According to Doctors, Prolonged WFH Can Lead To Health Problems Like Migraines or Skin Problems

By
Victoria Lee
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Since the circuit breaker in April, “work from home” (WFH) has been in effect for all offices unless stated otherwise.

Though many were pleased with the WFH arrangements in the beginning, it has slowly proven to be more problematic than we thought.

So, aren’t you glad that-

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Oh. Read on and you might change your mind.

Commonly Reported Ailments

It was reported that there was a 20%increase in patients that developed medical ailments which might have been caused due to WFH.

How do you fall sick when you’re working in the comfort of your own home?

According to Dr Sunil Kumar Joseph, a general practitioner who runs Tayka Medical Family Clinic in Jurong, the most common complaints included muscle pains, back pains and migraines. He also added that back pains were common due to poor posture and inactivity of the body.

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Another doctor, Dr Alvina Nam, who runs Clinic@Costa located in Bayshore’s Costa Del Sol condominium, says that migraines and tension headaches are caused by the stress while you’re working from home.

The stress and anxiety from increased meetings (because it’s always better to talk rather than text) in addition to the lack of boundaries between your work life and home life can cause more headaches.

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So, if you’ve encountered any of these WFH problems, you’re not the only one. And you should seek medical attention if you develop symptoms of a migraine as it could lead to even bigger health problems.

Other Reported Ailments

What you’ve just read so far is just the tip of the iceberg. In fact, there are even more health problems that have been reported since WFH has been in effect.

It was reported that there is also an increased number of cases involving myopia, cracked teeth, asthma and eczema. All of which may have been caused due to prolonged WFH.

Eczema, a condition that makes your skin red and itchy, is often caused by irritants including soap and detergent, dust mites, pet fur or pollen from flowers. Although it is more common amongst children, this condition has surfaced for many adults during WFH and this is likely due to overusing hand sanitizers and washing of your hands more frequently with harsher soaps.

Of course, this does not mean you should stop washing your hands altogether. Instead, you should avoid over-washing your hands and using gentler soaps for the skin.

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Asthma is also affected by different factors around the house. Many people have even reported a shortness of breath, which may be induced by stress and anxiety from the pandemic. WFH also became an additional burden to many, which also added a psychological problem that may have led to a shortness of breath as well.

As for cracked teeth, more dentists have seen patients walking in with this issue due to stress and food intake. This is not surprising, as snacking has increased amongst those who WFH.

In addition, the stress has led to people grinding their teeth (without them knowing).

And just like any dental issue, you’d know the problem after pain surfaces.

Moral of the story?

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Netflix more if needed. It helps when you’re relaxed, because as you can probably tell, most of the issues arise from stress.

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Victoria Lee
Email: [email protected]