Those piles of paper, stacks of folders, and last week's half-filled coffee cup on your office desk mean one thing: You're likely to get sick.

British researchers from a company called Analysts with Open Ergonomics conducted a study for Japan's NEC-Mitsubishi and concluded that cluttered desks contribute to worker sickness, reports the BBC News Online. It even has a name: Irritable Desk Syndrome.

The opposite is also true. A tidy desk leads to healthy bodies.

The study's purpose was to analyze the desks of 2,000 NEC-Mitsubishi employees and determine specific ways employees can improve their work areas.

The results:

• Fully 40 percent of those surveyed said they were infuriated by the clutter on their desk, but couldn't be bothered to do anything about it.
• Another 35 percent admitted they suffer from back or neck pain because they knowingly sit at their desk in an awkward position.

Lead study author Nigel Robertson, who calls himself a "deskologist," said that cluttered desks should be treated as a serious problem. "What most individuals fail to realize is that desk symptoms typically escalate very quickly, from persistent discomfort to chronic pain which can end a person's career and reduce their quality of life in a wide range of ways."

The BBC says that if the survey results are to be believed, then millions of office workers must be suffering from Irritable Desk Syndrome that is compounded by working long hours and sitting with poor posture.

What can you do before it's too late? "The two essentials for less stressful, more productive desk management are: Don't endure, act today; and do it yourself--don't wait for someone else to fix it for you," says Robertson.

Analysts with Open Ergonomics advises you to do the following to improve your work area, reports the BBC:

Setting Up: Pay more attention to the way you set up your desk to reduce stress and health risks.

Sitting Pretty: Adjust the way you sit to improve back posture.

Take Five: Take a few minutes to stretch at your desk to reduce injury from routine activity.

Change of Scene: Take regular breaks away from your desk to improve your concentration, overall health, and colleague interaction.

Express Yourself: Give your desk individuality to remind you of life outside work.

Keep Cool: Prevent dehydration and overheating at work to promote higher energy levels.

De-clutter: Organize your desk to reduce stress levels and increase productivity.