Top 10 Common Office Ailments and Prevention

1. Dry, Tired Eyes, and Poor Vision

This is one of the most prevalent office ailments. For those who frequently use computers, especially for extended periods, eye strain tends to increase due to inadequate distance between the eyes and the computer screen, lighting conditions, and prolonged focus on the screen without giving the eyes a break. As a result, the eyes remain dry, tired, and achy.

Preventive Measures: Take a 2-minute break from the screen every hour and practice eye exercises. Use eye drops or medication to regulate eye moisture. Every half hour of work, direct your eyes towards a window with sunlight to relax your eyes, reducing dryness and fatigue.

2. Cervical Spine Degeneration

Prolonged sitting demands proper posture. Sitting for extended periods with a fixed posture is a major cause of cervical spine degeneration, hunchback... affecting younger generations, especially with incorrect sitting postures. Keeping the neck immobile not only contributes to this but also bending to look at phones hinders blood circulation, leading to joint and spine degeneration, causing back pain, neck and shoulder stiffness. Continuous typing and mouse clicking strain the hand joints, causing pain. Prolonged sitting with the neck in an immobile and slightly bent position leads to cervical spine degeneration due to poor blood circulation. Lack of movement with prolonged sitting causes back pain.

Preventive Measures: Stand up, stretch your neck, shoulders, massage the neck area, rotate your neck in circles left and then right for 1-2 minutes every 30 minutes to promote blood circulation in the neck area.

Lack of physical activity, improper sitting posture, no exercise, coupled with snacking habits, leads to low energy expenditure while the body accumulates excess calories, resulting in both men and women tending to 'gain weight'. Not only that, the waistline also gradually increases in size, but few people realize this change.

Sitting all day in front of a computer, even during lunch, is a factor that makes office-related diseases more serious. At this point, not only do you become overweight, but you may also develop digestive system diseases such as stomach pain...

Prevention: Stand up and walk around every hour or actively move within the office to limit sitting time, quit snacking, sit with a straight back, stay active

One common office-related ailment is carpal tunnel syndrome. The most noticeable symptoms of this syndrome include a tingling, tired feeling, and pain in the wrist joints, which can gradually spread to the arms, even the shoulder joints, affecting daily activities. If left untreated, it can lead to stiffness, sharp pain in the wrist bones, numbness in the fingers, and possible damage to the carpal nerve. The pain may intensify at night and the hands may feel stiff in the morning.

Prevention: To alleviate this condition, sit with a straight posture, regularly massage your hands, and stretch your fingers and arms in your free time.

Vascular headache is a common office ailment. Patients often experience throbbing, uncomfortable headaches, dizziness, and even fainting spells. Typically, the pain persists on either the right or left side of the head with a stabbing sensation. Those suffering from migraines are more prone to recurrence, especially after prolonged computer work. Moreover, work and life pressures contribute to increased tension, further exacerbating the severity of the condition.

Prevention: Relax during break times, use both hands to massage the temple acupressure points for a minute to alleviate migraine symptoms.

Chronic venous insufficiency is quite common in office workers due to prolonged sitting in a folded position, impeding venous blood return. Initially, there is numbness and tingling in the legs, followed by swelling. Prolonged sitting, lack of movement, along with a low-water and low-fiber diet can contribute to hemorrhoids.

Prevention: Every 120 minutes, shake and stretch your legs, massage the calf muscles, flex and extend your feet. Stay hydrated. Consume a high-fiber diet. Exercise regularly.

The office is a breeding ground for bacteria, with a 400 times higher risk of illness compared to home hygiene. Consequently, the likelihood of catching colds, pneumonia is much higher, especially in women who generally have a weaker immune system than men. Another common office ailment is dry and allergic skin. The use of air conditioning in the office can dehydrate your skin, leading to dryness and increasing the risk of allergies or skin inflammation, causing your skin to deteriorate.

Prevention: Drink enough water, 2-2.5 liters per day, consume plenty of fruits to hydrate your body daily. Take a break every 1-2 hours to breathe fresh air. If your skin is dry, use a moisturizer as directed by the manufacturer.

In recent years, the prevalence of office workers experiencing depression has been on the rise. It is concerning that the rate of depression in women is twice that of men. This is an inevitable consequence of women working excessively and enduring prolonged stress. For office workers, the common occurrence of prolonged sitting and lack of exercise can be mitigated with a strong physical foundation, which helps in preventing depression.

Prevention: Dedicate at least 2 hours to exercise every week, even just 10-15 minutes at the office, for a healthy body, a clear and comfortable mind during work.

Blood clotting is the formation of clumps in blood vessels or the heart. These clots can travel to the brain and lungs, causing strokes and various other dangerous complications. Those who spend extended hours working with computers, particularly in the IT sector, often experience prolonged periods of inactivity, leading to the formation of potentially dangerous blood clots.

Prevention: If your job requires extensive computer use, make it a habit to stand up for a short break, at least once every hour. Even walking to the restroom or strolling around the office can help prevent the formation of blood clots.

Recent studies have revealed that most keyboards and mobile phones harbor a variety of bacteria. Apart from spreading common illnesses like colds and flu, dirty technological devices can lead to contamination with staphylococcus bacteria and other serious infectious diseases.

Prevention: Regularly clean your workspace, keyboard, and computer screen with antibacterial solutions. Wash your hands thoroughly before and after eating while working in the office to ensure hygiene.