And after computers captured offices, their inexorable penetration began and into our personal life. Today almost every family has a computer (from simple or otherwise called "budget" to the most modern "heaped" - depending on the income), actively used for games, listening to music and watching movies, communicating on the Internet with relatives and friends and in social networks (classmates, dating, in contact, etc.), viewing news. And people of creative work (writers, journalists) have long been changing typewriters to a computer. Advantages of the computer are obvious - it allows not only to enter information into it, but also to process it and store it in huge quantities. The computer combined the tool of the office worker with a powerful arsenal of entertainment functions. But do you know how the computer affects human health?
But, as we all know, there is nothing ideal, consisting only of merits and advantages, and completely devoid of shortcomings. Hence, the computer, for sure, has undesirable properties for us. What are they?
A computer is an electronic computer consisting of a system unit, a monitor, and devices for input-output information, i.e. a complex of electronic devices that need energy for work, in particular, electrical. And any energy, as is known, during the operation of any machine is not fully used, and partly is transformed into other types of energy: heat, radiation.
Until the end of the last century, computer monitors, like television sets, basically had an electron-beam tube, which is the source of X-ray and powerful electromagnetic radiation. Many computers used by us at home and at work, and up to the present time are equipped with such monitors. Of course, the x-ray radiation from the monitor does not exceed the permissible standards, but why do we need extra radiation, because there is still a natural natural radioactive background, fluorography, which we periodically go through during medical examinations, a normal TV, etc. Much more dangerous than the electromagnetic field generated by the computer, de-ionizes the air around it, which can cause fatigue, reduce immunity, inhibit the reproductive function and lead to cardiovascular diseases. Especially dangerous is the radiation from the side and back of the monitor. Modern liquid crystal monitors do not create X-rays and the level of electromagnetic radiation during their operation is much lower. Especially strong negative impact of electromagnetic radiation on the growth and development of the embryo, so there are very serious limitations for pregnant women, whose work is connected with the computer. By the decision of the Chief State Sanitary Doctor of the Russian Federation it is established that during pregnancy women should be transferred to another job, not connected with the use of a computer.
Of course, it is necessary to take into account that computers are constantly being improved not only in terms of speed and increase in the functions performed, but also with respect to the requirements for safe operation and preservation of health to its owner. And now the modern computer is ten times safer than its predecessors 10-20 years ago. So now we can talk about how the computer will affect human health in another ten years and whether this influence will remain at all.
However, there are a number of harmful factors that do not depend on thermal, electromagnetic and other radiation emitted when the computer is running. The first place in the negative impact on human health should be placed the influence of the computer on vision. The person at work behind a computer tests a huge load on eyes because of necessity of a regular translation of sight from the screen on the keyboard and paper documents. In addition, the image on the monitor screen is not reflected (ie, natural), but self-luminous and dynamically updated, to which the visual apparatus is not adapted. At a low refresh rate, the image on the monitor looks flickering, which also creates an additional load for the eyes. Therefore, when working with a computer, you must follow the sanitary rules and regulations: every hour of work, you need to take a break for 10 minutes, during which to do exercises for the eyes to relax and improve blood circulation.
But, in addition to the harmful effect on vision, work on the computer is associated with another negative factor, which consists in the tension of some muscle groups with no load on other muscles, blood circulation disorders caused by a motionless sitting posture. In a person who constantly works on the computer, a sitting position leads to overstrain of the muscles of the neck and head, and also causes a significant strain on the spine and back muscles. The muscles of the hands and the pads of the fingers are constantly overloaded, working with the keyboard, which can lead to the disease of the joints and ligaments. Blood circulation in the lower part of the body (legs, genitals) deteriorates significantly. Result of long stay in a motionless position thereafter turn out various osteochondroses and a curvature of a backbone. Prolonged immobility in the disturbed blood circulation causes stagnation of blood in the pelvic organs, which contributes to the emergence and development of diseases such as hemorrhoids, prostatitis in men, aggravation of gynecological diseases in women. Avoiding such trouble is easy enough.
Apparently, modern computers are harmful to health in a greater degree not by itself and not because of harmful emissions or vibrations, but much more solely because of the wrong organization of work on it. Observance of a mode of work on the computer with obligatory breaks and exercises for eyes will allow not only to eliminate negative factors of work on the computer, but also will strengthen your health.