We have dangerous affairs with our phones. On one hand, they are an integral part of our lives. On the other, they can put us at great risk. Take the recent incident of the young woman who suffered a stroke after staring at her phone non-stop. Or the baby who got severe burns after putting the phone charger in her mouth. Today, we bring you yet another eye-opening story about the danger of using mobile phone while charging.
Danger of using mobile phone while charging: Young girl’s unusual death shocks and horrifies
In a shocking incident, Luiza Pinheiro, a 17-year-old from Brazil, died because she was using her mobile phone while charging. The earphones were in her ears and as soon as she received a phone call, she got electrocuted.
The electric surge passed through her phone, through her ears, hitting her brain, and causing her death.
The gruesome death has devastated Luiza’s family and friends. One of her friends shared her picture and captioned it with: “You will never be forgotten. I already feel a void in my heart.”
Danger of using mobile phone while charging: What exactly happened?
Luiza Pinheiro | Image: Screengrabs from The Sun
After the electric shock, Luiza didn’t immediately notice anything. But she complained of a headache to her uncle. And in a short while, her grandmother found her lying on the floor unconscious in her room. Next to her was the melted cellphone that was still charging. The earphones had melted in her ears.
Although her family rushed her to the local clinic, the necessary resuscitating equipment was not available. Because of that, she could not be treated.
When she was transferred to a bigger hospital, doctors could not revive her and announced her to be dead. The cause of death has not been officially recorded, but the hospital accepted that it was due to an electric shock.
The hospital director shares: “The relatives said that the girl received a shock. It was not raining at the time of the accident but there was a lightning storm.”
Danger of using mobile phone while charging: safety tips
When using a mobile phone, keep in mind that all batteries have an expiry date, and that’s true even for your smartphone. Your usage also decides the life of your battery. Developing good charging habits can help you avoid getting caught in such situations.
-
Use your phone’s own charger
While the USB port is common across various types of laptops and smartphones and standardized, it’s not the same with phone chargers. Different chargers have different outputs, and if your charger does not match the original one, then it is going to affect the battery performance, capacity to store power and its overall life. The charger’s output voltage, indicated as V, and the current or ampere rating, should be used according to the manufacturer’s approved specifications.
-
Cheap chargers from unknown manufacturers should always be avoided
Cheap chargers often lack the safety mechanism that protects from power fluctuation and over-charging. If there’s an adapter failure, it can permanently damage your phone as well as its battery.
-
Removing the phone’s protective casing when charging the phone is advisable
The battery can become warm and the heat should get dissipated. But the case might become barrier in this. You can also flip the phone over to place it on its screen. Use a soft cloth below so that the screen is also protected.
-
Continuous use of fast chargers may not be the best thing for your battery
Using a speed charger sends a higher voltage to the phone’s battery. And this leads to a sudden rise in temperature. Choose a normal charger if your phone provides such an option. If your phone heats up abnormally, press the power button to switch off the display or turn off the device completely. Then allow the device to cool down before charging it again.
-
Charging your phone through the night is a big NO
Overcharging your device is not good for your battery’s health. It can also overheat, explode, or catch fire. So, remember to keep it unplugged when you’re sleeping.
-
Using third-party battery apps is again a big NO
These apps run in the background continuously and affect battery life negatively. They can also forcefully shut down other apps or display ads over your lock-screen. So, completely avoiding these is the best thing to do.
-
Remember that it’s not necessary to fully charge your mobile
You can charge it up to 80% to avoid overcharging. On the other hand, allow your phone battery to discharge at least to 20% before you charge it up again. Constantly charging your phone battery can shorten the lifespan. At the same time, also avoid a complete discharge of your phone battery.
- Use power banks to charge your phonesThey don’t use a constant supply of electricity and are safer. Also, remember to not use your mobile when it’s charging through the power bank.
ALSO READ: Woman suffers a stroke after using mobile phone for 20 hours
Republished with permission from: theAsianParent Singapore