While I was waiting for the surgery, I was in pretty intense pain, which makes trying to sleep a real joy.
I was using a heating pad to help with the pain, and got the same effect. My legs looked like I'd been in a car wreck, or beaten with a bat.
Circular bruises that weren't bruises.
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Userid checks out (age) :). Hope you're doing better
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The discoloration only bothered other people.
My hips are doing great. A few more parts and I'll be fully bionic!
And yeah, I'll be 63 in a couple of weeks.
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This implies the discoloration was reversible. How long did it take?
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It is if the damage doesn't progress to necrosis.
I never timed its disappearance when it happened to me (I'm not the GP), but I'd day maybe a couple weeks? Not really something I gave much thought to.
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Christ, we really are getting older on this forum aren't we. I remember reading the something awful forums a couple of years ago and realising that the majority of posters on there are Gen Xers and......... we're not the kids running the internet anymore, we're the kids running the internets Dads (and a few Moms, of course).
Slashdot, thats an even older vintage. No wonder we're always complaining on here lol. When I first posted on here, I had a bright yellow mohawk, played in punk bands, got myself into tr
I wonder (Score:2, Troll)
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Username checks out.
Parents? (Score:2)
So, this kid's parents just let him sit for eight hours a day with a laptop strapped to him doing whatever? Even if you're using it to learn something important, there should be enough supervision to promote some breaks. Hell's bells, I've been computin' since I was twelve, am currently in my mid fifties, and can't remember ever sitting at a computer for more than an hour at a time without getting up to stretch and walk around a bit, or swap laundry, or check some baking, or walk a dog, or something. Do we
Re: Parents? (Score:2)
Kids are expected to sit in class for six hours a day then go home and potentially do homework for an hour or two.
You're acting like this is child abuse when it's simply the way kids are almost always treated.
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The difference is, there are breaks in those six hours. You're in class for 55 minutes, then you get up and walk to your next class, rinse and repeat. Depending on your schedule, breaks could even be longer. You get up and move about. You're not stuck in the same chair for six hours.
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It really doesn't take that long if the laptop is hot. Happened to me quite a few times, and I was usually getting up at least once every couple hours, usually more.
"Mmmm.....Toasted Skin...." (Score:1)
*drool*
-- Homerbal Lechter
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For shame (Score:4, Funny)
Get this kid a desktop computer so he can wank off properly!
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So that's what those linux stickers are for!
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If you click the medical links in TFA, you'll findet that long exposure to low heat levels causes the syndrome. It's no direct burning.
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Given that the human body is pretty good at moving heat from one place to another
You are joking right? The human body is pathetic at this. It's trial to create a localised burn, it doesn't spread heat internally much in the slightest.
get up and move (Score:2)
He commonly spent 8 hours a day with a laptop resting on his abdomen while being homeschooled.
Sit at a desk. Stand up. Walk to another room. Get the fuck up and move around. Go outside. Get some exercise. Real schools do not leave children in a pod all day. Homeschools should not either.