NEW YORK (Reuters) -- Be it opportunism, hypochondria, or the real thing, a growing number of people are linking their skin troubles and fatigue to exposure to computer terminals, according to researchers in Sweden.
Their report, in the August issue of the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, says more and more people, mainly computer users, are complaining about a condition they call "electric hypersensitivity," the causes of which remains a mystery.
"Sporadic cases have been reported from many countries. So far, an epidemic occurrence seems to be restricted to Sweden," writes Uppsala University psychologist Bengt Andersson and his co-authors, who include skin specialists, a stress expert, and a radiation protection official.
According to the researchers, fatigue and eye strain have been the most common symptoms reported. But, in 1985, when three cases of skin problems -- severe itch and pain -- were classified by the Swedish government as work-related, that is, blamed on exposure to computer monitors, the number of Swedes complaining of sometimes painful skin symptoms rose sharply.
Later, the researchers point out, electromagnetic fields, which are normally emitted from electrical equipment and appliances, became regarded as the cause of the symptoms.
"There are a group of individuals, including people in the States, who have claimed they are sensitive to electric and magnetic fields. They claim they possess a greater sensitivity to these fields than the average population," says Dr. Greg Boorman, manager of the electromagnetic fields (EMF) program at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina.
"We get calls from people with the same problem. How you separate out reality from opportunism and hypochondria is really, really difficult. Certainly, some of the people truly believe it, some may or may not. It's really hard to know" Boorman says, but he adds that the problem has not been formally addressed here in a scientific conference.
Andersson and his colleagues say the condition can be "quite severe, leading to sick leave for long periods and even to permanent disability."
But in their study, the researchers found only one of 16 people with symptoms of electrical hypersensitivity for more than one year could consistently tell by their skin reaction whether a computer in the room was turned on or not.
The study also found no changes in stress hormones in the subjects' blood during the test. But the researchers say this finding may not be accurate because the people weren't tested while at work, where stress may play a role.
The researchers say a form of psychological treatment -- cognitive behavior therapy -- may lessen the symptoms of electric hypersensitivity. Nine people in the study learned how a "vicious cycle" of symptoms could be created by mentally setting themselves up for feeling worse when certain skin sensations would occur.
Armed with this new knowledge, along with stress-control methods such as relaxation and improved interpersonal coping skills, the treated group said their symptoms had lessened, according to the report.
