Friday, 08 May 2009
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Top 4 Health Problems Caused By Computer Use
I am frequent computer user. Of course it’s interesting to know how danger for my health computer can be. Working with computer for whole day is not rare nowadays. If it’s an aspect of our work or if we use computers just for fun, there are certain risks involved with prolonged computer use.
1. Eye Disease
It’s the first what occur to us, when we talk about computer harm (right?). Prolonged computer use could be linked to glaucoma, especially among those who are short-sighted. Our eyes are very badly affected by how long you stare at that bright screen. We stop blinking and start staring which makes our eyes strain and dry out. Make sure you look away from the screen and close them for a few seconds every few minutes.We can find many information about eyes health, as Snuz made. And it’s very important not to forget about our eyes while working on computer.
2. Bad Posture
Bad posture is enemy number one. Check your posture now! You should be able to reach the keyboard and mouse whilst bending your elbows at 90 degrees, with your shoulders relaxed. If you are stretching, this could cause problems. Your back should be straight and the top of the monitor should be just below eye level. If your monitor is to the left or right of your keyboard you are putting strain on your neck.Long periods of time at the computer while blogging, working or reading often leads to pain in the lumbar region of the back. Neck and shoulder problems also result from poor seating and the poor organization of equipment on the desk (stretching for the telephone or files etc).
3. Hurting Hands
Your hand and wrist ache after working at the computer all day, and they sometimes start feeling numb. Research in recent years has found that things like typing and sewing rarely cause carpal tunnel. Wear splints while you work to keep your wrists from bending too high or low, and use a keyboard tray or adjust your chair so the keyboard and mouse are below your elbows and your wrists are level.It is really important to give your fingers, wrists and hands a break from resting on the keyboard all day. A tennis ball is a great way to do this. Every time you need to think you should grab the ball and give it a few quick squeezes. This will do wonders for your joints and muscles.
4. Computer Stress Injuries
Many people suffer from structural problems related to the physical stress of sitting incorrectly, or for too long in front of their computers. So there are chances you’ve experienced a fair amount of computer stress, from minor frustrations here and there to a virtual visit to computer hell.High levels of stress can kill you, don’t make mistakes! Highly stressful workers have a higher risk of developing heart diseases and even cancer. So make sure that you can manage your stress. Start making something to reduce it, don’t wait till computer stress will be the main problem in your life. Taking frequent breaks is an important step in preventing repetitive computer stress injuries.
Thus, it shows up that there are several problems that occur with prolonged computer use. It is also clear, however, that if certain rules of using computer are observed the risk of any of these problems can be minimized and computer users affected with computer related disorders can avoid or treat them. I consider that persons should have active lifestyle and an ergonomic computer work station, thereby even hardly computer working can’t affect their health.
Are you or anyone you know suffering from these health problems?
This is a guest blog by Alex on Heheli.com
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Comments (18)
Actually, I think my eyes got a lot worse after spending hours on the computer doing homework. Part of the reason why I'm going to get glasses this coming week >.>
my eyes are great after 8 years of computer games and porn. lol j/k on the porn part.
I'm experiencing these symptoms firsthand
I know...computers are bad, but then again, it's essential =P
Guilty as charged! :)
Yea, i totally agree on the "Hurting Hands" part. my wrists ache ever since my daily use of computer.
yes. if you are a student, i think some of these symptoms are unavoidable, especially if you are on a fixed income and can't easily fix your working environment. easier said than done.
Great info. Xangaholics, you are hereby warned.
probably the eyes and bad posture :X
i`ve always been afraid for my eyes. i had 20/20 vision my whole life up until about a year ago... i think its either from makeup over excessive computer use
sounds kind of dumb cause high school students spend 6 hours in school with bad posture, ive never seen a student who sits with their back completely straight, they are either slouching in their seat or bending foward with their head down doing an assignment or test.
and hurting hands sounds whack, i used to use the computer 7-12 hours a day for like 3 years and my wrist never ached or hands never hurt, my hands get hurt or ache a lot more when im cooking or cleaning
I kind of want to throw my computer away, now. Thanks?
y'know, all of those seem to be rather common sense, but just never really thought about. however, i do know i "suffer" from the first 3. but yet, i'm still addicted to the computer. lol
however, thanks for more insite to the problems :)
Bad posture
...i highly doubt computer use would cause glaucoma. everything else seems right though.
I MUST remember to look away from the computer screen every once in a while and to blink! I'm so bad at blinking. Especially when I'm into something.
"Make sure you look away from the screen and close them for a few seconds every few minutes."
It's amazing how much difference this makes. Equally, you shouldn't be afraid to stand up and stretch, wander to the photocopier, go and make a cup of coffee. Just have a few minutes away from your computer.
That's not to say that you should be taking 15 minutes off for every ten minutes you work, but no company was brought to its knees because of a few minutes inactivity by the staff. Besides, it's better to take those few minutes than to develop RSI or Carpal Tunnel, both from the company's perspective and yours. At a very cold, practical level, it makes more sense for a company to invest in ajdustable monitor arms and chairs etc than to have its workforce going off sick with things that could have been easily prevented.
If you do happen to have a manager who's breathing down your neck if you so much as glance away from your screen, speak to HR. You have a right to be comfortable at your computer.
This is really awsome!! Thanks!!