Technology and Your Health: Part II

Technology can help your health in some incredible ways, from tiny pedometers that remind you to keep moving, to calorie tracking apps, to smart scales capable of measuring your heart rate.

It’s really pretty cool.

But being so engrossed in technology can also have some negative effects on your body. It can increase neck and back pain and nearsightedness, just to name a few.

Millions of individuals sit at a computer for prolonged periods of time for their job or for fun. As a result, one of the most common complaints of folks who are at a computer for many hours a day is neck and upper back pain. An improper setup could be the primary factor for why these symptoms occur. It is crucial to have a proper ergonomic setup to decrease risk of injury in the muscles and joints.

Here are some great resources for designing your own ergonomically correct workspace:

The Mayo Clinic

Life Hacker

Sitting in front of a computer screen for hours per day can also put a real strain on your eyes.

According to WebMD, the name for eye problems caused by computer use is computer vision syndrome (CVS). CVS is not one specific eye problem. Instead, the term encompasses a whole range of eye strain and pain experienced by computer users.

Making a few simple changes in your work environment – such as adjusting the screen’s brightness, regularly looking away from the screen and rearranging your desk – can help prevent and improve computer vision symptoms.