Doctors Warn of Rash from Mobile Phone Use

LONDON (Reuters) -Doctors baffled by an unexplained rash on people’s ears or cheeksshould be on alert for a skin allergy caused by too much mobile phoneuse, the British Association of Dermatologists said on Thursday.

Citing published studies, the group said a red or itchy rash, knownas "mobile phone dermatitis," affects people who develop an allergicreaction to the nickel surface on mobile phones after spending longperiods of time on the devices.

"It is worth doctors bearing this condition in mind if they see apatient with a rash on the cheek or ear that cannot otherwise beexplained," it said.

The British group said many doctors were unaware mobile phones could cause the condition.

Safety concerns over mobile phones has grown as more people rely onthem for everyday communication, although the evidence to date hasgiven the technology a clean bill of health when it comes to seriousconditions like brain cancer.

"In mobile phone dermatitis, the rash would typically occur on thecheek or ear, depending on where the metal part of the phone comes intocontact with the skin," the group said in a statement.

"In theory it could even occur on the fingers if you spend a lot of time texting on metal menu buttons."

Nickel is a metal found in products, ranging from mobile phones tojewelry to belt buckles and is one of the most common causes ofallergic contact dermatitis, according to the Mayo Clinic in the UnitedStates.

Earlier this year Lionel Bercovitch of Brown University inProvidence, Rhode Island and colleagues tested 22 popular handsets fromeight different manufacturers and found nickel in 10 of the devices.

(Reporting by Michael Kahn; Editing by Opheera McDoom)