Injuries from unfortunate collisions with computer equipment are on the rise, according to new statistics.

RODALE NEWS, EMMAUS, PA—If you’re the type of person who spends eight hours a day in front of a computer, you’re likely familiar with the blurry vision, carpal tunnel pain, and other physical ailments associated with computer use.

But has the monitor ever fallen on you? Have you tripped over the keyboard wire only to wind up in the hospital with a concussion? Don’t laugh, it could happen. According to a new study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, we’re all getting clumsier with our computers, but children and older adults are the most affected. These sorts of acute computer-related injuries have increased 732 percent over the last 13 years.

THE DETAILS: Researchers collected data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System, which is operated by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Analyzing data from 1994 (the first year the agency started collecting information on computer-related injuries) to 2006, they found that 93.2 percent of injuries happened at home. Children under 5 years old had the highest injury rates of any population, 4.1 in 100,000, and 53 percent of their injuries came from either climbing onto or playing near computer towers and monitors. Among the rest of the population, a majority of injuries took place while moving equipment, which could account for the fact that 21.2 percent of injuries were caused by computer equipment falling on a patient, or that 17 percent involved strained muscles or joints. The most common injury, however, was bumping into or getting caught on computer equipment, which accounted for 36.9 percent.

The report did have some good news, however. The number of kids getting hurt by playing on or near computer monitors dropped by 32 percent between 2003 to 2006, presumably because 2003 was the first year that sales of smaller, lighter LCD screens surpassed those of heavy CRT monitors. And injuries to the population as a whole seemed to level off during that time period, as well, suggesting that our smaller monitors and increased desire for laptops and mini CPU towers will be less injurious to our health in the long run.