'Laptop-itis' and its symptoms

Because of the way the computers are designed, using a laptop almost inevitably leads to poor posture, said Kevin Carneiro from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine.

Typing can also cause carpal tunnel syndrome, an injury to the nerve that passes through the wrist.

Carneiro said that your body should form 90-degree angles at your elbows, knees and hips. And your eyes should look straight ahead at the top third of the screen.

But because the keyboard and monitor are combined in a laptop, they can’t be positioned independently for typing and viewing.

That means having to make a trade off of some sort.

One solution is to use a docking station that either links a laptop to another monitor and keyboard or to a stand that raises the screen to a higher level.

You can also use a FireWire or USB cable to connect your laptop to an extra monitor or keyboard, which you can then adjust to the proper height.