AS THE PHILIPPINE esports and gaming community mourned for the passing of RSG Ignite's head coach Ivan "Navi" Gacho, Dr. Alvin Francisco, a renowned medical content creator published a video debunking the myth that video games are the direct cause of Ivan's demise.
It was mentioned in the video that Coach Navi suffered from fatal arrhythmia as confirmed by his brother.
Was Coach Navi's condition caused by too much gaming? Based on a study that Doc Alvin read, there is no direct relationship.
"Participants nila dito Southeast Asian Countries, kasama yung Philippines. Based sa conclusion, there is no direct relationship. Ibig sabihin, hindi nagco-cause. Naglalaro ka ng maraming computer games, hindi kaagad ito automatic na magkakaroon ka ng arrhythmia," said Doc Alvin.
However he did notice one trend among the participants: fatigue.
"Although among the participants in this study, lahat sila nakakaramdam ng fatigue, nakakaramdam ng poor sleep quality, kulang sa tulog, nakakaramdam ng autonomic nervous system activation, ibig sabihin tumataas yung BP (blood pressure), tumataas yung heart rate tuwing gaming, and lahat ng factors na iyon ay risk for fatal arrhythmia," he revealed.
Given his discovery as well as his learnings, he hoped that esports orgs would prioritize the welfare of their employees.
"Siguro this is the time na magkaroon tayo ng strict health protocols among our gamers. I don't know kung meron ng ganoon pero kung wala pa, sana magkaroon kase itong pinagdadaanan nila na drastic change in lifestyle, hindi yan basta-basta," reflected Doc Alvin.
But that wasn't the only myth he debunked as he likewise explained that too much coffee doesn't cause the medical condition.
"Yung sa sobra naman na pag-inom ng kape, kung nakaka-arrhythmia, wala pong direct relationship."
Arrhythmia explained
But besides talking about video games and coffee, he likewise gave a detailed discussion regarding arrhythmia.
He first began by explaining the basics.
"Ang ibig sabihin po ng arrhythmia, nawala sa rhythm yung heart mo. Pagtibok po kase ng puso natin, may rhythm na sinusunod yan. So meron sobrang bilis na tibok ng puso, which is yung tachyarrhythmia and meron namang sobrang baba or sobrang bagal ng pagtibok ng puso, which is yung bradyarrhythmia."
To simplify what he said, it's all about monitoring the heart beat. If the pulse suddenly pauses, then returns, the possibilities of arrhythmia are high.
As he went on with the vid, he revealed that the symptoms have varying levels.
"Pwedeng wala kayong maramdaman. Pwedeng wala kayong sintomas, naramdaman niyo lang sa pulso niyo na biglang 'uy nag-skip,' hindi normal yung heartbeat ko, pwedeng ganun, walang sintomas yon.:
"Kung severe, kung pang matagalan niyo ng nararamdaman, pwedeng magkaproblema yung puso niyo. Anong nangyayari? Hindi nagiging efficient yung pag-pump ng dugo sa puso mo...kukulangin yung dugo sa ibang parte ng katawan."
Due to the severity of the latter, one may experience the dreaded warning signs: namely extreme palpitations and fainting. These signs might be caused by the following factors which he indicated.
"Kung meron kang genetic predisposition, namamana din po yan. Kung mayroon kang problema sa heart muscles mo, yung cardiomyopathy, kung mataas ang BP, kung dating na-heart attack, kung dati kang naoperahan sa puso, risk factor din po yan," said Doc Alvin.
Given the risk involved, Doc Alvin advises a careful monitoring of one's physical stature.
"Kung ano yung risk factors, yun yung iiwasan niyo...syempre dapat kontrolado yung BP, kung naka-hypertension medications kayo, huwag niyong kakalimutan inumin. Magbawas ng timbang...kung mataas ang BMI (Body Mass Index) niyo, i-normalize niyo po. Bawasan ang pag-inom ng alak, sigarilyo, and magkaroon ng regular exercise," he emphasized.
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