Even though office work may not seem like a particularly dangerous type of work, it is becoming increasingly common for those who spend their days at a desk to experience significant health problems as a result. The following looks at some of the most common office ailments, some tips for preventing them from occurring, as well as how to deal with them if they do develop.
RSI
One of the most common office ailments is suffering from an RSI, or repetitive stress injury, which as the name suggests results from doing the same activity repetitively over a long period of time. RSI’s typically affect the wrists, hands, shoulders, elbows, knees, back or ankles, and can come as a result of heavy lifting, repetitive motion, constant stress, awkward positioning, or holding one part of your body immobile for extended periods of time.
RSI’s can be extremely painful and ultimately debilitating, with the best approach to them being ensuring that everything from the tools you use to the way your work area is organised, is done with the health of your body in mind, and also that you have health insurance coverage for any RSI’s you may develop.
Lower Back Pain
One of the worst things that you can do for your body is to spend extended periods of time sitting, so it is no surprise that office workers regularly develop lower back injuries. Having a well supported office chair is key, as is making sure that you are sitting with your feel flat on the floor and your legs uncrossed, because without a good chair and correct posture, it is only a matter of time before your back starts to have problems.
Having a well supported bed and pillows can also help a lot, as it will allow your body to recover from the hours of sitting, and can prevent a small strain in your back from becoming something far more serious.
Eye Strain
Looking at a computer all day can be extremely bad for your eyes, and even cause lasting damage to your retina, so make sure that you are taking regular breaks from looking at the computer screen. It recommended that you spend at least a minute or two every 20 minutes looking away from the computer, and ideally looking at something in the distance, as this will allow your eyes to relax a little and help prevent problems developing with your vision.
Bacteria
Offices can quickly become extremely dirty places, and in particular, areas like keyboards, telephones and desks can develop into breeding grounds for all sorts of bacteria. Cleaning your personal office equipment at the start and end of each day is a wise move, and if you have come down with a cold or flu, don’t come in to work, because you will only be making others sick.
Stress
People work longer office hours now days than ever before, with most office workers having to deal with the stress of long hours, high workloads and constant deadlines, and as a result a lot of office workers end up being quite stressed. Stress can cause anything from aches and pains in your body right through to depression, so make sure that you are carving out some time for yourself away from work, because otherwise chances are good you will simply burn yourself out.
