An 11-year-old boy in Changsha, China, was rushed to the hospital while he was doing his homework for 14 hours straight under his parents’ watchful eyes.
According to Oddity Central, the boy, known only as Liangliang, had been doing his homework from 8am to 10pm without any rest.
By 11pm, he started showing symptoms such as rapid breathing, dizziness, numbness in his limbs, and headaches.
Panicked, his parents took him to a local hospital, where doctors diagnosed him with a respiratory issue caused by hyperventilation.
Doctors also explained that Liangliang’s condition was the result of emotional stress and overexertion, leading him to breathe too quickly and deeply.
He was later fitted with a breathing mask and told to regulate his breathing.
Medical experts say this condition can cause chest pain, shortness of breath, and full-body numbness, and in severe cases, it may lead to muscle stiffness with involuntary finger twitching.
Rise in stress-related cases
Changsha Central Hospital reported that Liangliang’s case is not an isolated one. In August alone, over 30 minors came to the emergency department with similar symptoms—a tenfold increase from earlier months.
The main causes identified were academic stress, anxiety from exams, and extended screen time.
Students in China face immense pressure, especially due to tough national exams like the gaokao (China’s national college entrance examination), which plays a huge role in determining future education opportunities.
As such, some children, like Liangliang, may struggle to cope with these high expectations, leading to serious health issues.
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