Is office work harming your health?

Office workers have been associated with many lifestyle diseases like obesity, diabetes and hypertension. PHOTO| FILE| NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Most employers have been told that in order to get workers to improve productivity, you need to have motivational meetings or take them on team-building activities.
  • Research has shown that these meetings only serve to depress and distress unhappy workers. If workers’ needs are not being addressed at work, their productivity will not be improved by pep talks or a fancy dinner.

Most Kenyan office workers spend between 10 to 12 hours in the office. We then go on to spend about two to four hours commuting to and from work.

By the end of the day, most of us are so exhausted that we prefer spending our evenings on the couch in front of the television before heading off to bed.

In total, the majority spend less than four hours a day on their feet.

A recent survey of 2,000 office workers by British Heart Foundation (BHF) found that 45 per cent of women and 37 per cent of men spend less than 30 minutes a day on their feet at work.

More than half regularly eat their lunch at their desk. Does that sound like you?

SITTING DUCKS FOR LIFESTYLE DISEASES

The sedentary lifestyle of most office workers has been associated with obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure.

Among Kenyan office workers over 40 years, these diseases account for more visits to the hospital than infectious diseases like diarrhoea and malaria.

It has also been found that office workers tend to have the worst eating habits.

There is a tendency to skip breakfast and instead snack on something around mid-morning (usually a mandazi, samosa or sausage – all of which are laden with unhealthy fats/sugars).

GERM ISSUES
The office is full of germs – especially in common areas such as desktops, phones, door handles and the kitchen/tea room. Since most employees snack at their desks, the office easily becomes a breeding spot for bugs that can cause tummy upsets.

In addition, with the cold and rainy season checking in, most employees do not open their windows. This means that if one employee comes in with the flu or a common cold, they are bound to pass it on to the rest of the office due to lack of adequate ventilation.

PAINFUL WRISTS

Continuous typing on the computer can lead to persistently painful wrists – a condition known as Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. In most cases, use of painkillers, wrist exercises and reducing the time spent on the computer can help reduce the pain of this condition.
However, a few cases require surgery. In addition, an awkwardly placed mouse can cause pain in both the hand and the entire upper arm up to the shoulder.

COMPUTERS AND YOUR EYES

Working long hours in front of a computer leads to eye strain, headaches and in certain cases one may see objects floating in front of their eyes. This is collectively known as computer vision syndrome.

In order to tackle this, you need to take regular breaks from your computer when working. Keep the screen at least 20 inches from your eyes. In addition, keep the lighting in your office optimal to reduce glare from the screen. Finally, make sure you go for an annual eye check if you spend long hours in front of the screen.

LAPTOPS AND LOW SPERM COUNT

Although there is still a lot of research being done on the long-term effects of using laptops for prolonged periods, one of the rising concerns is the possibility of lowered sperm count.

It is thought to be due to the ‘unhealthy’ warm temperatures generated by the computer as it sits on the lap (remember, testes hang out in the scrotum to allow for them to be in a cooler environment than the rest of the body.

This lower temperature in the scrotum is what allows for optimum sperm production).

THE STRESSFUL WORKPLACE

Stress is the most common complaint among office workers. Usually, most of them are referring to mental and emotional distress caused by their job.

Research has, however, shown that continuous stress can affect your physical health as well. The body responds to stressful situations by releasing certain hormones (chemicals).

These hormones can cause various changes in the normal functioning of the body. Long-term stress has been associated with mental health disorders, like depression and anxiety, menstrual problems, abnormal heart beats (palpitations), high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity and flare up of skin conditions such as acne.

SICK BUILDING SYNDROME
The air in some offices is highly contaminated with mould, chemicals and dust. This is particularly true for poorly maintained buildings and those with poor ventilation. Most of the contaminants are not visible to the naked eye but you may find that you are constantly feeling unwell (heavy head, cough, tight chest, itchy eyes, fatigue) when you are in the office.

These symptoms often disappear when you take a few days off work or when you go on leave, only to re-appear when you report back to work.

Ideally, all buildings should have an effective ventilation system and should be checked for mould and chemical contaminants on a regular basis. Sadly, this is not the case in most work places in Kenya (it is currently a global challenge to effect these building regulations).

This article was first published in the Business Daily.