It seems to have been the flavor of 2011: the protest. We can hardly go a day without seeing a report about the latest mass protest somewhere in the world.

It began in the Middle East, and like the falling of a small pebble which goes on to start an avalanche, the years’ massive demonstrations began in a small, little known country called Tunisia. The pebbles gathered strength and swept across the Middle East with an avalanche’s speed and destructiveness, taking out dictators along the way.

The Middle East wasn’t the only place in which massive demonstrations were held this year: rioting took place for several days in the United Kingdom in August, in the United States the “Occupy” movements have become a household name, even peace-loving Canada was not spared from riots after the Vancouver Canucks won the Stanley Cup.

While we all have our own opinions of what seemed to be the year of the protest, this post is not here to comment on them. We are here to continue our duty of keeping you healthy and safe wherever you find yourself, even if the rebellious spirit seizes you and you find yourself picketing your neighborhood 7/11!

So what are some of the biggest health concerns when partaking in a mass demonstration?

1) Well let’s start with the obvious: Police (or Military)

The duty of the police is to keep order and uphold the law of the land. They are, for better or worse, the enforcers of said laws. While laws vary from country to country, particularly in regards to the freedom of assembly, expression and speech, the response of the law enforcement is pretty much the same where ever you go.

Police like order, safety, and most importantly, quiet. When any of these are infringed upon they take it seriously, and break out the dispersal gear.

While the arsenal of equipment in use for police forces in different countries around the world will vary, some of their favorite toys are:

- Tear Gas: A non-lethal chemical weapon that stimulates the corneal nerves in the eyes to cause tears, pain, and even blindness. It is popular for dispersal of large groups. Fire a few canisters into the crowd and even the toughest protesters will scatter.

- Pepper Spray: A chemical compound that attacks the ear, eyes and throat to cause tears, pain, temporary blindness and shortness of breath. A favorite for up close and personal dispersal of small groups; if used in large quantities, it could kill a super hero, or Keith Richards. Unlike tear gas in which your human instinct to flee takes over, pepper spray will take you down, and leave you rolling around in complete and utter agony.

If you have been unfortunate enough to have been subjected to one of the above “non-violent” crowd dispersal tactics, you will know that 1) it hurts like hell, and 2) you can not get enough water on the affected areas. The best relief to the eyes is said to be a mixture of liquid antacid and water, and for the skin: canola oil followed by alcohol (try to resist the temptation to guzzle the booze until you have taken a cold shower).

Some other “non-violent” protest-breaking favorites are:

- Sound Dispersal Devices: A relatively new technology, sound dispersal devices are used to scatter crowds by sending a concentrated, insanely annoying, noise towards your location. It is the police equivalent of that old teacher who used to run her nails on a chalkboard (you know I’m talking about you, Sister Mary Clarence) to quiet you down. Much like tear gas this is designed to disperse crowds and get you on the run.

- Rubber Bullets: As with the other devices on the above list, this is exactly how it sounds, a rubber projectile which is meant to disperse crowds, and particularly to take down violent or threatening protesters. As long as you don’t take one to the face you should be able to walk away from the incident, albeit with a large bruise. But it could be worse, previous incarnations of rubber bullets included solid wooden canisters, known as Baton Shells, fired out of a device similar to a grenade launcher. While a Baton Shell wouldn’t, technically, be used to kill someone, they tended to shatter on impact with the ground; sending wood splinters up at shin height to all the protesters in the vicinity. Non lethal, but very painful. Baton Shells are still in use by many police forces around the world.

For the last two, no explanation is needed, and while we would love to put a “snarky” comment to them, the fact is, stuff has just hit then fan when these gets busted out,

which is no laughing matter; people die.

- Real Bullets

- Tanks

The best advice is to get the hell out of there and live to fight another day.

2) You may have noticed that many of the above police “techniques” for dealing with large demonstrations is to get them to disperse. However, this leads to our next major health concern during a large protest: the crowd (the mob)

While you may think your fellow protesters are the best people in the entire world, the fact of the matter is that they can quickly turn into your worst nightmare, particularly when stuff starts to hit the fan. Like here (at 0:26).

- Stampede: It is a simple fact, when many people are crowded together, their “fight or flight” instinct takes over (thanks usually to the dispersals measures of the police); very little will stop a crowd’s instinct to get away from any potential harm. I am sure many of you are thinking, ‘oh, well I can handle the large crowd, I will just push my way through’. Well unfortunately, this is what everyone else in the crowd is thinking too, turning everyone into one massive tidal wave of pushing and shoving. And if you fall down, it is like getting sucked into a whirlpool, because all that energy pushing the crowd can not be stopped on a dime.

- Stuff on Fire: We’ve all seen the mob mentality that can turn a peaceful slow march into an end-of-days all out street battle. This is usually followed by pictures of cars and business ablaze. What many don’t realize is that while it can sometimes relieve a little stress to set something on fire, that fire doesn’t go out with the snap of a finger and will most likely catch on to anything that surrounds it.

The best advice is to try to avoid getting killed by your fellow protesters is to avoid the largest crowds, and look for side streets or other quick escape routes. When in doubt, climb; look for a street light or tree that will help you get above the herd (unless it is on fire).

3) The next major health concerns when demonstrating is yourself, that’s right, Self-harm:

Whether it is to make a political point or just to show off how badass you are, when you find yourself protesting you may feel the need to get carried away sticking it “to the man”, and that can lead to some serious problems. Some of the popular self-inflicted protest wounds are:

- Hunger Strikes: A tactic used by many political prisoners; hunger strikes are not uncommon in large protests. However many often forget the cardinal rule of a hunger strike: Tell somebody! You would be surprised, but if you don’t get the word out that you and your group of investment bankers are going on a hunger strike until the rest of the 99% is paid fairly, nobody will really notice.

- Drugs: Resist the peer-pressure to experiment with things that you never tried before, and especially in large doses. While the drug angle is often overplayed in the general media, there are still a number of cases of drug overdose, particularly if protests last for over a few days. So if some stranger offers you ‘the best trip of your life’, be wary.

- Self-immolation: This one is serious, and it is unlikely that you will be walking away from it. A popular one for Buddhist monks in China, Self immolation is currently coming back into vogue as a form of protest around the globe. The easiest way to avoid self-immolation is to not set yourself on fire. Glad we could be of help.

The best piece of advice is to take care of yourself (because no one else will), and don’t get too wrapped up in your cause that you think going out in a blaze of glory is the only way – it isn’t.

4) As we move away from the marches and on to the “occupiers”, that is to say protesters camping out for the long haul, a whole new bag of health issues crops up. The most common is Hygiene, or lack thereof.

No, we are not saying that protesters are dirty and unhygienic, but the simple fact of the matter is, when you get so many people congregated in a small space, in less than hospitable conditions, bacteria and viruses will be unleashed. Meaning that one of the biggest hygiene-related problems during a large and lengthy protest is:

- Communicable Diseases: While generally not life-threatening, disease can put a big dent in the will of any protest movement. Add to this a lack of proper toilets and showering facilities and the breeding ground for disease nearly triple ( not to mention a very uncomfortable situation particularly if you get struck down with the runs). It’s an interesting correlation that non-violent mass protest has only become a viable dissent tool in the age of modern sanitation; typhoid probably doesn’t care what your beef is, but it does see that commune of unwashed protesters as a great buffet.

The best advice to avoid catching (or spreading) disease is to stay as hygienic as possible. Yes, you may not be able (or want) to get a shower everyday, but there are plenty of anti-biotic soaps and gels that will do the trick. Also, try to eat healthy and get as much sleep as you possibly can (those drum circles can easily put you to sleep).

5) But perhaps the biggest health concerns during a march or occupation isn’t even man-made! It is Mother Nature:

Despite what any weatherman says, no one can really predict the weather. And when it comes to a protest, nothing can cause more chaos than a bit of nasty weather. Whether it is extreme weather like snowstorms, lightning, hail or dust storms, or just temperature extremes, weather can play a major factor in deterring even the most devout protester.

When you think about it, you do not generally see too many protests in the dead of winter. This is simply because exposure to snow or freezing rain can lead hypothermia, pneumonia or worse. Which spell major trouble for any protester.

You also do not see many protests during the middle of summer in hot climates, this is because heat and sun exposure will bring dehydration and eventually sun-stroke. Which can be life threatening.

While you will probably be labeled a “fair-weather” protester, play it smart and avoid the deadly weather, or at the very least, dress for the occasion.

Well there you have it, the top 5 biggest health concerns when demonstrating. While most of us in our lifetimes will have stood up against a viewed atrocity, particularly in that young, rebellious stage - the most important part is to be able to live to tell the tale. So take care of yourself, and one another.

We have all heard some of the most ridiculous items and ‘prized possessions’ that people will insure. A quick scan of the internet will show you that most musicians, celebrities and quirky millionaires insure voices, body parts or unusual possessions for countless millions of dollars. Strange insurance for “normal” people ranges for coverage for alien abductions to animals flatulence. However, what gets far less coverage are normal insurance policy claims that occur under some of the oddest circumstances.

Some of the following stories may be hard to believe, but these incredible insurance claims illustrate the fact that almost anything can happen to anyone at any time, making insurance necessary for all.

One thing to point out is that all of these items below were investigated by both police and insurance claim agents. It is a steadfast reminder that if you’re looking for a way to make money in tough times, we don’t recommend filing a claim as a route to riches, as typically, fraudulent claims can lead to a new lifestyle, but probably not the one you may have been hoping for – namely a new “home” behind bars and a burly roommate named Bubba.

1) Goodness Gracious, Great Balls of Fire

We’ve all heard of, or have known, a Bridezilla and the path of destruction that can follow in their path. But can you imagine an actual fire-ridden path of destruction in her wake?! Well, this is exactly what happened at a couple’s dream wedding in the Caribbean.

The happy couple had just officially become man and wife, and they were ready to kick off their shoes while enjoying a picturesque sunset barbecue with family and friends; or so they thought.

While enjoying the bonfire, the bride got a little too close, catching fire to her wedding dress. The scene threatened to turn into the Corpse Bride, if it were not for the quick thinking of her new husband - who threw his lovely, burning bride, straight into the ocean.

Needless to say, the bride’s wedding dress was ruined, as was the groom’s tuxedo as he jumped in himself after launching her into the water. However, thankfully the smart, water logged couple, had taken out wedding insurance cover and were compensated for their ruined wedding outfits.

2) Blinded by the Moon(s)

Who hasn’t come across them on beach holiday - the beautiful group of women in scantly-clad bikinis. However, as Jerry Seinfeld famous quipped, ‘it is like looking at the sun, you don’t stare’; and here is a good reason why you should listen to Jerry.

A young British traveler was vacationing around the Greek isles, when he was fortunate enough to cross paths with a group of women in very skimpy bikinis while walking down the street. Unfortunately for the young man however, he continued to walk down the street; never taking his eyes off of the Greek goddesses, that was at least until his face went straight into a bus shelter that he claimed ‘came out of nowhere’. Unlike in the movies, the scene didn’t play out with just a bruise to the man’s pride; the man shattered his nose requiring a trip to the emergency room.

The young traveler was fortunate that his perverted peeping injury was paid for by his medical insurance company – although the doctor prescribed no more bikini watching for fear of further injury. We can not confirm if he followed this advice and he was likely to wear sunglasses for the remainder of this trip due to his two black eyes. One thing is certain, he will heed the advice of countless men who have come across this situation before; either stop and pretend you have just found the most interest piece of architecture conveniently near the ladies, or be aware of obstacles perv.

3) Raiders of the Lost Camera

Continuing with the beach theme that is emerging - many of us are guilty of thinking that we can trick potential thieves on the beach by hiding our valuables in our shoes or wrapped in our towel, which doesn’t fool anyone, especially those pesky beach-dwelling kleptomaniacs. However, two British children traveling with their family thought that they could out smart any potential thieves by burying their parents’ video camera in the sand to prevent it from being stolen whilst the family was swimming in the water.

Unfortunately for the children, and their parents, they could not remember the exact location of where they buried the camera. One wonders if perhaps they marked it with an X, only to have the tide wash it over, or even if the camera would have been in working condition (as we all know how sand gets into everything). Thankfully, the family’s property insurance felt for the parents and paid out for a new camera, and dad let his children live to see another day.

4) The Poseidon Ad-Denture

An elderly man vacationing on a cruise ship was prepared for a relaxing week under the sun. Unfortunately, a storm made for a few rough days at sea, which led to a bit of sea sickness for the elderly man. While at dinner with a few other patrons, the man felt his dinner was about to make a reappearance, so after excusing himself, the man quickly made his way to the adjoining deck to clear his head (and his supper).

The man however forgot to remove his false teeth prior to vomiting over the side of a cruise ship, causing them to end up at the bottom of the sea.

The man was fortunate enough to have taken out travel incurrence; claiming his new dentures under “lost baggage”.

It makes us wonder if there is a fish roaming the ocean with an extra set of teeth.

5) ‘Tis Not The Season

We have all gone a vacation only to have it spoiled by the weather. While in most cases you can come up pretty good “plan B”, one woman decided that she would put in an insurance claim because of the money she lost due to the uncooperative weather.

The woman was traveling for a week of snow skiing at a luxury Alpine resort, unfortunately for the woman; there was very little snow upon her arrival. The woman believing that she could get no use out of her vacation, and especially her new skis, filed an insurance claim for the trip, and the skis.

Her claims were rejected (we wonder why?).

6) Keeping Up With the Jones’

Every person going on holiday worries at some point that their house or car might get broken into while they are away. Well for one unfortunate family in the UK, this proved to be true. However, it wasn’t the jewelry case or the TV that was missing, it was their entire driveway.

While the family was away for several weeks, thieves walked away with their expensive paving brick by brick, leaving a muddy dirt track upon the families return. Thankfully, the family’s insurance company covered the missing drive way. One wonders though, where were the neighbors during all of this, as it clearly must have taken several days to steal the bricks.

7) ‘An Apple a Day…May Wreck Your Car

For one man in Europe, he really did think that the sky was falling.

I am sure we all know Chicken Little who famously quipped that the “sky is falling” after receiving a Galileo-like hit to the head by an apple. Well for this man, he must have truly begun to wonder if Chicken Little was on to something.

The man had pulled to the side of the road near an apple orchard to enjoy his lunch. This was when the man said that his vehicle became deluged by hundreds of apples. After the downpour of apples subsided, the man got out of his vehicle to see that an fork-lift on the other side of the apple trees had accidentally tipped over and knocked several trees.

The man was worried his auto insurance wouldn’t cover the unusual incident, but thankfully he didn’t upset the apple cart and his insurance covered the claim.

9) A Staining Situation

Perhaps it was the curry vindaloo that caused it! But for one unfortunate man his race to the bathroom didn’t quite work out.

A man in the UK submitted an insurance claim for a new pair of pants. The man wanted to be compensated after he unfortunately soiled them in a race to the toilet at a bus station which didn’t work out. The reason for the claim was that the man had said the bus authorities had shut the toilet without notifying the patrons. The man was not aware of this as he ‘raced to the loo’ only to find a locked door.’

Just be glad you weren’t passing by the man at the same moment, or that didn’t have to sit next to him on the 3 hour bus journey after.

The claim was rejected.

10) A Series of Oh So Unfortunate Events

Who hasn’t had “one of those days” where seemingly everything that could go wrong does. Well for one driver in the United States, their day was certainly going that direction after they braked too late and rear ended the car in front of them. Unfortunately the driver’s day was about to get a whole lot worse.

Their auto insurance claim read an account like this: “While going forward I smashed the rear light of the car in front of me. So I backed up, and in doing so smashed the front bumper of the car behind me. That’s when I stepped out of the car, but in doing so, I knocked down a bicyclist with my door”.

The details of the report did not speculate as to the sex or hair color of the driver, but it does cause from some speculation.

So there you have it, our list of the 10 most unusual insurance claims. What do you think? Have you heard any other wacky insurance stories? We’d love to hear from you in the comments.

We all dread those doctors’ visits, especially as we get older. The worry which accompanies the trip to the local quack only increases with age, as does our risk of developing a severe disease or disability. However, we may be in luck due to the advancement in medical technology currently being made by scientists around the world; in the not too distant future our children may not have to worry about the same diseases, ailments or physical disabilities that we worry about today.

Why not? The answer, simply put, is Robots.

As Apple’s introduces their iPhone 4s with its new Siri voice assistant, which sounds frighteningly like a female version of HAL from 2001: A Space Odyssey, it signals yet another advancement in the use and dependency of technology in our day-to-day life. Fans of sci-fi thrillers such as The Matrix, Terminator or Battlestar Galatica will now most certainly be preparing themselves for the A.I. apocalypse. But little do they, or the rest of the population, know that the machines have already been quietly taking over for some time, especially in the field of medical care.

Below we’ll take a look at the top 10 modern machines that are changing the medical industry (and preparing themselves to crush their human masters).

Hybrid Assistive Limb 5

The Hybrid Assistive Limb 5, or HAL 5 (this will really have sci-fi fans going) is an artificially powered ecoskeleton that helps double the amount of weight someone can carry unaided. The device was developed, like much of the other machines on this list, by researchers in Japan.

While this device has a long list of tasks that will greatly impact fields across all professions, it is being looked at in hospitals and in medical care for patients who are suffering from illness that make them weak and unable to perform daily tasks. It is also being used for workers in facilites to help lift items (or humans) that are overweight.

This device is currently on the market, but the thing that will most certainly revolutionize modern medicine which is still in development is cognitive responses, in the hopes that one day wheelchair-bound individuals may be able to “walk”.

Call us crazy, but we’re definitely looking forward to the day when we too can have our very own Luke Skywalker hand from Return of the Jedi.

Da Vinci Si HD Surgical System

The accolades for Da Vinci are numerous, from painter to inventor, to possible head of a secret society; Da Vinci would not have a problem lending his name to this robotic system which performs minimally invasive surgeries. The machine looks like a large and futuristic sewing machine, which it basically is.

Da Vinci gives superior visualization, enhanced dexterity, greater precision and ergonomic comfort to surgeons for a great range of surgeries, even those as complex as open-heart surgery. The system makes only small incisions of about 1 or 2 centimeters where needed, which can reduce hospital stays by half, reducing costs by about one-third and will mean less pain and a speedier recovery.

CyberKnife

The CyberKnife Robotic Radiosurgery System is quite the opposite of its name. The CyberKnife is a non-invasive alternative to surgery for the treatment of both cancerous and non-cancerous tumors anywhere in the body. Developed by Accuray, CyberKnife uses continual image guidance technology and computer controlled robotic mobility to automatically track, detect, and attack tumors. The CyberKnife system precisely delivers high-dose radiation, reducing damage to surrounding healthy tissue and eliminating the need for invasive head or body stabilization frames. As a result, recovery rates are shorter and costs are lowered. Typically, patients require five or fewer visits. The device is relatively small and can therefore be used at smaller medical facilities.

This may be a great idea, until the CyberKnife develops full sentience and goes on the attack spree which will most definitely follow.

SOFI

While 20 years ago many thought that laser precision surgery would be the thing of the future, it is actually robot-assisted surgery that doctors say is going to make things much easier. For starters, aside from being far more precise it’s also steadier, less invasive and it could even be a lot less stressful for the surgeon who doesn’t even have to be in the same room. This is why SOFI (Surgeon’s Operating Force-feedback Interface) has taken this type of surgery to a more sophisticated level by adding haptic feedback that is received by the surgeon performing an operation form a remote location. The feedback is a critical part in the surgeons work and this will enable the surgeon to gauge the amount of pressure being applied to the tissues etc.

It will still be several years before SOFI makes its way into the operating tables but “she” will be one hell of a surgeon once there.

Nursebot

Yes, this is exactly as the name sounds. Nurses (the people) have seen a decline in their numbers in recent years, which has led to shortage in these much needed medical professionals. One of the least sought after, but most important roles in nursing is for the elderly. To help address the situation, researchers at the University of Pittsburgh, the University of Michigan, and Carnegie Mellon University have been working on mobile robots that are specifically designed to help elderly people cope with day-to-day activities. This allows them to live at home and will help to reduce costs of nursing homes and rehab centers. The nurses can do things like temperature with laser beams and thermal camera imaging (which means no more rectal temperature-taking treatment for grandma). Some models have soft fingertips nimble enough to delicately grip a drinking straw and arms with the strength to lift an adult out of bed. The Nursebot can also respond to commands to do things like fetch medication or refreshments. Nursebot even comes equipped with telepresence capabilities, allowing live nurses or doctors to monitor medical conditions.

RIBA

Taking one look at this photo you will probably have no problem guessing where RIBA was invented. RIBA, the Robot for Interactive Body Assistance, was created in Japan and designed to lift people who are too weak or ill to sit, walk, or stand by themselves. While similar to the Nursebot, RIBA is designed entirely to carry individuals. The robot can, at the moment, lift people of up to 135 pounds, although that weight limit is expected to increase. The machine has 454 sensors built into its arms, along with a motor for lifting people, as well as a soft foam skin for comfort. The robot responds to commands, and is trained to recognize both faces and voices, according to its developers. Its prospective markets are nursing homes, long- and short-term care facilities and hospitals, especially when the robot is able to lift heavier weights.

Remote Presence RP-7

This machine looks like the robot from Lost in Space, a talking head with a rectangular box shape. This remote presence robot allows doctors in different geographical locations to teleconference right by a patient’s bedside. Real-time video allows for detailed viewing, examination and digital image capture of human anatomy, bedside monitors and equipment, EKG strips and light box images. The system is currently used in remote areas of northwestern Pennsylvania, western New York, and eastern Ohio, and even provides coverage to 14 prisons in region.

Lokomat

After suffering a stroke, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord damage, or other harm to the central nervous system, there is a good possibility that one may lose the ability to walk or to use other motor functions.

This leads to an intensive rehabilitation regiment, which dispite the patient’s hard work can produces limited results. This is why researchers in Switzerland designed Lokomat, which combines medical and engineering approaches to help patients regain mobility faster, with less pain. The Lokomat uses a robot to automate treadmill training, giving patients longer and more frequent sessions and resulting in a faster and improved return to mobility. The robot intelligently adapts its behavior to the patient’s individual capabilities.

The walking with Lokomat is said to improve pelvis and hip actuation as the walking is more natural, and the virtual training environments can increase patients’ motivation and engagement.

IntelliFill I.V.Pharmacy

The IntelliFill i.v. is designed to automate hospital pharmacies’ intravenous drug preparation process. It uses bar code scanning, vision systems, and weight confirmation steps to identify final products to reduce medication errors. The robot-based system promotes long-term hospital cost savings by preparing the final intravenous products in a syringe instead of an IV bag, according to developer Baxa. Unfortunately, the machine doesn’t vend sodas.

Nanotechnolgy

Nanotechnology, or, as it is sometimes called, molecular manufacturing , is a branch of engineering that deals with the design and manufacture of extremely small electronic circuits and mechanical devices built at the molecular level of matter.

One application of nanotechnology in medicine currently being developed involves employing nanoparticles to deliver drugs, heat, light or other substances to specific types of cells (such as cancer cells). Particles are engineered so that they are attracted to diseased cells, which allows direct treatment of those cells. This technique reduces damage to healthy cells in the body and allows for earlier detection of disease. For example, nanoparticles that deliver chemotherapy drugs directly to cancer cells are under development. Tests are in progress for targeted delivery of chemotherapy drugs and their final approval for their use with cancer patients is pending.

If you work in an office you will have most likely received an email in recent years about a man who died at his desk, while this can happen, the kicker was that he was not discovered to be dead for nearly five days. Although the validity of that story is debated, it highlights something that medical professionals have been telling us for years; sitting at a desk is killing us, literally. If you want to avoid an untimely demise under the florescent lights of that cubicle you love, read the top 10 biggest health problems that can come from working in an office, and the ways to prevent them.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS)

Yes, you may think that this condition only affects the heavyset woman in the cubicle next to you, but actually CTS is becoming a very common issue with today’s modern office worker.

First documented en-masse after World War II, the issue was not taken seriously until the 1970s.

Up to that point it was thought to be just another excuse used by wimpy office workers to miss a day on the job. Turn to the days of the desktop computer and CTS has become an increasingly serious issue. Medical professionals describe CTS as pressure on the median nerve - the nerve in the wrist that supplies feeling and movement to parts of the hand. It can lead to numbness, tingling, weakness, or muscle damage in the hand and fingers (at least it doesn’t make you go blind). Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is caused by performing a motion repeatedly over and over again; motions which may be familiar to male readers spending any amount of time on websites with dubious content.

Although other factors can play a part in CTS, in the workplace it is the endless hours spent on spreadsheets, word documents and emails that have led to the explosion of the condition in the last 20 years.

Prevention: Experts say that before you treat Carpal Tunnel with acupuncture, drugs or surgery, stretching and other exercises may help release tension in the wrist. Contrary to what many believe, your wrists shouldn’t actually rest on those cushy wrist pads that sit below your keyboard or mouse pad. They should actually be used as a guide for how high your wrists should be; i.e. The hands should hover over the wrist when at rest and the pads should only be used as a tool to rest your wrists in between bouts of typing.

Lower-Back Pain

While you may think that lower-back pain only affected your father after he “single-handedly wrestled with a full-grown grizzly bear”, it has become an increasing problem for office workers of all ages. Experts say that this is due to the increase in sedentary positions; namely, sitting on your ass for more than a few hours of the day. Add to that an increase in bad posture, and the result can be devastating to your body over time. Employers should be mindful of this as well since, according to Georgetown University, back pain is among the top reasons for employees having to miss work (at least that is what they claim to be missing work for). It isn’t just slouching either, sitting up straight but curving your back too much can also lead lower-back pain.

George Costanza had it right when he complained about back pain from his legendary wallet. Experts say that having large items in your back pocket such as a wallet, or smart phone, while sitting increases back pain as it puts pressure on the sciatic nerve.

Prevention: Besides being better aware of your posture as you’re sitting at your desk, getting regular exercise, including abdominal strengthening activities, should relieve some of the pressure on your lower back.

Make sure you stand often; the simple act of standing improves blood flow and engages your muscles from feet to trunk. If you do not have a reason to get up, make one! Moving your desk items such as printer, scotch tape, fax machine away from your desk, as well as getting up to talk to someone instead of sending them an email can help you get up and around more often.

The chair that you sit in is also very important; it should help support good posture and not reinforce bad ones.

Eyestrain

Those of us who have to look at spread sheets for hours on end will most certainly have felt, at some point, that the numbers were burning holes in our eyes.

Programmers sorting through thousands of lines of code on a mountain dew fuelled 3am coding binge are well aware of the melty eye phenomenon. Well, the feeling that your eyes may be, literally, melting out of your head isn’t too far off from reality; staring at a computer screen for long periods of time can lead to blurry and overly sensitive eyes, too-watery or too-dry eyes, headaches or a sore neck according to the Mayo Clinic.

Prevention: To prevent eyestrain at your computer, increase your font size so you don’t have to squint. You should also rest your eyes frequently by looking away from your computer screen, which, coincidentally, is a perfect excuse when your boss catches you taking a little catnap, “I was just resting my eyes to reduce eyestrain, boss.” If he doesn’t believe you, make sure he knows that as a worse case it can cause dizziness, fatigue or vomiting and is often attributed to learning and attention problems. Your office IT department may also recommend switching the text on your screen to white, while changing the background to black as a method to reduce eye strain; but if you’re using a CTR computer monitor, changing this set up often may cause the monitor to explode.

Viruses/Bacteria

When thinking about the world’s dirtiest jobs, working in an office generally doesn’t jump into most peoples minds, but “the office” in terms of bacteria and germs, is 400 times dirtier than your toilet. While generally not the breeding ground for the Ebola virus, desks are a rampant with germs, due in part to eating at your desk which can turn it into a bacteria cafeteria. It isn’t the fact that you’re eating food at your desk which is dirty, but rather the issue is that the aftermath of your delicious desk meal is rarely cleaned up; leaving lots of tasty crumbs for those hungry, hungry microbes. According to experts, the phone is the dirtiest item sitting on your desk, your keyboard is next, and the mouse and the computer follow. Food remnants can get into hard to reach areas of your desk and can attract rats, roaches and other creepy crawlers when the lights go out, which leads to unintended exposure to their germs. Add to this the coworker who never washes their hands after using the toilet and you don’t stand a chance. At the end of the day, your office is a bacterial battleground, and you are the most tempting target.

Prevention: If you frequently eat your lunch at your desk, you may want to make sure you have hand sanitizer and antibacterial wipes to wipe down your work surface daily. That can also protect you from germs sprayed into the air by your coughing and sneezing coworkers. If your office has a communal kitchen sink with a sponge, use paper towels instead, just to stay safe from bacteria. And tell that dirty non-hand washing salesman to wise up, or else.

Also, if you bring your own lunch, remember that raw and cooked foods need to remain refrigerated; leaving them out for two hours or more is a food safety no-no.

Noise stress

Phones ringing, loud printers, annoying coworkers and other office noises can, in fact, be a health risk. Cornell University environmental psychologist, Gary Evans, conducted a study that revealed office noise in open-style offices can lead to “higher levels of stress and lower task motivation.” There may be a reason why the hustle and bustle of a post office causes some employees to “go postal.” Evans and his colleagues believe that while some low-level noise can lead to workers becoming more focused on their tasks, the long term effects of noise stress affect decision making, as well as concentration, keeping workers from realizing that they need to take a break or change their posture, which as we already know can lead to detrimental health. Long-term exposure to noise stress may mean your coworker could be packing more than just his lunch one day.

Prevention: Quiet, enclosed rooms can alleviate the effects of low-level office noise. In lieu of private offices, noise reducing headphones can help. If you are unable to wear headphones in the office, a brief walk to the park or another quiet area throughout the day can help to reduce your stress level.

The bottom line? Be considerate to your colleagues, and refrain from blasting that epic Death Metal track straight after lunch; or ever, now that we think about it.

Exposure to Extremely Low Frequency (ELF) Electric and Magnetic Fields (say that five times fast)

Computer and cell phone emissions are so commonplace these days that they may seem harmless. But the radiation emitted from them has the potential to be hazardous. It is believed by some that high level EMF exposure can cause leukemia, cancers, reproductive and development problems, as well as depression. There is not much you can do to avoid EMF in the modern workplace, and even working at home will still result in exposure. So unless you’re ready to join the tin-foil hat brigade, with their shiny and stylish helmets, ELF and EMF exposure is here for a good long while to come.

Prevention: It is possible to minimize your contact with EMFs by keeping your distance from objects that put off emissions, including keeping your cell phone, tablet and other electronic devices in a far away desk drawer. Try also to place your computer hard drive as far away from your body as possible.

Pro Tip: Take your phone out of your pocket and put it on your desk as the first act of every day. You know, unless you want all that awesome radiation next to your junk. Mutant offspring For The Win?!

Obesity

Although not a new issue, the problem is becoming worse as lack of physical activities, increased levels of stress, and the growing prevalence of junk food contribute to an increase in obesity in workplaces around the world.

Colon cancer

While experts still debate on whether an office jobs can have a definitive link to colon cancer, it is certain that sitting for hours on end is a leading factor in the increase in colon cancer across the globe. According to the American Journal of Epidemiology, experts have found that people who work in the office for more than 10 years, and spend most of the time in sedentary work at a desk, have up to a 44 per cent increase in a risk of colon cancer.

Prevention: As with many of the other items on this list, getting up and moving around during the day, as well as a healthy diet can help to reduce this risk. Broccoli has been identified as a leading preventative agent in the fight against colon cancer, so it could be a good idea to load up on a lunch full of that green leafy vegetable.

However, broccoli also causes flatulence; if colon cancer doesn’t get you, your stinky farts may just turn the tables and give your coworkers the incentive they need to get there first.

Heart disease

Even if you heart is not in your work, it is certainly being exposed to it. According to British scientists, those who work for 10-11 hours in the office have up to 67 per cent higher risks to develop heart disease.

As well as the other contributing factors already listed, it is due in part to working long hours and having less time for exercise, healthy eating and physician’s visits. Working in an office can also expose workers to more stress, less sleep and engage in other behaviors which contribute to cardiovascular risk, particularly that much needed smoking break.

Prevention: Getting up from your desk every 30 minutes can decrease the risk of having a heart attack. Take time during your lunch break to go for a stroll at a brisk pace and drink more water. However, if you’re getting up for a cigarette, you’re not fooling anyone. Get back to work.

Office Obstacle Course

You do, after all, work in a space that is filled with objects that can cause you to slip, trip or even electrocute yourself. As one expert puts it “the modern office is a minefield of objects that can lead to bodily harm”. Add simpleminded coworkers who spill liquid, string cables improperly or put obstacles in public places to the mix and the results can be disastrous. In fact, it’s well known that the Kitchen is the most dangerous place in an individual’s home, so adding all the office obstacles to an office kitchen gives us the perfect threat for the modern employee.

Prevention: Keep your eyes open and don’t be stupid! While this may seem relatively simple, one can easily get distracted when negotiating the office or think that they can get that piece of toast stuck in the toaster out by using the metal knife in the drawer.