Eye strain
Tired, red eyes and impaired vision. Using a computer can bring on dry eye symptoms, as people tend to blink up to 60% less when looking at a computer screen, and office environments typically exacerbate the situation with dry air, paper dust, and fans. You can protect yourself by looking away from the screen every 30 minutes to focus on a distant object, as well as using eye drops when you feel eye strain. Experts also recommend getting glasses specially made for the distance you normally sit away from your computer screen for added protection.
Chronic back pain
Slouching in your chair can lead to muscle fatigue and injury, as it exaggerates your natural, comfortable curves. This is exacerbated by stress, which can put lots of tension in your back. You can help prevent injury and back pain by promoting good posture with a chair that allows you to keep your knees level with your hips and rest both feet flat on the floor..
Noise stress
Phone calls, faxes, water cooler chats, and other office noises may seem harmless or annoying at most, but the fact is that they can be a health risk. Cornell University environmental psychologist Gary Evans conducted a study that revealed office noise in open-style offices can lead to "higher levels of stress and lower task motivation." Evans and his colleagues believe that low-level noise leads to workers becoming more focused on their task, which may sound good for productivity, but in reality is not. Quiet, enclosed rooms can alleviate the effects of low-level office noise. In lieu of private offices, workers can benefit from noise reducing headphones.
Obesity
Sitting down all day with little exercise, paired with eating out for lunch, or worse, eating at your desk, can clearly lead to weight gain. To combat this trend, workers can find small ways to fit exercise into their day, including walking to work, going for a jog during lunch or taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Some inventors have also come up with treadmills and standing desks that allow workers to work on their feet, burning more calories while still doing their jobs.
Carpal tunnel syndrome
Carpal tunnel is one of the most common hazards plaguing office workers. Most workers spend their days repeating the same common tasks over and over again, moving their mouse, typing on their keyboard, picking up phones, and more, putting a strain on their muscles and joints. This often leads to carpal tunnel syndrome, which causes pain, tingling, numbness, and even itching brought on by swollen ligaments and bones in the wrist. Some workers require surgery to correct this issue, but you can help prevent it by modifying your repetitive actions, as well as ensuring that your wrists come off the wrist pad, hovering instead of resting over it.
Over reaching
Reaching for equipment such as your phone, mouse, and keyboard can cause damage to your shoulder joint, as continuous over reaching means your shoulder is often placed at its full range of motion, when it should only be in its mid range. For your protection, frequently used equipment should be kept very close, within reach of your arms when bent comfortably. You should also remember to keep your wrist horizontal when using the mouse, and use a soft touch in order to protect your fingers.
Stress
Day-to-day activities, deadlines, pressure, and even conflicts in the office can stress workers out, with chronic stress leading to conditions including depression diabetes, heart disease, hyperthyroidism, obesity, obesity, and more. Experts recommend practicing breathing and relaxation techniques at your desk, taking breaks outside of the office, and even calling in mediation for conflict resolution.
Sick building syndrome
Poor indoor air quality can be hazardous to workers, typically stemming from HVAC issues, off-gassing of building materials, molds, and improper ventilation. Office workers who suffer from sick building syndrome often have symptoms including eye, nose and throat irritation, odor and taste sensations, and neurotoxic health problems. Workers can do their part to prevent sick building syndrome by encouraging their employers to maintain a healthy building, with replacement of water-stained materials, low-VOC adhesives and paints, good HVAC maintenance, and regular cleaning with a HEPA filter vacuum cleaner.
EMF exposure
Computer and cell phone emissions are so commonplace, they may seem harmless. But the radiation emitted from them has the potential to be hazardous. It is believed by some that high level EMF exposure can cause leukaemia, cancers, reproductive and development problems, as well as depression. There is not much you can do to avoid EMF in the modern workplace, and even working at home will still result in exposure. Still, it is possible to minimize your contact with EMF by keeping your distance from objects that put off emissions, including keeping your cell phone in a far away desk drawer, and placing your computer tower away from your body. Creepy Crawlies
Germs and bacteria are everywhere. They aren't all bad, but some of them can make you very sick. You may feel like your desk is a safe haven, but that couldn't be farther from the truth. Your desk is likely to have more bacteria per square inch than the toilet in your office, harbouring cold and flu viruses or worse. You can stop the germs in their tracks by practising careful hygiene at work, remembering to wash your hands frequently, and avoiding eating at your desk.
Information taken from: www.accreditedonlinecolleges.com/blog/2011/11-serious-health-problems-linked-to-office-life/
-Gwen
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