Carpal tunnel syndrome due to moving the computer mouse, diseases related to bones, joints, spine due to sitting posture, dry eyes due to staring at the screen... are symptoms that office workers often encounter, commonly called "Office worker disease“. Office workers
According to a survey in the US published on Asiaone.com, on average, a business development employee has to work from 8 to 12 hours a day at the office. Sitting in one place for a long time has a big impact on health, but most office workers are not aware of this. Experts have listed 8 specific symptoms above and give instructions on how to fix them as follows:
Carpal tunnel syndrome can be caused by using a computer mouse:
Working long hours at a desk is a risk factor for RSI (repetitive strain injury). Tim Hutchful, a chiropractor based in the UK, warns that dragging a mouse across your desk can also increase your risk of RSI. So to protect yourself, Joanna Lim, an occupational therapist at Changi General Hospital, recommends adjusting your chair so that the armrests are level with the desk to provide good support for your arm when using the mouse. Avoid bending your elbows when using the mouse. “Don’t let your wrists rest on the edge of the desk as this can compress the nerves in your wrists (causing carpal tunnel syndrome),” says Joanna Lim.
Incorrect sitting posture leads to bone and joint problems:
Joanna Lim said that up to 60% patients with musculoskeletal disorders (back, shoulder, and neck pain) are office workers. The main "culprit" is confirmed to be the wrong working chair. The design of the chair will lead to incorrect sitting posture, increasing the weight on your spine and muscles. In the long run, it will lead to dislocation and compression of the spinal nerves. Therefore, to limit this negative impact, choose a chair so that when you sit, your buttocks are comfortable and there is space on both sides of the hips. In addition, the chair needs to be flexible and have a backrest at the back. In addition, you should remember the 20-20 rule when sitting at work. That is, every 20 minutes of continuous sitting, stand up for 20 seconds and stretch or shake your body. “Taking 20 seconds away from your computer can help reduce stress and fatigue and improve blood circulation,” says Alan Hedge, a professor at Cornell University.
Eating at your desk and the risk of spreading bacteria:
People who regularly eat at their desks should take note that British biologists have found that computer keyboards are an ideal breeding ground for bacteria. In fact, many workplaces are found to contain five times more bacteria than toilets, and the main source of bacteria is the food that people leave there. “Just a tiny piece of food that falls on the keyboard is an ideal place for bacteria to grow,” said Dr. Mark Enright, a biologist at the University of London. So it’s best not to eat at your desk. Eat in a common area. Remember to wash your hands before and after using the keyboard to remove bacteria that you can carry from the keyboard to anywhere else.
Clamp the phone between your head and shoulder to chat:
Holding the phone between your head and shoulder to talk increases the risk of compressing the spine, nerves and even causing a minor stroke. This study was published in the journal Neurology. A 43-year-old Frenchman suffered temporary blindness, tinnitus and loss of speech after holding the phone between his head and shoulder for an hour to talk. Doctors said that this patient had ruptured the carotid artery, which carries blood to the brain and eyes. After this incident, neurologist Mathieu Zuber, who directly treated the French patient, advised that people should turn on the speakerphone or switch ears when talking for a long time.
Eye strain from staring at the screen:
Eye strain and fatigue (eye muscle fatigue) are not just caused by poor eyesight, but can also be caused by dry eyes. This study was published by Norwegian scientists. They noted that when using a computer, people blink 10 times per minute, less than when talking normally. This causes the "tear film" (which is responsible for keeping the front of the eyeball moist) to evaporate quickly. And when the "tear film" is not healthy, your vision will be reduced and not sharp. Researchers recommend that every hour of work you should close your eyes and rest for 3 minutes to restore your vision. "And if your boss suspects you are falling asleep, tell him that you need a 3-minute break to restore the 'tear film'."
Office atmosphere:
In addition to negatively affecting the ability to concentrate on work, unclean air in the office also causes a series of health problems.
Research by the US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health noted that workers in air-conditioned offices are 2.5 times more likely to suffer from respiratory problems than those working in naturally ventilated environments. The question is how do you know if the air in your workplace is good or bad? Pay attention to your body if you feel bad health symptoms at the end of the day or during the week of working in a closed air-conditioned environment, it may be because the environment at work is destroying your immune system. So sometimes you should open the office window to let the air circulate. If you don't have the conditions, you should go outside to breathe fresh air (don't smoke). Moreover, walking also helps increase your ability to concentrate on work.
Electromagnetic overload:
Computers, phones, photocopiers, wifi transmitters and all electrical devices placed under your feet will create an electromagnetic layer that surrounds you. As a result, many office workers often complain that they feel headaches, fatigue and skin and eye irritation while working. One way to limit this situation is to use an ion neutralizer in the air. If the company cannot afford to buy an industrial-scale ion neutralizer, each employee can also equip themselves with a mini device with similar features and a relatively low price on the market.
Stress with coworkers:
Workplace stress is common among “virtual” teams of colleagues (that is, those who communicate only via email and phone). A study by the computer company Casio found that “virtual” teams of employees take four times longer to build trust than teams that regularly communicate face-to-face. A separate study in the UK also found that the productivity of people who do not trust each other drops by more than 40%, and they themselves face twice the risk of heart disease due to stress with colleagues. Therefore, researchers recommend that, to work effectively, try to build trust with colleagues, perhaps over a meal or a few drinks to talk to each other.
According to Thi Tran (VNExpress)
