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DANGER AHEAD
Posted Date: 22 Mar 2008 Resource Type: Articles/Knowledge Sharing Category: Computer & Technology
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Posted By: arunkumar Member Level: Gold
Rating:  Points: 5
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Aditi stretched back in her chair and
shut her eyes. She put down her
specs and massaged the bunched
up muscles in her neck; that nagging pain
in the neck had spread to the middle of
her back. She cracked her knuckles and
flexed her fingers. Her eyes were burning.
“Ah well! A good night’s rest and cold pad
for the eyes will take care of that.” Thinking
this, she shut down her PC and picked
up her bag to go home.
Sounds familiar? This probably
describes how most of us who spend long
hours sitting in front of the computer feel
at the end of the day. We are slowly waking
up to the fact that our stressful work
habits may be the cause of the constant
discomfiture we feel but can’t put our finger
on. Statistics show a rise in health hazards
related to a sedentary life spent at the
desk, usually in front of the computer—
of all occupational illnesses, musculoskeletal
disorders rose from 18 per cent
in 1985 to 52 per cent in 1989 and 56 per
cent in 1991. Other studies show that 31
per cent of medical claims made by
employees pertaining to a computer environment
involved back strain. The medical
compensation caused by these and
other work-related health hazards exceed
$100 billion annually in the US alone.
This awareness has given rise to the
study of ergonomics: the bio-technology
working towards reducing the stress
caused by our daily tools of work to maximise
productivity and reduce operator
fatigue and discomfort. Ergonomic disorders
such as Carpel Tunnel Syndrome
(CTS), various tendon disorders and
lower back injuries are among the mostrapidly
growing recordable injuries and
illnesses. Thus, increasingly more number
of organisations and users are opting
for their equipment to be designed and
arranged to facilitate a healthy and efficient
working environment.
In an environment where computers
are used, ergonomics is applied to the physical
design of the peripherals that we come
in direct contact with, such as the keyboard,
screens and the mouse. And this
wave of change in work environments has
come around the right time. The hazards
of constant computing and addiction show up as negligible symptoms, but snowball
into more serious health complications.
Occupational hazards
Nirav Shah is a standard 10 student who
was exposed to computers as early in life
as post-primary school. His parents, like
most others, wanted their child to get a
headstart in life. Today, they are quite perturbed
by his hyperopic eyesight, amply
evident by the growing thickness of his
spectacles. Nirav spends most his time
glued to the PC and shows all the symptoms
of eyestrain caused by overexposure
to the electromagnetic radiations emitted
by the monitor—irritation in the eyes,
strain, blurred vision, redness and
burning.
The eyes are the first to get affected by
prolonged computing and the spinal cord
comes a close second. Cervical Spondylitis
is a disorder pertaining to the neck—
inflammation of the vertebrae manifests
as pain and stiffness. This, according to Dr
Prakash Nelapana, a homeopath based in
Mumbai, is the most common ailment
among computer users. The usual culprit is
the monitor, especially when placed at an
improper level. Another common ailment
is positional backache, which Dr Nelapana
terms as Lumber Strain and believes it to be
caused by improper chairs found in most
offices (see box, ‘The Workaholics Guide to
Healthy Computing’).
Other persistent health hazards
are Carpel Tunnel Syndrome
(CTS) and Repetitive
Strain/Stress Injury (RSI). PC
users most commonly complain
of numbness or pain, anywhere
from the shoulders to the joints
of the fingers, weakness at the
wrist, clumsiness while handling
or holding things and
nocturnal awakening. These are
the symptoms of CTS—the
inflammation of the tendons of
the hand, brought about by repetitive
activities involving the hand or wrist such
as using the keyboard and the mouse over
a prolonged period of time. Studies have
shown that CTS comprises 13 per cent of
all workplace injuries.
RSI is a more chronic ailment causedover the years. Capillaries carry blood to
muscles and tendons. As tense muscles
squeeze (like when bending the finger or
the wrist), blood flow to the affected area
slows down. When the blood flow stops, a
muscle has enough energy stored to cope
with the tension for a brief while. Once
this is expended, the muscle switches to an
inefficient form of energy supply. Once
this too is over, lactic acid builds up in the
muscle, causing pain and fatigue. In a
reflex reaction called the splinting reaction,
the neighbouring muscles tense up,
triggering a self-sustaining pain cycle. The
pain can also migrate from one part of the
limb to another. Over time, the strained
muscles turn hyper-sensitive and develop
specific tender points called myofascial
trigger points. The inadequate blood supply
causes numbness and tingling.
On account of larger
nerves being squeezed, the tingling
and numbness is more
defined.
The tell-tale signs of RSI are
pain, stiffness, swelling, numbness
and tingling in the hands,
wrists, elbows, shoulders, back
or neck. RSI is common not
only among those who use the PC, but
also those who employ long periods of
steady hand movement, such as musicians
and sportspeople. It is common with work
that demands repetitive grasping, turning
and twisting, like while using the computer
keyboard or operating a power tool.
Stressful wrist and neck positions, as those
faced by desk workers, serve only to aggravate
the potential for damage.
Prevention better than cure
With computers becoming an integral
part of our work implements, prevention
is the only course. Denial of the earlystage
symptoms, according to Dr Nelapana,
is one of the main causes that aggravates
the condition. Precautionary measures
need to be interwoven into our daily
lifestyle and methods of working. This is
where ergonomic devices come in. These
devices are specially designed under medical
observation to reduce stress upon the
concerned body part and reduce the
chances, if not prevent the possibility of
any injury. While awareness of the benefits
of using, say, an ergonomic mouse or
keyboard is not widespread, most dealers
stock the whole gamut of devices.
Mr Sandeep Parasrampuria, director
of BestIt, a vendor of ergonomic devices
affirms, saying, “No one comes in looking
specifically for an ergonomic device.
The health benefits have to be pointed
out as one of the additional features.” (See
box, ‘Ergonomic devices’.)
Another precaution, which is ignored
as much as it is stressed upon, is to develop
a healthy lifestyle and work environment.
A balanced diet, regular exercise,
proper ventilation, and breaks to stretch
and give the eyes some rest go a long way
in letting us savour our working moments.
The line between dedication and
addiction is a fine one and can be easily
crossed. While technology continues to
open new frontiers, it brings with it newer
hazards. Just as with life, the universe and
everything beyond, the beige box needs a
healthy serving of salt.
by overstrain that can develop unnoticed
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