How to do Screen Work Correctly and Healthily

Who does not know it – after a few hours in front of the PC you feel exhausted and tense, head and neck ache, the eyes burn or water. In addition, one wonders now and then whether the radiation and electromagnetic fields can perhaps trigger serious diseases such as cancer. It is hard to imagine working life without computer workstations. Therefore, it is important to know what you can do yourself to improve working at the screen.

Eyes burn and itch

Your eyes perform at peak performance in front of the screen: between 1,500 and 3,500 times an hour, your gaze switches back and forth between the monitor, keyboard and desk. This reduces the number of blinks that are so important for moistening the eye – the consequences are burning and itching. More than one in two of the roughly ten million Germans who work at a computer complain of frequent back pain and headaches. Years of working in front of a screen often result in long-term damage.

The RSI syndrome

RSI syndrome (RSI stands for Repetitive Strain Injury) is a collective term for problems in muscles, tendons, joints and nerves caused by repeated uniform movements. It is obvious that people working at computers are particularly often affected: Constant mouse or keyboard clicks coupled with a non-physiological or cramped posture and a workplace that is often not very ergonomically designed quickly lead to problems – hence the alternative names “mouse arm” or “secretary’s disease.” But other people who constantly perform uniform movements with their arms and hands can also be affected – just think of cashiers, assembly line workers or musicians. A typical sign is pain caused by the irritation of the tendon, which initially occurs – as in tennis elbow – in the area of the elbow, where the tendon of the muscle attaches to the bone. Other common medical conditions that can result from working at a computer are:

  • Bursitis
  • Muscle tension up to the neck and shoulders
  • Swelling, tingling, numbness or numbness due to pinching or irritation of nerves

Psychological stress can exacerbate the problem, in part because it increases tension.

Screen work: harmful radiation from the monitor?

It sounds a bit scary: almost the entire spectrum of electromagnetic radiation is used to make texts and images visible on the screen. But it doesn’t make you sick, at least that’s the conclusion of several studies commissioned by the World Health Organization (WHO) and others. The UV rays emitted by screens, for example, are lower than those that penetrate a window on a winter’s day. Carcinogenic UV-B and UV-C rays are practically non-existent, and you won’t get a tan either with the very small amount of UV-A rays. X-rays are far below the permissible levels. There are also strict standards for monitors. Among other things, the TCO 99 standard has tightened the limits for electromagnetic radiation. And the newer flat screens, which have largely replaced the old tube models, do not emit any radiation at all. However, in very dry rooms, the air can become highly statically charged as alternating electric and magnetic fields are generated around the screen. The monitor surface becomes positively charged and attracts negatively charged dust particles in particular – a well-known phenomenon from the quickly soiling TV. This effect can be mitigated by frequent airing and sufficiently high humidity; however, this is little consolation for allergy sufferers.

Effect of electromagnetic radiation

One problem remains: People are massively exposed to electrosmog in front of a screen. Scientists suspect that electromagnetic waves slow down the release of melatonin by the pineal gland in the brain. Melatonin is the hormone that controls the wake-sleep rhythm. With reduced hormone release, the immune system is weakened, which can lead to headaches and insomnia. Melatonin is also said to have an anti-cancer effect, which means, conversely, that the risk of cancer could increase if less of the hormone is produced. The screen alone probably does not cause such massive changes, but its effect can add up with everyday electromagnetic radiation from a variety of other sources.

7 Tips: Work properly at the screen

To effectively counteract problems or prevent them from occurring in the first place, you can do quite a lot yourself. Here are the most important tips:

  • The right lighting: Concentration is particularly strained when the workplace is incorrectly lit. With artificial light, one should pay attention to the correct illuminance and especially avoid glare or reflections. The ideal lighting is still daylight, but only without direct sunlight. The larger the monitor, the better. Screen diagonals of at least 17 inches are important. The viewing direction on the screen should always be parallel to the window front to avoid too high light contrasts.
  • The ideal distance between eyes and monitor is 50 to 60 centimeters.
  • Absolutely necessary are regular breaks, preferably with relaxation exercises – both for the eyes and especially for head and neck muscles. Look again and again in between in the distance.
  • If vision problems persist, an ophthalmologist should be consulted.
  • Make sure your graphics card has a refresh rate (indicates how often an image is built up per unit of time) of at least 60 Hertz (75 HZ for CRT screens). This is how you check your refresh rate in case of doubt: Many people notice a slight flickering on bright monitor surfaces when they look about 30 centimeters next to the monitor. If the white area on the monitor flickers when you look at it, the refresh rate is definitely too low. By the way, the higher the resolution of the screen, the lower the refresh rate may be.
  • Absolutely you should refrain from smoking in front of the monitor. Because the electrostatic field, which is harmless in itself, countless tiny smoke and dust particles are thrown back onto the skin and eyes.
  • Eyeglass wearers who suffer from eye problems, can possibly help the purchase of special glasses for VDU workstations. Their lenses are particularly adapted to the distances in the screen area and facilitate vision, especially at close range.