If you or someone you know often plays video games, and those particular games tend to be scary or violent, you may need to take some time to consider the health implications.
Although many scary and intense games promise heart-stopping action, some modern video games may present a real risk to some players to feel high levels of stress, fainting, and even heart attack.
Read on to learn more about the effects these video games can have on your health, whether it’s an extreme, violent type or a terrifying experience with a quick scare.
There are both benefits and negative effects, but there are ways to avoid potential risks and get medical attention if needed.
Think about it every time you are afraid. For example, when you watch a scary movie and one of those “jump scare” signs flashes on the screen.
You might jump a bit. You may feel like your heart too. That will cause your heart to beat faster, if even for a few minutes.
You might feel a bit nervous when the soundtrack of the movie takes a turn towards horror, or even watch the whole movie if you are expecting those scary moments.
Fight or flight and jump scare effects
Physically, our bodies and minds are bombarded with chemicals. Adrenaline and dopamine increase heart rate and blood pressure. To see also : 15 Biggest Video Games Releasing In Summer 2022 – Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes Out Now. This floods the muscles with oxygen, preparing for what is known as the body’s “fight or flight” response.
It can be a few minutes or more of feeling tense, but sometimes that is not the best thing for our health – especially if there is a heart condition at play.
Now extend that throughout the entire video game experience, where there can be long periods of violent action or scary moments going on.
All of these can trigger high stress levels, which in turn can lead to a rapid heart rate. That can be dangerous for people with underlying or unknown heart conditions.
Although researchers emphasize that the risk is small and is not common in video games, the risk of heart disease from violence, fear, or emotional stress in video games does exist.
In recent years, some video game players have experienced intense gaming sessions that have caused their heart rhythms to fall into irregular rhythms (arrhythmias). This happens when the electrical impulses that activate and regulate the heartbeat do not work properly. This causes the heart to beat:
The prevalence of arrhythmia is estimated at 1.5% to 5% of the population. Some may not be aware that they are living with this undiagnosed heart disease.
All of this is not new territory, as it has been studied since the earliest days of video games. In fact, this landmark 1983 study points to potential cardiovascular concerns. That research linked video games back then to seizures, psychological disturbances, high blood pressure and increased heart rate.
“Given these findings, other cardiovascular changes may be expected to occur during video gaming,” the study authors wrote. “Although the changes reported here were small, even small cardiovascular changes can potentially be dangerous for people with cardiovascular disease.”
On a wider scale, some researchers have begun to call this the “Fortnite phenomenon”, referring to the popular hand-to-hand combat online shooting game where players fight against other players and those who look like zombies in a futuristic world.
In a 2020 case report, researchers examined two cases in which children experienced heart problems after playing online video games. They concluded that these types of games, which have played a prominent role in today’s children and youth, present more stress than ever before.
The intense emotions and stress and adrenaline effects of these sports can lead to dangerous health effects for those with underlying heart conditions, as well as those without a known heart condition.
That is the same conclusion from a research report in 2019, in which a group of researchers in Australia highlighted 4 cases in which 3 children lost consciousness while playing focused video games. All had underlying conditions affecting the heart’s electrical system, but 2 of the children were not diagnosed with heart conditions until after they fainted while playing the game.
The three boys were between 10 and 15 years old, and they fainted separately when the action of the video game war escalated to a “fever”, according to the researchers. Each was found to have a rare but serious underlying abnormality, due to the structure or electrical function of the heart muscle.
“Electronic games have been shown to significantly increase the heart rate of participants,” the Australian researchers wrote. “Mental disorders and hyperactivity have been shown to shorten the ventricular action potential and are known to trigger cardiac arrhythmia, particularly long QT syndrome.”
All of this is not to say that anyone is likely to have a heart attack because of a scary video game. But even a casual look at research, including this 2015 study, shows that violent video games have increased stress levels in teenage girls; even if it does not cause them to commit violence.
Also, researchers as recently as 2021 pointed out that as online video games become more realistic and join the experience of virtual reality (VR), the health effects between the pressure increase. Arousal, adrenaline and possible cardiac effects can be very obvious.
Interestingly, Indiana University researchers in 2015 investigated this topic in a first-of-its-kind study that looked at the specific characteristics of video games that influence fear experiences and fear reactions in people who experience video games. horrible.
They surveyed 269 college students online about their experiences with popular games of the time, including “Resident Evil,” “Call of Duty” and “Amnesia: Dark Descent.” The study found that more than half felt fear while playing the game, but 44.1% of those who felt fear enjoyed that feeling.
Other research has shown the positive effects of video games can include:
Video games are violent, scary, action-packed experiences that have the ability to increase the stress and adrenaline levels of players. Those with underlying heart conditions or irregular heartbeats may be at higher risk of experiencing health concerns as a result of playing these types of sports.
You can contact your doctor if there are specific concerns related to the heart due to video games. But if you or someone who plays these games faints or faints while playing, seek emergency medical help immediately.
