The IT sector is one of the most flourishing sectors with more employment than any other. But the nebulous umbrella of these IT industries has engulfed the health security of IT professionals. IT employees spend hours upon hours sitting rigidly in front of the computers monitoring the IT systems even outside normal business hours. The prolonged exposure to the digital screen not only affects their eyes but puts the entire body's health at risk.
Here in this article, we will discuss certain health risks that IT professionals are prone to and their respective prevention techniques. Check it out now!
Heart Diseases
You must be wondering how come IT professionals suffer from heart diseases when their eyes are exposed to digital screens for such a long duration. The rigid sitting position hours after hours causes spikes of stress levels that affect sleep quality. This in turn causes anxiety and bad eating habits. These lead to obesity, and the result is cardiac arrest at an early age.
Thrombosis: Even if the term doesn’t seem mysterious to you, the outcomes surely will. Deep-vein thrombosis is a severe health disorder in which blood clots travel to the lungs and brain and cause strokes, pulmonary embolism, etc.
Prevention: Stand-up or a walk at frequent intervals, in between work normalizes the steady flow of blood, thereby preventing blood clots.
Repetitive Stress Injury
This is a strange kind of health disorder that plagues not only IT professionals but also gamer or anyone addicted to digital devices. Constant clicking on a mouse or keeping the hand in the same position for a long time overworks a couple of muscles while the other goes in a state of numbness. These cause swelling, stiffness, nervous breakdown, etc.
Anxiety, stress, and depression: In recent researches, it has been found that there is a deep connection between computer usage and depression. IT professionals are good at managing crisis and disaster recovery, but this, in turn, causes extreme stress, mood swing that leads them to depression and other health issues.
Insomnia: Working late into the evenings and staring at the electronic devices tires the eyes. It is due to the illuminated screen that restricts the production of melatonin. This results in sleep disorder and causes chronic health problems.
Prevention: Whether RSI, Insomnia, or anxiety, all are correlated, and hence you need to keep all your body parts active even while you work sitting at the same place. Take short breaks in between and stretch yourself to activate all your muscles and nerves. Yoga and meditation could be equally helpful in your non-working hours to reduce stress and improve your sleep quality.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
This is the kind of disorder that occurs due to continuous wrist movement. One can feel a burning or tingling sensation as a symptom that eventually leads to severe pain and decreased wrist mobility.
Prevention: Stretch your hands regularly and keep your system at least 2 feet away. The top viewing area should be at your eye level and keep your wrist straight and elbows at 90-degrees while typing.
Vision Problems
The eyes are the most delicate part of your body that suffers excessive strain as you spend long hours in front of digital screens. IT professionals work long hours, and hence they suffer from certain visionary issues. These cause eye irritation, digital eye strain, and in worst cases cataracts as well.
Prevention: Professionals can't stop working, but as a precautionary measure they can use computer glasses. These are coated with an anti-reflective coating that safeguards eyes from digital glares and harmful blue light.
Neck strain and Lower back pain
Neck strain is a chronic problem that may cause cervical spondylotic. Bad neck position even leads to neck scoliosis, which is a serious issue. Sitting at the same place at the same posture results in lower back pain, which is equally painful and dangerous if not treated immediately. Continuous neck strain causes headaches due to bad connectivity between the brain and body.
Prevention: Taking frequent breaks would be of much help in these situations. Neck movement, simple body stretch, or a little walk could help any IT professional to get rid of such health disorders.
Since the IT sector is a growing field, the few simple hacks mentioned above would help to deal with pains and health issues related to constantly sitting in front of the computer. Nevertheless, enough knowledge about probable disorders and their preventive measure helps to stay physically and mentally sharp.
