By Nigel Hilton
Can computers really make you ill? Some people would like you to think so.
There have been various reports in the media that there are now some modern diseases and health conditions that stem from our excessive use of computers and laptops. But is that really the case? Read on to find out the truth about computers and illness!
Back And Neck Strain
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Lots of people find that they start to develop back and neck pain after they use their computer for a long time. This is because most people slouch when they are sitting in front of a computer. There are some ways to try and remedy this. The first thing you should do is buy a professional computer chair as these are ergonomically made to help with posture. You can find these at most good office chairs stores. It is also important to make sure that your screen and keyboard are correctly placed on the desk. Ideally, your forearms should have enough room to rest on the desk. Your screen should be at eye height, but not too close to your eyes.
Repetitive Strain Injury
If you are on the computer for a while, you will no doubt be typing for a lot of that time. And that can be bad for your hands and wrists. In fact, if you regularly type for long periods, you might find that you end up developing repetitive strain injury (RSI). This occurs when joints are repetitively used and end up getting strained. The best way to deal with this condition is to rest your hands as often as possible. You can also buy special wrist rests to place under your wrists while you type. These take away some of the strain from all that typing!
Insomnia
Do you find that it takes you awhile to get asleep after you’ve been working at your computer? That’s all to do with the blue light that computer screens emit. This blue light reduces the amount of melatonin that the body produces. Melatonin is needed to help the body and mind fall asleep at nighttime. Overnight, our melatonin levels fall, causing in us waking up in the morning. After a long time at the computer, your melatonin levels will be very low, making it much harder to fall asleep. For this reason, it’s important that you have a break away from the computer for at least an hour to give your melatonin levels a chance to build up.
Radiation
Some people believe that computers are dangerous because of the amount of radiation they emit. It’s true that they do emit radiation – but is it really damaging to our health? There are still lots of studies into this and, thankfully, most of them say that the radiation levels are too low to make us ill. However, if you are worried about radiation, the best thing you can do is limit your time on the computer.
If you take all the right precautions, you shouldn’t have to worry about any adverse health effects from your computer.
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