Health matters

Computers have become an essential part of our lives today. As much as the experience is exciting, and enriching in most cases, there are some health-related issues as well.

I've known people who ended up with severe neck sprains and eye problems due to the long hours they spent at their computers. There's another health threat in the form of Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) to the arms and hands which results from the use of the keyboard and mouse. We don't realise the damage early! And so it becomes imperative for us to know the proper way of using our PCs.

Here are some steps to help you avoid such problems.

• Avoid sitting at your PC for long: The 'long' in the statement means sitting for an hour or so at a stretch. You should give both your eyes and your brain a break every 20 minutes or so. Normally the rate at which you blink goes down drastically while sitting in front of the PC. This causes your eyes to dry up, more so for those using contact lenses. This is very harmful. So turn away from your PC and look at something in the distance, ideally six metres away. You could also blink several times; it helps lubricate your eyes. Even a one-two minute break to get up and stretch your back and neck can do wonders.
• Adjust the brightness of the monitor: Working on a PC or a laptop at full brightness for long is not at all advisable. It stresses your eyes and may also give you headaches. So reduce your screen brightness by a few units. You may have to increase the contrast. For most people medium brightness coupled with high contrast is best. Alternatively you could use anti-glare screens for your monitors or anti-reflection coated glasses.
• Make sure you don't have any light (fluorescent tubes/bulbs) reflecting onto your computer screens.
• Avoid contact lenses: As per doctors' advice, working on computers while wearing contact lenses can dehydrate your eyes. Hence it's preferable to use your glasses instead.
• Increase font size: Reading small letters on the screen certainly puts undue pressure on your eyes. Ideally the text size should be thrice the smallest text size you can read, so say the medical experts. Text size in Windows XP can be increased using the Display Properties dialog box (Font Size under Appearance tab) under the Control Panel. The browser font size can be increased or decreased by holding down the 'Ctrl' key and pressing the '+' or '—' key respectively. Also, black text against a white background is recommended. It creates the highest contrast.
• The ideal viewing distance: Your monitor should be at a safe distance from your eyes. Ideally the distance should be 33cm or slightly more. The best way is to stretch your hands and fold your fingers. If you can touch the screen like this, it's perfect! Also, the centre of the screen should be at your eye level, in order not to cause neck stiffness.
• The right posture: Incorrect sitting posture results in back and neck problems. So you should adjust the height of the chair so that your feet are resting on the ground. Always sit in an upright position. This helps your lower back. Your forearms should rest on the table while using the keyboard.

— The writer is a guru of tech who runs a trading company in Dubai

Ergonomics in a nutshell

Lighting: The room should be well lit. Your computer should neither face the window nor sit with its back to a window causing sunlight to shine into your eyes.

Ventilation: The room should be well-ventilated.

Furniture: Your chair should be of adjustable height with a proper backrest and arms support.

Hardware: The screen should tilt and swivel and be flicker free. There should be no reflection cast on it. In case of laptops an external keyboard is always better.

— With inputs from Manoj Verma, optometrist, Lutfi Opticals