Computer and Your Health

The Signs and Symptoms Associated with Computer Use

The most commonly noticed signs and symptoms associated with long-time use of computer are as follows:

1. Numbness or a burning sensation in the hand
2. Reduced grip strength in the hand
3. Swelling or stiffness in the joints
4. Pain in wrists, forearms, elbows, neck, or back followed by discomfort
5. Reduced range of motion in the shoulder, neck, or back
6. Dry, itchy, or sore eyes
7. Blurred or double vision
8. Aching or tingling
9. Cramping
10. Loss of color in affected regions
11. Weakness
12. Tension stress headaches and related ailments

If the user experiences any of the above symptoms, he/she should evaluate the probable cause, which can be any of the following factors:

• Unnatural or unhealthy posture while using the computer
• Inadequate lower back support
• Sitting in the same position for an extended period of time
• Ergonomically poor set-up of the workstation

Prevention of Computer-Related Health Hazards

An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure. What are the things that we should do to prevent contacting computer-related health hazards?

General Precautions

• Take regular breaks from working at your computer - a few minutes at least once an hour
• Alternate mixing computer tasks with non computer tasks to avoid strain
• Stretch regularly to relax your body
• Make use of appropriate equipment such as footrests, wrist/palm rests, and document holders if required
• Keep the mouse and keyboard at the same level
• Do not grip the mouse too tightly - hold the mouse lightly and click gently
• Familiarize yourself with keyboard shortcuts for applications you regularly use like Ctrl+S to save and Ctrl+P to print (to avoid overusing the mouse).

Setting Up Your Workstation

The workstation normally includes the monitor, keyboard, mouse, computer chair and desk. These must be set up correctly. Additional accessories might include a footrest, wrist rest, and document holder. The following must be taken into consideration to set up the workstation properly.

The Monitor

• It should swivel, tilt and elevate - if not use an adjustable stand, books, or blocks to adjust the height.
• The top line of the monitor must not be higher than your eyes or lower than 20° below the horizon of your eyes or field of vision.
• It must be at the same level and near the document holder if you use one.
• It should be between 18 to 24 inches or an arm's length away from your face.

The Keyboard and Computer Desk

• The keyboard should be detachable and adjustable (with legs to adjust angle).
• It should allow your forearms to be parallel to the floor without having to raise your elbows.
• It should allow your wrists to be in line with your forearms so your wrists need not be flexed up or down.
• There should be enough space to rest your wrists. A padded detachable wrist rest can be used as support for the wrists.
• It should be placed directly in front of the monitor and at the same height as the mouse, track ball, touch pad, or any other pointing device.

The Computer Chair

• It should support the back, and have a vertically adjustable independent back rest that returns to its original position and should have tilt adjustment to support the lower back.
• The height can be adjusted so the back crease of the knee is slightly higher than the pan of the chair (use a suitable footrest, if required).
• It should be supported by a five prong caster base.
• Ensure that it has removable and adjustable armrests.
• It should also have a contoured seat with breathable fabric and rounded edges to distribute the weight and should be adjustable to allow the seat pan to tilt forward or back.

The Table/Desk

• It provides ample leg room and is height adjustable (preferably).
• It should have enough room to support the computer equipment and space for documents.
• It should be at least 900 mm deep.
• It should have rounded and blunt corners and edges.

Top Computer-Related Health Hazards

Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI)

Repetitive strain injury occurs when the movable parts of the limbs are injured. Upper limb disorders (also called RSI, or tenosynovitis) may rapidly lead to permanent incapacity. This injury is common to computer professionals, musicians, students, and others who have to use their hands regularly in a repetitive manner.

The common symptom includes constant pain in the hands, elbows, shoulders, neck, and the back. Other symptoms are cramps, tingling, and numbness in the hands. The hand movements of the user may become clumsy and the person may find it difficult even to fasten buttons.

The common diagnoses seen in this group are Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Tenosynovitis, Bursitis, White Limb, and Shoulder pain. A major cause is strain due to long unbroken periods of work. Ergonomics or the lack of it plays a very important role. Lack of information about the condition leads to neglect by the concerned individuals.

Palliative measures
People concerned should seek medical attention when early symptoms set in. Measures that can be adopted at an individual level include:

• Observance of proper posture and following recommended workstation arrangement.
• Take a short rest every 15 minutes and slightly long breaks after every hour.
• Drink adequate fluids to keep the tendons and soft tissues soft.
• Know keyboard shortcuts.
• Don't talk on the phone with it between the face and the shoulder to avoid neck strain.
• No games or surfing to lessen stress on hands.

Carpal tunnel syndrome and any other form of tendonitis or repetitive strain injury can be crippling for computer users and artists. Therefore, these problems should not be taken lightly.

Computer Vision Syndrome

Computer vision syndrome or CVS is the nickname for eyestrain.  The American Optometric Association defined  it as "A complex of eye and vision problems which are experienced during and related to computer use."  The symptoms associated with eyestrain are:

• Itching, burning and watering eyes.
• Jerky eye movements.
• Eyes that cross or turn in or out.
• Squinting, eye rubbing, or excessive blinking.
• Blurred vision or double vision.
• Light sensitivity after reading.
• Headaches, dizziness, nausea, or fatigues easily after reading.
• Head tilting, closing or blocking one eye when reading.
• Skips lines or loses place when reading.
• Difficulty tracking moving objects.
• Misaligning letters or numbers.
• Unusual posture or moving head closely to see book or paper.
• Avoidance of near work such as reading.
• While reading, you feel that words, letters, or lines run together or jump around.
• Difficulty concentrating or comprehending reading material.
• Persistent reversals of numbers, letters, or words after second grade.
• Writes crooked or poorly spaced.
• Poor eye hand coordination.
• Inconsistent or poor sports performance.
• Frequent changes in prescription eyeglasses.

The cause of CVS stems from basically 2 problems. The first is with the prolonged viewing of computer screens. The viewing of the computer characters and images requires subtle but continual refocusing. If this is done regularly, CVS results from this change in dynamics.

The second relates to the blinking of the eyes. An average computer user blinks approximately 4 times per minute, far less than the natural rate of 22 blinks per minute. This lower blink rate causes eye moisture to evaporate, resulting in a "dry eyes". The effects of dry eyes are sensations such as itching, burning, blurring, heavy eyelids, fatigue and double vision.

There is no evidence yet that computer work causes permanent eye damage. But the temporary discomfort that may occur can reduce productivity, cause lost work time, and reduce job satisfaction and self-confidence of the user.

In most cases eyestrain results from visual fatigue or glare from bright windows or strong light sources, light reflecting off the display screen, or poor display screen contrast.

Methods to Avoid Eyestrain

• Exercise the eyes by periodically focusing on objects at varying distances.
• Consciously blink the eyes regularly.
• Rest your eyes by covering them with your palms for 10-15 seconds.
• Try to keep the air around you moist by having plants, open pans of water or a humidifier.
• Adjust the screen height (eyes should be in line with the top of the monitor screen); the brightness of your monitor screen; the contrast of your monitor screen to make the characters distinct from the background; the refresh rate of your monitor to stop it flickering; the position of monitors to avoid glare (e.g. not directly in front of windows).
• Keep your monitor screen clean.
• Keep the screen and document holder (if you use one) at the same distance from your eyes.
• You need to service, repair, or replace monitors that flicker or have insufficient clarity.
• Do regular eye testing at least once every 2 years and more frequently if necessary. Wear rigid rather than soft contact lens.

Exercises for Computer Users

After making sure that the computer workstation is set up correctly, the next step is to cultivate good work habits. "A healthy mind is a healthy body." Working on the computer keeps your body at rest for a long time and gets typically no exercise. That's why computer users tend to go out of shape and gain weight apart from the other health problems discussed throughout this book.

However, this can be avoided by doing simple exercises at the work place during short breaks to keep you fit all day. Here are some of the exercises that you can do to prevent prolonged, static postures and facilitate blood circulation.

For the Eyes:

To the sides: Focus both eyes to your sides, together. Do so to the left and right sides alternately five times each, without turning your neck or head.

Up and down: Similarly, do so to top and bottom five times each alternately. Ensure that your head and neck are steady and are not moving while you move your eyes.

Rotation: Now, rotate your eyes as to form a circle, both eyes focusing together at each point, five times in the clockwise direction and five times in the counter-clockwise direction. This exercise can be done at your own comfortable pace.

For the Neck:

To the sides: Breath in, turn your neck to your right side and bring back to the normal position while you breathe out. This is done five times each to both right and left sides alternately.

Up and down: Similarly, breathe in and tilt your neck up so as to look at the roof. Now, bend down so that your chin touches your body while you breathe out. This is done alternately up and down five times each at your own pace.

Rotation: Now, rotate your neck as to form a circle while you breathe normally. While you rotate, your head should be bent down first taking it to one shoulder, then bending back, now touching the other shoulder, and then coming to the initial position. This is done five times in the clockwise direction and five times in the anticlockwise direction. Never overstrain yourself while you do this exercise. The number of times can be reduced according to your convenience and health.

For the Extremities:

Wrist Rotation: Stretch both arms straight to the front with closed fists. Rotate both the fists together ten times clockwise and counter-clockwise. Do ensure that only your fists are rotating and the rest of your arms are stationery.

Elbow Rotation: Bend your hands towards the front and hold your shoulders with your palms. Now, rotate your elbows ten times clockwise and ten times counter-clockwise.

Whole hands, small circles: Stretch both hands to the sides holding your palms straight up perpendicular to the hands. Now, make small circles with both palms ten times in the clockwise then counter-clockwise. Note that the smaller the circle, the better relaxation to your hands.

Whole hands, big circles: Stretch your hands to the sides. Make big circles (as big as possible) with both the hands ten times clockwise then counter-clockwise. The number of times can be increased gradually as this becomes less strenuous. All these exercises can be done while sitting or standing.

For the Back and Shoulders

Backward: Stand straight in the attention posture. Breathe in while you bend back and come back to the normal position while you breathe out. Bend your back as much as possible, but without straining your back. Try to do this ten times.

Forward: Stand straight in the attention posture. Raise both hands up while you breathe in and come down to touch your toes while you breathe out, with knees slightly bent. Most users tend to increase their waist length on prolonged use with computers. This is the apt exercise for such people. You can start off this exercise with five numbers gradually increasing to ten in the first week, fifteen in the second and third weeks, and can go till thirty-five daily if your back permits.

Shoulders: Use a large bath towel and grasp it at opposite corners. Sling it across the shoulder of tightness and bring both ends across to the opposite hip or waist. With the arm on that side pull gently downward and then release slowly.

Apart from these exercises, you can go for jogging, brisk walking, aerobics, swimming, outdoor games etc. to be in good shape and improve your stamina. Remember, you don't get much exercise the whole day when you are in front of your computer. So, sacrifice your one-hour in the morning or evening for your healthy body to have a healthy mind.