Is Your Geeky Lifestyle Affecting Your Health?

Most of us may not consider ourselves "geeks" yet we spend a lot our time in front of a computer. In reality, you don't have to live a geek lifestyle to show early signs of health problems that affect those in techie fields such as programmers, web designers, or other IT workers. Today, most office workers sit in front of a computer for more than eight hours, then go home to sit in front of a computer for another eight. One internal medicine physician tells Tech-Recipes there are several health problems he sees among the tech-focused population. They're really no-brainers, and anyone who spends way to much time online will recognize the symptoms immediately. You can read the entire article here, but I'll give you a quick rundown of the problems and remedies (some offered by me) below:

Poor Sleeping Habits

Problem: Insomnia and altered sleep patterns are common problems that could worsen when people wake up in the middle of the night and turn their laptop or TV on on a regular basis. As the problems occurs more frequently, patients become worried, which in turn causes them to sleep less.

Remedy: You've probably heard doctors say "beds are for sleep and sex only" before, and guess what? They're absolutely right. Leave the electronics outside the bedroom, and if you have trouble sleeping at night try reading a book or listening to music until you fall asleep. See also: Sleeping Alone? Your Gadgets May Be at Fault

Headaches

Problem: Headaches could be caused by a number of things, but the doctor says "if they occur the same time every day or if they do not appear on non-work days, these are the clues that point me to a computer cause"

Remedy: If you think the cause of your headaches is computer related, try adjusting your work area. Start by finding an ergonomic chair, adjust the screen so fonts and brightness are comfortable to your eyes; and finally, if you wear glasses make sure your prescription isn't too strong. These days they have special glasses for computer users, so ask for them. It also helps to take frequent breaks from the monitor by looking away for a few seconds during the day.

Back Pain

Problem: Back pain could be caused by poor posture, a non-ergonomic chair, and poorly positioned monitors.

Remedy: Take it easy by using your legs when you're lifting anything heavy. Take frequent breaks to stretch your back muscles, and try doing a few chair exercises at least once a day. Dory has some extra office exercise ideas here. You should also shop for a chair that fits your body. See also: How to Avoid Repetitive Strain Injury

Poor Attention Span

Problem: Those with poor attention span may not always have ADD problems. Here's what the doctor says about this problem, "I believe this relative perception of poor attention span is actually caused by two factors. The first is genetic. The brains of some people are just programmed to multi-task. These people likely excel in a computer-rich environment for this reason. I believe the second factor is a simple training issue."

Remedy: I've always worried about this myself, but he's right. My focus is there when I'm doing some programming or web design work. He suggests you make sure you're getting enough sleep at night, and just train your brain from time to time to sit still and just listen.

Like I said, these are things that have always plagued the tech community, but it never hurts to warn the newcomers. Everyone's life is so permeated with technology these days, you really don't have to call yourself a geek to be affected by bad computer ergonomics.

Any veteran techies out there that want to share their own experience or advice regarding this subject, sound off in the comments below.