Have you been wondering how you can improve your health and at the same time make a living in the truck driving sector?
Well, I will offer you insights on how you achieve this. I will give you details on some of the occupational diseases that you must avoid.
You may want to ask why do I need to care about my health as a truck driver? The answer lies in the simple fact that a truck-driving career is rewarding.
Other than making a good living in the field, you have a chance to explore the world and learn. You can also rise through the ranks with ease based on your skills and experience in the field.
Making such a progress requires you to work long hours. You will have irregular shifts and be away from your loved ones for a long time.
You may also be exposed to chemical hazards and face workplace violence. The good career will be affected. Your productivity levels will be low when you are sick.
You may also spend a lot of money while trying to get treatment. It is for these reasons that you should care about your health.
In fact, once you understand the various diseases that semi-trailer truck drivers have to avoid, you will change your life. You will be free to pursue your career goals.
- Prostatitis
The condition is simply referred to as an infection or a swelling of the prostate. It can affect men from different backgrounds and age.
Studies show it is a major reason why most men visit an urologist. The condition may have few or no symptoms.
Thus, men are advised to avoid the risk factors. The factors include being exposed to bladder infections or using medical instruments such as a catheter.
Another factor is sitting down for a long time. As a truck driver, you may be familiar with this aspect. You are likely to sit down for a long time in your travels.
In the process, you will exert a lot of pressure on the perineum. As this occurs for many days, internal organs will be dysfunctional.
- Preventative methods
Inflammations and bacterial infections will prevail after that. Particularly, tubal obstruction and undesirable excretion of glandular fluid will lead to prostate congestion.
The result of this process is prostatitis. Fortunately, you can minimize the risk of prostatitis by making some adjustments in your life.
Foremost, you must develop the habit of drinking more water. As you may have heard before, water improves the body metabolism and blood circulation.
Taking at least six glasses of water in a day will help you to improve the overall health. In addition, avoid holding back the urine since it will exert more pressure on your prostate.
Note that as you drink more water, you will feel the need to urinate. Whether you are at home or driving your track, find time to go to a bathroom. You should have a warm bath at least once in a day.
Pay much attention to the perineum. You need to relieve the tension that builds around that area. With these steps you will have avoided prostatitis for good.
- Stomach Issues
You may have noticed that after a long day of work, the stomach upsets increase. You may have mild or severe pain around the mid to upper-right part of the stomach.
Further, you may have digestive-related issues such as nausea, heartburn, vomiting and diarrhea. All these issues arise because you sit for a long time.
Another cause is failing to take proper meals and in the right manner. Sitting down for a long time reduces the secretion of digestive juices.
This means that not all the meals that you will take will be digested well. You will find it hard to work with a bloated stomach or heartburns.
- Preventative methods
As you spend many hours without eating, you will have stomach issues after taking a meal. It is particularly true if you do not know the procedures that you must follow during the mealtime.
For instance, you may opt to prioritize eating tough meals such as meat before taking vegetables and fruits. Every nutritionist worth his or her salt will tell you that this is a dietary disaster.
You will experience indigestion issues. Various steps will help you to prevent stomach problems as a truck driver. To start with, you should carry some healthy snacks to eat while you drive.
You can have peanuts and low-calorie soda biscuits. They will provide you with the energy that you need while at work.
The snacks will also neutralize the acidity levels in your stomach. Ulcers and heart burns will be a thing of the past afterward. You must also consider taking a balanced diet.
A meal rich in fruits and vegetables will relieve you from the indigestion issues. In addition, it will help you to eliminate the toxins that may have built in your body over the years.
Do not forget to include carbohydrates so that you can get energy. You need enough energy to work for a long time. Still, take a lot of water to promote digestion. Water will keep your body hydrated as you drive to different places.
- Hemorrhoids
One of the commonest occupational health complaints among truck drivers are the hemorrhoids. They are blood vessels around the anus and the rectum.
An individual suffering from the condition will have rectal bleeding when defecating. It occurs because as a truck driver, you do not have the privilege of moving freely.
The driver’s space is limited. You will also have to sit for many hours and thus stress your pelvic areas. You may also be forced to do heavy lifting or stay motionless for hours.
All these aspects affect your cardiovascular system. Hemorrhoids are a part of that system.
Issues that you may have to deal with include bleeding, fissure, and hyperemia of the rectal venous plexus. Others include itching of the anus and infections.
- Preventative methods
Without taking the right measures to prevent the condition, your career will be affected significantly. It is actually embarrassing to discuss the topic with the physician.
There are various ways of preventing the formation of hemorrhoids. The easiest way is to take a lot of water so that the stool is kept soft.
You must also avoid straining when you are engaging in bowel movements. Avoid procrastinating going to the bathroom. You could also sit in a warm bathtub to soothe the affected area.
Alternatively, use a cold pack of ice to eliminate any form of inflammation. More so, eat your meals at regular times so that the digestive system is normalized. The meal should have more fiber and less fat.
You should limit the sodium intake. Most importantly, you should engage in physical activities. Try levator ani sports that can boost the functioning of the cardiovascular system.
Such exercises must involve natural breathing to help relax the stomach and the anus. The best thing is that you can engage in this activity at any place and time of the day.
- Cervical spondylosis, cervical intervertebral disc herniation
After bowing or bending for a long time at work, you will put a lot of pressure at the bottom of the vertebrae.
The inter-vertebral disc will degenerate, which is simply the “wear and tear” of the vertebrae and disks in the neck. It is also known as herniation.
If the problem is not solved, the spinal cord can be injured. The nerve roots can also be affected. More so, it leads to bone hyperplasia, headaches, and dizziness.
Needless to say, you will have difficulties in driving your truck. The most unfortunate part of the condition is that many people do not show any symptom. They may only realize when it is too late!
- Preventative methods
Good news is that you can prevent cervical disc disorders. It starts with taking the right posture while driving.
Avoid bending when driving for a long time but rather try to sit upright. You could also invest in a firm and a comfortable cushion to help protect your back.
Note that using more than one pillow is not advisable. Further, avoid keeping your legs and arms straight. This helps because the curvature of the back spine is minimized.
You may also consider protecting the lumbar spine by using a suspension seat. Your truck should also be designed in such a way that you can take the right posture.
You may request your employer to make the necessary modifications on the vehicle. Even further, exercise as much as possible.
You may need to engage in jogging or walking whenever possible to relax your muscles. It is also important to do exercises that boost the overall health of your spine and back.
Still, go for a checkup in a reputable hospital in your area. It will help you to prevent the severe cases of cervical disc disorders.
- Eye Strain
Have you ever noticed that your eyes are straining during the night and in summer? If so, you need to avoid complicating the issue by understanding the condition in depth.
Eye muscles are just like others in the body. The muscles will be fatigued after you overwork them. They will naturally be strained after prolonged focus in driving.
Drivers tend to rely on their eyes more than other senses in the body. They have to focus and re-focus on approaching objects.
Drivers also deal with distractions on the road. That way, they can be assured of road safety. However, doing so for a long time will strain your eyes.
- Preventative methods
Bright lights from other motor vehicles on the road or from the street lights will also create the problem. Still, ultraviolet rays during summer and stress are closely related to eye problems.
The symptoms to observe include soreness and a burning sensation in the eyes. You may also have severe headaches and neck pains.
Preventing eye strains in your line of work is possible. For instance, you can purchase polarized sunglasses and wear them when during the day.
Your eyes will be protected from the harsh UV rays. More light will also be allowed into your eyes.
Note that the color of the sunglasses will determine the level of protection that you can get a very deep color may not helpful, because you are likely to struggle to see while driving.
The best option is the dark brown lenses. They have the capacity to filter blue lights. In addition, they enhance visual clarity and contrast.
A grey lens is also a good choice. It helps in absorbing chromatography. This will help you to avoid straining. Be sure to clean the glasses as you travel.
Beyond buying sunglasses, you should get enough rest on a daily basis. You could take short breaks during the long-distance drives.
You should also take the right diet to improve the overall health of your eyes. Further, your truck’s headlights and windshield must be clean.
Visiting an eye specialist will also help you to determine whether you are healthy or not. You can also get advice on the type of polarized glasses to purchase.
- Calculus
It can be a dreadful experience to see blood in the urine. It is mainly caused by the renal or kidney stones. Other than the presence of blood in your urine, you may experience pain in the abdomen, groin, and flank.
The condition is closely related to the decrease in the volume of urine. Substances that form the stones such as cystine, calcium, and phosphate can lead to calculus.
The pain associated with the condition is severe and sudden. You are also likely to vomit and feel a sense of nausea. Gallstones form in the gallbladder, which is a small organ located in the liver.
It is caused by having excessive weight, infections, and complications of the gall balder and poor diet.
- Preventative methods
It is unfortunate that truck drivers are likely to develop the conditions than other workers. This is because you are likely to procrastinate urination in the course of your job.
You spend long hours in one position. It is worsened if your family has a history of the condition. You do not have to a part of the of truckers being treated for kidney stones and gallstones.
Instead, you can take preventive measures. First, you should take a lot of water throughout the day to produce enough urine. You could also take hot beverages such as tea.
You must avoid some unhealthy drinks such as the ones that contain phosphates.
Your meals should also contain less salt. More so, it is wise to practice the habit of urinating whenever necessary. A proper diet intake can help the kidney and gallbladder to function properly.
Functional organs help in eliminating the complications. A diet containing too much animal protein will cause an accumulation of uric acid.
The acid will eventually lead to kidney stones. On the contrary, eating citrus fruits can help prevent the condition. Other foods to avoid include cheese, chocolate, liver, and yogurt.
- Other Lifestyle-Related Conditions
You are likely to develop various health conditions in the long term because of your lifestyle. The inactive lifestyle is related to a number of conditions such as cancer and diabetes get.
You can also get cardiovascular diseases such as high blood pressure and coronary heart disease. It is even more regrettable if you have had an existing condition before becoming a trucker.
For instance, a driver who has suffered from diabetes for a significant part of their life is likely to develop obesity.
Further, poor immunity and continued exposure to different health risks can eventually lead to cancer.
It is worth noting that women in the field have a higher chance of developing cancer than men do. Female drivers can get breast cancer, multiple myeloma, and ovarian cancer.
It does not mean that men do not develop cancers. Men are likely to develop prostate cancer if their prostate glands are infected or inflamed often.
You may experience developmental issues such as depression and chronic stress. This is because of the separation from your family and friends.
You may suffer from more than one condition if you are untreated properly. This will in turn affect your ability to work as a driver.
- Preventative methods
You can prevent the conditions listed above by changing your lifestyle.
Try to control your weight by taking the right diet and through exercises. You should also visit the doctor for a thorough checkup. Identifying some diseases in good time can lead to positive health outcomes.
If your employer has not provided insurance cover, set aside enough money so that you are not caught off guard. Still, having a good social life will help you minimize the stress levels.
You should also have some emergency drugs in your truck such as painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs. You can take them in case you develop a complication while on the road. Ask your doctor to recommend the right over-the-counter drugs for you.
- Conclusion
So there you have it! Regardless of the severity of diseases that truck drivers can develop, you can avoid all of them. To achieve this, you must understand how the nature of your job affects your health.
The next step is to make the necessary adjustments. While driving for long hours is well compensated in the field, it is also the main cause of various health complications.
These include your inability to take proper meals and exerting pressure on some organs. It is for these reasons that you should take the right diet, exercise, get medical checkups, and rest.
Lifestyle changes will give you a remarkable health status. Hence, you can continue reaping the amazing fruits of being a truck driver.