Midnightpyro
join:2001-04-01
Loveland, OH
| IT and Health
I might be asking one of the strangest questions that has ever been posed to a group of IT people, but I figure I should ask it anyway.
I'm a first year computer science major, and so far, I like what I'm doing. I'm a bit worried about life after college though. Not so much will I like what I'm doing, but will I be able to do it without falling apart?
I'm pretty sure my future won't entail 8 hour days of sitting in a dimly lit cubicle cranking out code, but I was wondering what exactly some of your typical days were like? Where do you spend your time?
The second part of my question would be about health issues. Using the computer for a living obviously has some health risks (tendinitis, carpal tunnel, vision problems). Can anyone whose worked in the field comment on these types of things - whether you've had them, how to avoid them, even advice on "ergonomic" solutions?
I know my question is a little bit bizarre, but thanks in advance for answering  |
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tekmunki
Tekmunki
Premium
join:2001-12-06
Lake City, FL
clubs: 
 ·NuVox Communications
 ·Comcast
| Srsly?
No matter what occupation you choose, there's always some sort of health risk or physical drain involved-
Excersize to compensate for the time in the chair, use proper posture and ergo devices, avoid unhealthy temptations such as drinking sugary drinks or snacks while working at the PC, use prescribed computer glasses if your eyes bother you over time (not to mention setting fast refresh rates to ease the eyes).
A typical day in my life at work involves about 70% in-chair remote administration work, 20% meetings and travel and MAYBE 10% actual physical labor -and usually only when something in premise wiring or server level breaks.
Bottom line is- no matter what you do as a day-job- the decisions you make decide your physical well-being - not your job. |
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PToN
join:2001-10-04
Houston, TX | reply to Midnightpyro
my vision has gotten worse and carpal tunnel is always there.. |
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boognish
Premium
join:2001-09-26
Baton Rouge, LA
clubs:
| reply to Midnightpyro
I sit around a lot more for longer periods of time at my job than I previously ever have. I can sit at my desk 8-12 hours straight working except for having to take a bathroom break or lunch break. I do have the occasional hardware install or wire trace that makes me get up, but the duration of doing something like that is not very long. I have had to increase my exercise routine after work to counteract the effects. I haven't had a problem with vision or carpal tunnel.
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don't get 2 close 2 my fantasy |
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Boricua65
Oye, chico
join:2002-01-26
Sacramento, CA | reply to Midnightpyro
I got carpal tunnel? working data entry in the 90s and wore glasses since 7th grade. How's that for great health  . |
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nixen
Rockin' the Boxen
Premium
join:2002-10-04
Alexandria, VA
·Cox HSI
| My first carpal tunnel release surgery was at age 19 - well before I was working professionally in IT. I got the other one done at age 30.
Other than that, I'm fairly healthy - far more than a lot of my peers. At age 38, and without a lot of real effort, I'm in better shape than most of the guys I work with who are 5-10 years younger than me. Granted, my eyes are a touch blurrier and my fingers are a touch arthritic, but that's called "aging". Not much I can do to prevent that. Any of the weight that I had gained over the years was due to medications I had been on. I've since lost that due to having changed medications.
There's nothing intrinsic to IT that *forces* you to become the giant pant-load pictured above. Living on fast-food, out of vending machines, etc. causes that. Unfortunately, if you do shift-work, that tends to be a really easy pattern to fall into. If you just stick to eating good food in sane portions, you'll stay healthy. Fortunately, I've found that good food tends to leave me far less hungry than crap food does.
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The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt. -- Bertrand Russell |
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PTS
Premium
join:2001-12-13
Blue Heaven
clubs:
|  reply to Midnightpyro
I wear glasses, but I was blind to begin with. Bad knees, but I chased fighter jets for a living before reentering the IT world.
Stay away from too much sugar and caffeine, and remember the phrase "drive me to drink" isn't supposed to be literal...
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"You can get more with a kind word and a two-by-four than you can with just a kind word." - Marcus Cole |
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Kiwi
Premium
join:2003-05-26
USA | reply to Midnightpyro
Or/ You could combine both IT & Health
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384 BC. |
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Tzale
Ron Paul - No Bailout Conservative
Premium
join:2004-01-06
NJ, USA
 ·Verizon FIOS
·Optimum Online
edit:
February 20th, @11:57PM
| reply to sporkme
said by sporkme  :This can easily happen after many years in IT. Looks like me... Good thing I'm exercising and lost 22 pounds in 5 weeks.  My weight probably was definitely brought on from long days sitting at the computer + eating bad foods... But now that I exercise an hour or two everyday and eat better, I find that IT + exercise is healthy.
Anyway, that guy wouldn't happen to be you?
-Tzale |
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Test99
Premium
join:2003-04-24
San Jose, CA
 ·InPhonex
·DSL EXTREME
| reply to Midnightpyro
Random Thoughts
- Carpal tunnel syndrome is an occupational hazard. CAD drawing is especially bad, because everything you do involves mouse movements. If you start to experience pain, change what you are doing, or take time off if necessary. Don't let it develop into a real problem.
- From what I've read, programmers and bus drivers have the highest incidence of colon cancer. None of my programmer friends has developed colon cancer though.
- If you get into the habit of exercising regularly, the habit should stay with you for a lifetime. Risk of weight gain starts at around age 30, when production of growth hormone drops off. Fighting weight gain is never easy, but keep at it. Don't wait until you have a lot of weight to lose. Then it's really hard work.
- According to reports, programmers have a higher tolerance for psychological pain than the average person. A lot of that psychological pain comes from trying to understand inadequate documentation.
- Learning new skills is a never-ending task. The programming skills that are most in demand one year will almost certainly be obsolete five years later.
- Computing is a boom-and-bust industry. At the high points you'll get three job offers in one day. At the low points you'll struggle to find work. It helps to have more than one skill set. For example, when there are no programming jobs, there may be system administration jobs available.
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50775@fwd.pulver.com |
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sporkme
drop the crantini and move it, sister
Premium,MVM
join:2000-07-01
Budd Lake, NJ
| said by Test99 :- Carpal tunnel syndrome is an occupational hazard. CAD drawing is especially bad, because everything you do involves mouse movements. If you start to experience pain, change what you are doing, or take time off if necessary. Don't let it develop into a real problem.. Maybe it's an obvious question, but what are the early signs of carpal tunnel? I spend quite a bit of time on a keyboard, but am a very light mouser. I haven't ever had any hand pain... Good sign? |
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Test99
Premium
join:2003-04-24
San Jose, CA
·InPhonex
·DSL EXTREME
edit:
February 21st, @02:20AM
| said by sporkme :Maybe it's an obvious question, but what are the early signs of carpal tunnel? I spend quite a bit of time on a keyboard, but am a very light mouser. I haven't ever had any hand pain... Good sign? I may be using the term "carpal tunnel syndrome" loosely. But for me the warning sign is pain (in the lower arm near the wrist and in the muscles that operate the little finger) when I perform mouse or keyboard actions. It's a very clear-cut pain that says in no uncertain terms: "stop doing that".
I've never had a problem that a day or two of rest didn't fix. But I know someone who tried to work through the pain and ended up having to quit her job at a time when she couldn't afford to do that. Ignoring pain is nearly always a bad idea.
Yes, it's a good sign if you haven't experienced that sort of pain. Hope it stays that way.
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50775@fwd.pulver.com |
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tekmunki
Tekmunki
Premium
join:2001-12-06
Lake City, FL
clubs:
·NuVox Communications
·Comcast
| I've found using Gel wrist supports for the keyboard AND a seperate one for the mouse does wonders. If I don't use them I usually get pains in my wrists within the first 5 minutes, without - it's usually felt, but tolerable.
No surgeries yet- but I can see it happening eventually. |
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nixen
Rockin' the Boxen
Premium
join:2002-10-04
Alexandria, VA
·Cox HSI
| reply to Tzale
Re: IT and Health
said by Tzale :said by sporkme :This can easily happen after many years in IT. Looks like me... Good thing I'm exercising and lost 22 pounds in 5 weeks. My weight probably was definitely brought on from long days sitting at the computer + eating bad foods... But now that I exercise an hour or two everyday and eat better, I find that IT + exercise is healthy. Anyway, that guy wouldn't happen to be you? -Tzale Oof: crash weight loss... Generally not a key to lasting weight loss.
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The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt. -- Bertrand Russell |
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Tzale
Ron Paul - No Bailout Conservative
Premium
join:2004-01-06
NJ, USA
·Verizon FIOS
·Optimum Online
| said by nixen :said by Tzale :said by sporkme :This can easily happen after many years in IT. Looks like me... Good thing I'm exercising and lost 22 pounds in 5 weeks. My weight probably was definitely brought on from long days sitting at the computer + eating bad foods... But now that I exercise an hour or two everyday and eat better, I find that IT + exercise is healthy. Anyway, that guy wouldn't happen to be you? -Tzale Oof: crash weight loss... Generally not a key to lasting weight loss. Say what you want, but I feel healthier than sitting on a PC all day with little activity, and the weight is going down gradually. Mind > Body.
-Tzale
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Neoconservatives (G.W.B) are not real conservatives. A conservative believes in defending the Constitution. First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win. - RON PAUL 2008 »www.usconstitution.net/const.html
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legendNYC
Premium
join:2003-06-04
Jamaica, NY
·Verizon Online DSL
| reply to Test99
Re: Random Thoughts
said by Test99 :- According to reports, programmers have a higher tolerance for psychological pain than the average person. A lot of that psychological pain comes from trying to understand inadequate documentation. Really?! That sounds like an urban legend.
Do you have a reference. |
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nixen
Rockin' the Boxen
Premium
join:2002-10-04
Alexandria, VA
·Cox HSI
| reply to Tzale
Re: IT and Health
said by Tzale :Say what you want, but I feel healthier than sitting on a PC all day with little activity, and the weight is going down gradually. Mind > Body. -Tzale Sorry, not trying to denigrate your accomplishment: just trying to say, "be careful."
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The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt. -- Bertrand Russell |
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Zyncotl
Dejawho
Premium
join:2002-09-13
Wayne, MI
| reply to PToN
said by PToN :my vision has gotten worse and carpal tunnel is always there.. Ye need to stop fondling yourself lovingly. It'll help with the hairy palm syndrom too. |
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wilbilt
Pronto Resurrected
Premium
join:2004-01-11
Oroville, CA
·Pacific Bell - SBC
| reply to Midnightpyro
After seven years here, my vision has deteriorated and arthritis is setting in. No Carpal Tunnel that I know of, but never learning proper keyboarding skills has probably helped that
A few years ago, they bought me a gaussmeter and wanted me to go around and document mG levels around CRT displays and UPS units. Everything checked out fine, except for the area around my own desk (about 8 feet away from the main AC panel for a site). 25-50 milligauss at my desk on average. I try not to spend much time there.
Hell, I'm 45 years old and spent 20 years of my former life inhaling asbestos brake dust for a living. Who wants to live forever anyway?
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We were taking a vote when the ground came up and hit us. |
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BettyPuddle
join:2008-01-29
| reply to Midnightpyro
I'm still young, but I've always been okay. In fact, waitressing was harder on my wrists than anything, and I still keep in shape. I've never needed glasses, and only one out of the entire team I worked with last year (team of 8 of us). All had been in IT for years. I think it depends on your general health, get a dog to keep you busy - that helps me a lot |
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