Any task that involves staring at a computer screen, no matter how exciting or interesting, leads to physical fatigue. So whilst you may be quite happy to press on with work, your body may have other ideas. The most common physical complaints are eye strain and problems with vision like blurring, redness, irritation and itching of eyes, difficulty shifting focus between monitor and paper documents in work area, dry eyes and occasionally colour perception changes. Few simple steps can reduce strain on the eyes when working with computers.
Taking frequent breaks from viewing the computer screen. Apart from this it is good to avoid staring at the monitor.

Having your eyes tested every two years.

Avoiding the use of contact lenses when working with a computer, as they cause the eyes to dehydrate.
Blinking eyes produces tears and hence helps prevent dry eyes.

A very popular and effective homoeopathic eye drops euphrasia helps a lot in case of tired eyes and also gives it a sparkle. Internal medications like Gelsemium, Ruta also help in relieving the discomfort in eyes.
Headaches are also a product of prolonged staring at a screen. Eye related headaches and migraine are common. Throbbing pain, sensitivity to light and sound with nausea and vomiting are some of the symptoms. Some people find glare-reducing screens useful. If you experience repeated headaches you should visit your doctor. Homoeopathic medicines address the condition in a constitutional way and have been helpful in relieving the symptoms. Many office workers drink too much tea and coffee, which has a diuretic action, so water is the best choice as offices with several computers can make the air feel very dry. 

Shoulder tension
Other individuals may also experience neck or shoulder tension, general fatigue, or pain in the back, arms, wrists or shoulders. Poor lighting levels or screening, poor air circulation, noise and equipment all contribute to an uncomfortable work setting.  Posture breaks are important to prevent overuse of one group of muscles. Break up periods of keying and mouse work regularly.

Bad posture is the number one enemy of a professional. Long periods of time at the computer often lead to pain in the lumbar region of the back. Usually due to using the wrong type of chair, sitting with the legs crossed causing uneven weight on each buttock and strain on back muscles and poor desk configuration all lead to strain on back muscles. One very important thing in this respect is to have a good body posture whilst working with the computer. The basic posture should be sitting upright with the arms relaxed. The ears, shoulders and hips should be in a straight line. The feet should be on the floor and the middle point of the monitor below the height of the eyes.

Contact stress refers to the pressure that is put on different parts of the body whilst in a relatively fixed position. Wrist and hand problems are common with computers. For example, 'floating' your hand over the mouse for long periods leads to strain on the ligaments in the back of the hand and the wrist. The sensation is not unlike gripping a pen for long periods. Leaning wrists against hard surfaces such as the edge of the desk leads to similar problems.

Over time, health problems may occur as a result of high repetition of hand movements, forceful typing, or having bent wrists whilst using the keyboard. Carpal tunnel syndrome is a painful condition that affects the wrists and hands following pressure to the median nerve. Numbness may also be experienced in one or both hands and even the simplest of tasks involving the hands becomes a painful and sometimes impossible activity. Attention to posture, light keyboard actions and mouse movement and simple regular exercise are the remedies.

RSI syndrome

A repetitive strain injury, famously called RSI,  also called cumulative trauma disorder, occupational overuse syndrome, or work related upper limb disorder, is any of a loose group of conditions resulting from overuse of a tool. For example, computer or other activity that requires repeated movements.

It is a syndrome that affects muscles tendons and nerves in the hands, arms and upper back. The medically accepted condition in which it occurs is when muscles in these areas are kept tense for very long periods of time, due to poor posture and/or repetitive motions. Some of the symptoms are recurring pain myalgia or soreness in neck, shoulders, upper back, wrists or hands with tingling, numbness, coldness or loss of sensation.

Loss of grip strength, lack of endurance, weakness also occurs. Muscles in the arms and shoulders feel hard and wiry when palpated along with pain or numbness while lying in bed. Some simple ways of tackling these are to exercise and alternate use of hot and cold fomentations. Ginger is considered to be a natural anti inflammatory agent and can be eaten raw in small quantities. Some of the common remedies like Arnica, Rhustox and Ruta help in alleviating the pain.

The author is a senior physician, Soukya and can be contacted at 22214625/ 22218252.  drsudha@soukya.com