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Mobile phone addiction has become a major problem - and being away from our handsets can impair our cognitive functions and even make us feel physically unwell, researchers have found.

One of the the first major studies to look as what happens when people are separated from their phones has found we perform poorly on mental tasks when our is not nearby.

It found separation can result in an increase heart rates and blood pressure levels as well as feelings of anxiety and unpleasantness.

The team found moving away phones resulted in poorer cognitive performance

Researchers studied a number of iPhone users in the test.

'Our findings suggest that iPhone separation can negatively impact performance on mental tasks,' Russell Clayton, a doctoral candidate at the University of Missouri School of Journalism and lead author of the study in the Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication said.

'Additionally, the results from our study suggest that iPhones are capable of becoming an extension of our selves such that when separated, we experience a lessening of 'self' and a negative physiological state.' 

The researchers say these findings suggest that phone users should avoid parting with their phones during daily situations that involve a great deal of attention, such as taking tests, sitting in conferences or meetings, or completing important work assignments, as it could result in poorer cognitive performance on those tasks.

Researchers found that when phone users are unable to answer their ringing phones while solving simple word search puzzles, their heart rates and blood pressure levels increased, as did feelings of anxiety and unpleasantness.

Also, performance (number of words found on word search puzzles) decreased as compared to when phone users completed similar word search puzzles while in possession of their phones.

For their study, the MU researchers asked users to sit at a computer cubicle in a media psychology lab.

The researchers told the participants that the purpose of the experiment was to test the reliability of a new wireless blood pressure cuff. 

Participants completed the first word search puzzle with their phone in their possession and the second word search word puzzle without their phone in their possession or vice versa while the researchers monitored their heart rates and blood pressure levels.

While completing the first puzzle, the researchers recorded participants' heart rate and blood pressure responses. 

Participants then reported their levels of anxiety and how unpleasant or pleasant they felt during the word search puzzle. 

don't take away my phone! The researchers found a significant increase in anxiety, heart rate and blood pressure levels, and a significant decrease in puzzle performance when the participants were separated from their iPhones as compared to when iPhone users completed similar word search puzzles while in possession of their iPhones.

Next, and while in possession of their phones, participants were informed that their handsets were causing 'Bluetooth interference' with the wireless blood pressure cuff, and that they needed to be placed further away in the room for the remainder of the experiment.

The researchers then provided the participants a second word search puzzle. 

While working on the puzzle, the researchers called the participants' iPhones. 

After the phones finished ringing, researchers collected blood pressure and heart rate responses. Participants then reported their levels of anxiety and how unpleasant or pleasant they felt during the word search puzzle. 

The researchers found a significant increase in anxiety, heart rate and blood pressure levels, and a significant decrease in puzzle performance when the participants were separated from their iPhones as compared to when iPhone users completed similar word search puzzles while in possession of their iPhones.