Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) is a painful condition that occurs when the median nerve, which runs from the forearm into the hand, becomes pressed, squeezed or repeatedly stressed over time.
The most common cause of CTS is keyboard and mouse use, and the onset of symptoms make it painful to use a computer at all, which can have devastating consequences for employment options. My Aunt got CTS as a result of non-stop typing at her job, and was forced to make a total career change.
The chances of women being at risk for carpal tunnel syndrome are three times higher than men.
Why?
- Women have smaller, square shaped wrists and a narrower carpal tunnel passage.
- With a lower average body temperature, women often have cooler hands and decreased blood flow.
- Hormonal changes during pregnancy, menopause, or even from the use of birth control pills can result in swelling of the wrists increasing the chances of developing CTS.
What are the implications of this? Are women at a disadvantage career-wise because of a higher risk of computer-related injury?
I think another factor that puts some women at risk is greater stress caused by responsibilites at home and at work. There’s the do-it-all never-say-no-to-anyone syndrome, a breed of work-a-holic that will not take frequent breaks and work long hours in less than great conditions. I fell into this pattern just long enough to get seriously injured, then stayed on for another 2 years at my job, hiring assistants but still doing much of the same work. I’m now disabled, my life has been completely overturned, and i may need to find a career w/o a computer. tough job when web development was my life.
Amal, I totally agree with you, women work harder than men! It is actually statistically shown that accounting for non-paid work, women worldwide work more than men.