Risk of brain damage and cardiac arrest from "penalty shootout"

When young people follow the "pen catching" trend, they face a range of health risks, even death.

Recently, many videos following the "pen-catching" trend (applying strong pressure to the carotid artery in the neck until the person feels drowsy or faint) have appeared on social media, attracting the interest and curiosity of young people who try it because of the euphoric feeling it gives.

Illustrative image.

Currently, a trend called "pen catching" is sweeping through social media among young people. In this game, one person presses firmly on both sides of another person's neck veins to seek a euphoric or intoxicating sensation.

The underlying reason for the "pen-catching" trend is that many people, especially young people, often want to experiment with intense and different sensations to escape the boredom of everyday life.

However, health experts warn that the pleasurable sensation only lasts for a few seconds, but the consequences are extremely dangerous and unpredictable. This trend is life-threatening because blood vessels are very soft; simply finding the right vessel and pressing lightly with your hand can stop blood flow.

On October 14th, the Hanoi Center for Disease Control (CDC) issued a warning about a dangerous and potentially deadly game among young people: "catching pens."

Accordingly, the "pen-grabbing" trend can cause cerebral ischemia. Pressing on the two carotid arteries for a few seconds is not dangerous, but pressing for a longer period can cause severe cerebral ischemia.

When the brain doesn't receive enough blood, it can lead to dizziness, fainting, or even brain damage. More dangerously, brain cells deprived of blood for just 5 minutes cannot recover.

This trend can also cause cardiac arrest because the "pen-catching" action can stimulate certain reflexes in the body, leading to sudden cardiac arrest.

Furthermore, applying strong pressure to the neck can cause injury to surrounding structures, including nerves, blood vessels, and soft tissue. In some severe cases, it can even lead to death.

Experts advise that when participating in social media trends, users need to be extremely cautious, thoroughly understand the harmful effects, and prioritize the safety of themselves, their families, and society above all else.

Regarding the dangers of the aforementioned trend, Associate Professor Nguyen Huy Thang, Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Stroke Association and Head of the Department of Cerebrovascular Pathology at People's Hospital 115, stated that there are two main vascular systems that supply blood to the brain: the two carotid arteries (anterior circulation) responsible for 70-80% of the brain's needs, and the vertebrobasilar artery (posterior circulation) responsible for the remaining 20-30%.

The anterior-posterior and lateral vascular systems are interconnected via the Circle of Willis (similar to a traffic roundabout), ensuring a stable blood supply to the brain in the event of a problem on one side.

The carotid arteries in the neck also contain the carotid sinuses, which regulate heart rate and blood pressure. Therefore, compressing the carotid arteries will cause a severe reduction in cerebral blood flow (as they are responsible for 70-80% of the blood supply to the brain). Releasing your grip quickly can cause dizziness, fainting, and transient loss of consciousness.

According to Associate Professor Thang, prolonged compression can cause ischemic stroke, especially if there was a pre-existing blockage or narrowing of the blood vessel that went unnoticed, or it can also cause brain damage due to hyperreperfusion syndrome.

Applying too much pressure can also damage the carotid artery. Most dangerously, compressing the neck and irritating the carotid sinuses can slow the heart rate and cause cardiac arrest.

"This is a dangerous practice that needs to be stopped on social media. It's absolutely not a game to risk your life trying something new," Associate Professor Thang emphasized.

Some other experts also warn that pressing on the carotid artery suddenly can lead to two outcomes. First, it can cause temporary ischemia of the brain, resulting in dizziness and falls. Second, it can trigger a reflex response in the carotid artery (which is surrounded by the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems), causing sudden cardiac arrest.

Therefore, experts advise that people should absolutely not perform this action. Even if done playfully, accidentally hitting the carotid artery in the neck is very dangerous and can cause sudden cardiac arrest.

Source: https://baodautu.vn/nguy-co-ton-thuong-nao-ngung-tim-vi-bat-pen-d227429.html