Doctors warn of dangerous “pen catching” trend

HANOI – Medical experts are warning about a trend called “pen catching” or “catching pens” that has recently spread among young people on social networks. It can cause cerebral ischemia, irreversible brain damage, cardiac arrest, stroke and even death.

The potentially fatal trend involves one person pressing hard on another person’s carotid artery until they become drowsy and gradually pass out. Young people are interested in it because it creates a feeling of euphoria before the person loses consciousness.

Many people, especially young people, often want to experiment with new and unusual feelings to escape the boredom of everyday life.

But medical experts warn that the pleasant feeling only lasts a few seconds, the consequences are extremely dangerous and unpredictable and can lead to irreversible brain damage after just five minutes.

The trend is life-threatening because the blood vessels are very soft, including the carotid arteries that supply blood to the brain. If you find the right artery and press lightly, blood circulation stops.

Đoàn Dư Mạnh, a member of the Việt Nam Vascular Disease Association, said the trend is to compress the carotid artery, obstructing blood flow to the brain and blocking the vital artery on both sides, creating a false feeling of euphoria.

However, since the trend, in addition to euphoria, blocks blood flow to the brain, a stroke can occur due to cerebral ischemia.

By participating in the trend, young people are playing with their own health and lives.

Up to 80 percent of the brain’s blood supply comes from the left and right carotid arteries in the neck.

Pressing on the neck for a few seconds is not dangerous, but pressing on the carotid arteries for a few minutes can cause severe cerebral ischemia.

“Brain cells can be irreversibly damaged after just five minutes of ischemia. The most serious consequence can be a stroke or, in the worst case, death. In particular, people with a history of cardiovascular disease or blood pressure may experience more serious consequences, such as immediate death, if they perform this action. In addition, compression of the carotid artery can also lead to blood clots. If the blood clot travels to the brain, it causes a stroke,” said Mạnh.

Brain damage, cardiac arrest

Associate Professor Nguyễn Hoài Nam, chairman of the HCM City Society of Phlebology, said that when the carotid artery is pressed, two things can happen.

The temporary lack of blood supply to the brain can lead to dizziness and a fall. This can also trigger a reflex in the carotid artery, which is covered by the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, resulting in sudden cardiac arrest.

In people with underlying circulatory problems, “pin catching” can easily lead to the formation of blood clots, increasing the risk of stroke.

Nam said that young people should definitely not carry out this action.

Even while playing, an accidental blow to the carotid artery can be very dangerous and cause sudden cardiac arrest.

However, many young people mistakenly think that this is a feeling of stress relief.

This is absolutely not a game and it’s not worth the risk just to try and find a feeling.

Social network users, especially young people, need to be attentive and very vigilant when following trends on the Internet. If they follow them, they sometimes pay with their lives.

Medical experts state unequivocally that “pen catching” is a dangerous practice that must be prevented from spreading on social networks.

Teenagers and students – or anyone else – should definitely not follow the trend, while parents, teachers and schools should increase supervision and remind students of the risks to avoid unfortunate consequences. —VNS