On a normal work day, how many hours do you spend in front of your computer? Probably six to seven. With the year-end closing, that goes up to sometimes 10 hours straight. A computer is the gift and the curse of modern day working life. While on one hand it simplifies processes, on the other it’s now the cause of many occupational hazards. And everything from your keyboard to your mouse, to the monitor is a hazardous object — making your desktop into a danger zone.
Your computer can cause inflammation of tendons, nerve sheaths, ligaments and damage to soft tissues. Repeated movements of keyboarding can lead to a condition of musculoskeletal disorders (MSD), also known as cumulative trauma disorders (CTDs) or repetitive stress injury (RSI). A survey by Lady Hardinge Medical College, New Delhi, found rising incidence of people with complaints of RSI and calls for an urgent need to understand these disorders to “prevent it from assuming epidemic proportions”.
THE CULPRIT
Computer Monitor
THE SCARY BIT
Looking at the monitor for long can cause computer vision syndrome (CVS). This leads to eye irritation, fatigue, headaches and blurred vision. It also includes dry eyes, neck and shoulder pain. Poor lighting, glare on the computer screen, improper viewing distances, incorrect seating posture, and uncorrected vision problems can result in CVS.
“Overexposure of the eyes to the monitor drops the blink rate to 4-6 times a minute from the normal 14-16. This increases evaporative loss of fluid causing dryness and irritation,” says Dr Alkesh Chaudhary, a Delhi-based ophthalmologist . “One could use lubricant eye drops (like Refresh Tears, Teardrops or Optive) once in the morning before work and once at night after work,” he says.
THE CHECK
1 Blink your eyes voluntarily every time you hit the enter button 2 Avoid direct light (such as a window) into your face or onto the monitor. Tilt the monitor slightly to prevent reflections or glare 3 Position the monitor either at eye level or slightly lower 4 Contrast and brightness of the screen should be equal to its surroundings
Follow the 20-20 rule — look at a
5
faraway object for 20 seconds every 20 minutes
6 Ensure regular eye examinations to check whether blurring, headaches and other problems are caused by any underlying disorders
THE CULPRIT
Keyboard
THE SCARY BIT
Improper positioning of the keyboard can lead to sore wrists. But that’s just the beginning. It can lead to serious conditions like tenosynovitis, DeQuervain’s disease, ganglionic cysts, tendonitis and carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). CTS is a condition when the median nerve — running from the forearm into the palm of the hand — becomes dysfunctional. This can happen due to constant pressure on the nerve, hence squeezing at the wrist. It involves arthritis of the wrist, pain, weakness or numbness in the hand, wrist and arm. Once developed, it can be difficult or even impossible to cure.
Keyboards can also give you allergies, skin infections and even diarrhoea. Says Dr Harshavardhan Hegde, director, orthopaedic and joint replacement at Fortis Group of Hospitals: “Dust, food particles and saliva droplets [through coughing] on typepads become host to bacteria like E coli. They get into our system when we rest our face on our hands.”
THE CHECK
1 Position the keyboard just above your lap so that your arms tilt downward while using the keyboard, leaving your elbows at a comfortable “open” angle
2 Keep elbows at 90 degrees and wrist straight to avoid pressure on median nerve
3 If your keyboard tray is non-adjustable, then adjust your chair height. Keep the keyboard slightly away from you such that maximum pressure is on the palm
4 If you have a broad chest, consider a ‘split’ keyboard. It divides the keyboard into two halves, each pointing slightly outwards, letting your wrists and forearms point inward without requiring your elbows to come in as far. Thinner people may find a traditional “straight” keyboard more comfortable
5 Consider using a voice recognition software program & free yourself from the keyboard
THE CULPRIT
Mouse
THE SCARY BIT
Incorrect use of the mouse can induce epicondylitis and worsen tendonitis. Epicondylitis includes inflammation of the elbow due to inflammation of the tendon (a fibrous tissue that connects muscles to bones) at the edge of the elbow. Using a mouse positioned higher than the keyboard or the far side of the keyboard resulting in hyperextension of the arm can cause it.
THE CHECK
1 To avoid epicondylitis, type soft and keep your mouse within easy reach. Also consider a wireless mouse. Use mouse pads with wrist rests for additional support
2 Keep your shoulders relaxed. If your chair has armrests, rest your elbows on them during recess
3 Where possible, use keyboard shortcuts or macros instead of mouse. This will reduce the amount of typing you need to do. For instance use the start-up menu key on the type pad or Ctrl-C to copy. You can even buy software programs that allow you to easily record macros for any software and assign complex key sequences
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