Top 10 alarming health issues due to prolonged sitting hours at your desk
Are you a 9 to 5 workaholic and ambitious worker? Yes! Sitting at your desk for a prolonged time may need to pay hefty hospital bill which can also take away your health permanently! We are in a busy crazy world following a sedentary lifestyle; long working hours and with less physical activity can drastically affect our health in many ways. The unhealthy working condition can bring you an increased risk for cancer, diabetes, stress and stroke-related issues. To help you with, we have listed out the top 10 biggest health problems that you may face due to lengthy desk hours.
Just keep reading the post and check out how the modern work culture affects your health and what simple tips you can follow during your office hours to manage yourself to stay fit and healthy.
Top 10 alarming health consequences due to prolonged office hours:
1) Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS): You might have seen your colleague suffering from CTS. Yes! No wonder! This disease is a very common issue in today’s working culture.
a· CTS are caused due to the squeezing of the median nerve while passing through the wrist.
b· Mostly seen among the individuals who have repetitive finger use, long term wrist motion and vibration.
c· People may experience numbness, tingling and pain in the hand
d· Pain can radiate it to the neck, hands and shoulders. Often, individuals will experience pain during night time.
e· Patients with CTS feel difficult to hold objects and your normal daily activities (like buttoning a shirt or delicate motion) may be halted due to extreme pain.
Prevention: Stretching exercise, medications and surgery may help to release tension in the wrist.
2) Lower-Back pain: Is your back pain killing you from your routine activities? Yes! It is the major health issues seen among employees of all age groups. It occurs
a· Due to a sedentary lifestyle
b· Sitting in the wrong position for a longer period of time, bending, heavy lifting, and curving on your back can lead to severe back pain
c· Keeping your smartphones or wallets in pockets, while sitting may exert pressure on your sciatic nerve and that in turn causes severe back pain.
Prevention: Make sure to practice abdominal strengthening exercise as it can relieve pressure on your lower back. Also, frequent get-ups and moving away from your desk can improve blood flow.
3) Obesity: Of course! Obesity is an increasing concern around the world. Are you working hard to trim your extra fats?
a· Well! Lack of physical exercise, continuous hitting on junk food items can increase the chance of obesity.
b· Overweight increases the risk for blood clotting, LDL cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, stroke, asthma, fatty liver, PCOS, heart disease, gallbladder disease, cancer, gout and osteoarthritis.
c· It can also cause sleep apnoea, backache and erectile dysfunction.
Prevention: Reduce obesity epidemic by turning down unhealthy food choices, high-calorie foods, and bigger meal portions and by changing your family habits like eating food by watching TV etc. So, munch on a healthy diet to keep your body fit and strong.
Stay connected with your dietician if you are unable to maintain your weight. Your healthcare provider will suggest a few medications to cut down your overweight and to ease other symptoms. Order medicines online from any online medicine store at your convenience.
4) Heart disease: According to WHO, cardiovascular diseases is one of the primary cause of death globally. It’s caused
a· Mainly due to the build-up of fatty acids on the inner walls of the blood vessels thereby preventing the blood from flowing to the brain or heart.
b· A heart disease is also caused by unhealthy diet, sitting in the same position for a while, lack of physical activity, overuse of tobacco products, increased glucose and blood pressure to name a few.
c· Cardiovascular disorder includes rheumatic heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, peripheral arterial disease, deep vein thrombosis, congenital diseases etc.
Prevention: Include more physical activity and limit tobacco use. Go for a small walk for every 30 minutes; also, drink more water to keep yourself hydrated.
5) Vision problems: Are you continuously staring at the digital screen, tablets or mobile phone for an extended period of time?
a· Yes! The most common symptoms it can cause are a headache, computer vision syndrome, neck pain, blurred vision, eye strain, shoulder pain, etc.
b· It can also be caused due to less blinking of eyes when using the computer system.
c· If you are wearing glass, track your eye power for every 6 months as wearing incorrect power glass can trouble your eyes.
Prevention: Switch off overhead fluorescent lights at office, use an anti-glare screen to minimize glare, adjust your computer settings (like brightness, text size, colour display) to reduce eye strain, blink more frequently to moisten your eyes and to prevent dry eyes.
6) Stress due to high noise level: Yes! Is it surprising to know that, the noise from your office printers can bring stress in you?
a· Well! Noise from printers, phone ringing can invite health disease on board!
b· Noise stress can affect your concentration level and reduce thinking skills. This will negatively impact your health.
c· Colleague noise or strong hitting of fingers on the keyboard can also bring stress, lowers your immunity level and decrease overall office productivity.
Prevention: Use headphones to avoid disruption while you work in the office. If you are not permitted to wear headphones during office hours, then go for a short walk to burst your stress level.
7) Colon cancer: Of course! There is a link between colon cancer and too much bounding to the desk. Are you surprised to hear?
a· Colon cancer develops in the large intestine i.e.) at the end of the digestive tract.
b· The cancer is developed among the individuals who lead a sedentary lifestyle
Prevention: Following a healthy diet and frequent moving around during office hours can reduce the risk of colon cancer. Load up your plate with broccoli and green leafy vegetables to prevent the development of colon cancer in future.
8) Bowel cancer: Yes! It’s of no wonder that increased sitting hours increases the risk of bowel cancer by 44%.
a· Lacks of physical activity, increased alcohol intake, less moving around at your work station are the primary cause for bowel cancer.
b· Individuals with bowel cancer have persistent blood in the stools, bloating and discomfort.
Prevention: Take breaks and walk around while you make calls during working hours, stretch yourself, do breathing exercises, use stairs instead of elevators and also go for a short walk after your lunch.
9) Osteoporosis: Do you have pain in your neck, spine and back?
a· Well! You might be suffering from osteoporosis! It is a silent disease, mainly caused due to sitting for lengthy hours. It mainly affects your bones and causes weakening of bones and joints.
b· Osteoporosis also termed as porous bones, can reduce your bone mass leading to bone fractures as you age but, remodelling process takes place very slowly.
Prevention: Physical activity is more important to maintain bone mass for preserving the quality of life. While sitting, be sure to keep your feet flat, knees and hips on the same level to limit the stress on the spine. Try to stand for a few minutes in between your working hours as standing can provide osteoporosis-free lifestyle!
10) Diabetes: Diabetes is one alarming disease caused due to long sitting hours all day throughout.
a· Lack of physical activity can alter your hormone levels.
b· Sitting down for a while can drastically affect your immune system (body’s metabolism) and thereby resistance to insulin increases.
c· Individuals will experience weight gain resulting in type2 diabetes.
Prevention: Just walking 3 minutes for every 30 minutes can improve blood glucose level. Light-physical activity or standing for a few minutes may reduce the risk of chronic disease and death. Taking a few steps or standing can help to maintain a healthy weight thereby minimizes the risk of diabetes.
When to visit a doctor:
Don’t excuse yourself when you have any of the above-listed symptoms. Make your own time and visit any healthcare specialist immediately. Based on your symptoms he may suggest and explain to you the difference between the prolonged working hours and how it affects your health. He may do a thorough examination and based on your body requirements he may guide you with the right treatment plans and medications. For a hassle-free delivery, order your medicines from any trusted online pharmacy store by uploading your prescription directly in their website. You can also save your money and time by availing huge medicine discount on your orders and select free home delivery option to reach your medicines directly to your doorstep.
Every human has a crush towards their work and their working atmosphere. Even though you are a die-hard worker, making a small change during your working hours and modifying your dietary habits may help you to stay healthier and have a longer life. Try munching on healthy snacks, avoid oily foods, and try making your plate more colourful by adding more fruits and veggies to keep all your diseases at bay. Yes! It’s a dream of all of us to have a stress-free and balanced life throughout our life journey. Try disconnecting your system and unplug your smartphones during night hours and weekends with meditation techniques to improve your quality of life!
