As the newest round of video game systems flies of the shelves and gamers fasten their hands to the controllers of their new Nintendo Wii and Sony PlayStation 3 systems, parents and cultural critics alike will once again call attention to the harmful effects of excessive gaming. But one effect may elude even their eyes.

An uncommon pitfall of playing video games for prolonged periods of time is “Nintendonitis,” a swelling of the thumb joints or other damage to the hand that results from furiously mashing buttons on the game controller. While many have bemoaned the ability of games to render eyes bloodshot, attention spans shortened and muscles softened, the condition of Nintendonitis has remained a slightly more subtle concern.

The Medical Journal of Australia, Scottish Medical Journal and the South African Medical Journal have published studies of Nintendonitis in recent years as the condition has become more prominent, particularly among children. The medical term for such a condition is a computer-related repetitive strain injury, or RSI.

Also known as “trigger thumb,” the most common RSI sees the sheathing surrounding the tendon in the thumb become swollen, inhibiting the movement of the tendon and causing pain when the thumb is straightened. A nodule may even form on the tendon.

Frequently straining the thumb to press buttons several times a second can cause Nintendonitis from using most video game controllers, while handheld consoles like the Nintendo DS or PlayStation Portable present a heightened risk because they require sharper wrist movements and tighter gripping from the increased weight of the devices.

The condition can be treated a number of ways - the crudest and least successful solution involves forcefully flicking the affected finger five or six times. More serious cases of Nintendonitis can be solved with a corticosterioid injection or splinting of the hand. Most often, the simplest solution is to give up the controller for a few days until the swelling subsides.

Avoiding Nintendonitis altogether is even easier. Taking breaks from gaming every hour to stretch the wrists and fingers can go a long way in preventing any anatomical strain from prolonged game play.

Outside of EB Games on Grant Avenue in Auburn, local gamers shrugged at the threat of Nintendonitis. With bountiful hours of video gaming already behind them, they have yet to suffer such a rare injury.

The threat is nonetheless real to Rees Roland, 17, a gamer from Cato whose experience with games like “Kingdom Hearts 2” has entailed many marathon sessions with his video game controller in-hand.

“It depends on what game you're playing. If it's a shooter, then not really, or a RTS (real-time strategy) or RPG (role-playing game), because you're not doing much with your thumbs,” Roland said. “But it might happen from games like fighting games, where there's a lot of button-mashing going on.”

Nintendonitis has never been a concern for Donna Murphy, of Auburn, whose 17-year-old son Dustin plays video games on a daily basis. Because he stays active with sports, she feels he avoids incurring any video game-related injuries.

The thumbs of John Willis, 21, of Auburn, have been tired out from many bouts of “Fight Night Round 3” for Xbox 360, he has also remained free of any hand injuries.

Although its name suggests that Nintendonitis solely afflicts video game addicts, a few more common technological toys expose a wider population to the problem. Text-messaging on cell phones, typing on BlackBerries or using iPods require the same tight thumb manipulation of video game play, and excessive use of these devices can expose people to the same anatomical malady. So long as their thumbs remain free from hours of overuse, they will spare themselves the pain - and embarrassment - of coming down with a case of Nintendonitis.