BETHESDA, Maryland (The Adobo Chronicles) – In his first major health warning since assuming the post of U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek H. Murthy has confirmed that texting is detrimental to the health of Americans.

“The repetitive movement of the thumbs while texting causes nerve damage similar to that of carpal tunnel,” Murthy said. “It is a condition known as numb thumb, which, like the name suggests causes people’s thumbs to become numb and almost paralyzed,” he added.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has reported an increasing number of numb thumb cases in the U.S. and is afraid that it will turn into an epidemic.

Since the onset of modern mobile technology, texting has replaced phone calls, letter writing and in-person conversations as the primary mode of communication, and many smart phone owners, especially younger people, have developed amazing skills in speed texting.

The Surgeon General has recommended that Americans limit their texting to no more than 15 minutes a day to avoid nerve damage and numbness in the thumb.

Among the notable Surgeon General warnings in the past came from the late C. Everett Koop who confirmed that smoking causes cancer and that condoms can prevent HIV infection.