Health problems of IT professionals

Are you a person who regularly uses computers? If so, then you stand a good chance to be affected by many health problems. Vision problems, back pain, neck pain etc are some of the common health disorders seen in IT professionals. ``Headaches and blurred vision are very common in IT professionals. But most often they tend to ignore it,’’ says Manjari, who works with an MNC in Bangalore.

``I feel a burning sensation in the eyes if I work for 8 hours continuously staring at the desktop. I approached doctors and they suggested some exercises. Anyway, I can’t avoid gazing at computer screen, because it is my bread and butter. But I do avoid watching TV, reading books etc after working hours so that my eyes get proper rest,’’ says Sangeetha Iyer, who works with an IT firm in Chennai.It was the back pain that haunted Bejoys, another IT professional in Kochi for months. And he found a way out of the problem through a traditional medical treatment. ``Once in three months I go to an ayurvedic spa resort and the therapies there provide me some relief,’’ he says.

The Human Resource Departments of various IT companies have taken the health problems very seriously. ``Sometimes, the employees’ health problems affect our productivity. We are nowadays asking the employees to regularly practise some simple exercises to avoid eye-strain and back pain,’’ says Veena, who works with the HR department of a multinational company