Occupational diseases of drivers. What diseases are common among drivers? What substances are dangerous for the driver?

Whose experience has “exceeded” 15 years, who would not have encountered back pain. “Old age is no joy,” says each of them. But no, the matter has nothing to do with old age. Let us note that this is not just one “sore” of the driver fraternity... Unfortunately, they prefer not to mention some others out loud.

Occupational diseases of drivers.

Where do they come from?

The driver's profession is something of a ticking time bomb. Sedentary lifestyle, little sleep, frequent stress(and they certainly occur during movement) will in no way affect human body in the desired favorable manner. What causes them?

constant ;
and limbs;
working hours are too long;
worry about the safety of the cargo;
overtime working hours;
concern for the lives of transported passengers;
work in sitting position;
making urgent decisions;
harmful effects environment and other.

All of the above together affects the health and well-being of drivers, who have to be on the road 5 days a week and only rest for two days (in best case scenario). Despite the fact that the work is sedentary and, in addition, it is really difficult not to incur some kind of illness. However, if you think that driving is your calling and under no circumstances will you give it up, spend preventive measures. Still, it is better to prevent initially than to treat later (this will be discussed in the article below).

We have developed a top list of occupational diseases of drivers that occur most frequently, namely:

In the first place is prostatitis (such a hated word for all men). It occurs most often due to a sedentary lifestyle. How longer person is in a sitting position, the more blood circulation deteriorates, which ultimately leads to stagnation in the pelvic area. And this, naturally, leads to prostatitis.
The second “honorable” place was taken so unpleasant hemorrhoids. Undoubtedly, just as in the previous case, it is caused by impaired blood circulation. But the main reason for this is poor nutrition, which leads to constipation and, naturally, hemorrhoids. To avoid similar troubles, you need to consume as much fiber as possible: nuts, fruits, seeds, vegetables.
Radiculitis - how often do experienced drivers complain to each other about it (forgetting to mention the two above-mentioned sores).
Osteochondrosis - a similar disease is caused by a sedentary lifestyle, as well as improper posture.
Cardiovascular diseases. Known case, when men who spent half their lives behind the wheel suffered heart attacks, which is due to several reasons: low level physical activity And high level emotional stress. An insufficient level of physical activity leads to heart atrophy, and constant concentration during movement leads to emotional experiences.
Excess weight. Very often, “large” men are associated not only with government officials, but also with “truck drivers.” What promotes deposition excess weight? Naturally, lack of physical activity. Metabolic processes are disrupted, you want to eat even more... some more time passes, and you yourself do not notice how you become a regular customer of fast food (which further aggravates your situation).
Diseases gastrointestinal tract. This often applies to those drivers who, instead of healthy food They prefer tasty, but unhealthy fast food. And also for those who ignore time for lunch, “stuffing” “whatever” into themselves right on the go.
Male infertility. Constantly being in a sitting position, men's testicles overheat, and this negatively affects the maturation of sperm. Tight underwear and a heated driver's seat also have a negative impact.

Prevention

Occupational diseases of drivers can be prevented if you think about the existing threat in a timely manner. What needs to be done for this? First of all, take care of your body, and then your spirit. If in the first case you manage to cope with this, then with the second it will work out much faster (after all physical exercise have a positive effect not only on the body, but also on the soul). So, whenever opportunity arises, try to do the following actions(stimulating increased blood circulation):

lean forward, trying to touch your fingers to the floor;
make rotational movements with your pelvis;
lean from side to side;
squat.

Don't forget about walks - they have a very positive effect on the body.

Exercises in traffic jams

Sitting in the driver's seat, whenever possible, strongly squeeze your buttocks and pull in your stomach. Try to stay in this position for 30 seconds, then rest and repeat. Minimal amount repetitions per day should not be less than 10 times. Good helper in excellent health - this is cold and hot shower. Having finished the usual and customary morning hygiene procedures, go to the contrast shower. Start with minimal difference between temperatures, gradually increasing and decreasing the “degree”. Note that contrast showers have a positive effect on rectal diseases. In addition to physical activity and proper nutrition, you can protect yourself from the occurrence of occupational diseases of drivers by updating your work chair. Install a special massage pad on the driver's seat. Ventilation and seat heating should become familiar to you.

Mas Motors

In any district clinic, each of the doctors: neurologist, urologist, cardiologist, proctologist, ophthalmologist, orthopedist and everyone else has something to say about this pair “a man and his car.” But, unfortunately, according to state standards, they are given only 15 minutes to see each patient, and they simply do not have time to express everything. We will try to make life a little easier for doctors, and for particularly zealous drivers who even go to the nearest store through 3 turns, instead of walking to it in just 3 minutes, we will try to give them something to think about.

So, Occupational diseases of drivers are conventionally divided into 4 groups.

1. Diseases caused by prolonged sitting. These include osteoarthritis, habitual, and.

2. Diseases associated with prolonged exposure to stress. is constantly under voltage, which causes cardiovascular diseases. Drivers often develop cardialgia and...

3. Diseases associated with inadequate and irregular work time. However, this is more the lot of professional drivers than amateurs. Such diseases include peptic ulcer, And .

4. Diseases caused by in a sedentary manner life and disorders: sugar and.

What should be done to prevent all of the above diseases among drivers? This may sound too banal, but, first of all, it is necessary to diversify your physical activity. Driving a car should not become the main way of transportation, and at least sometimes you need to remember about your legs. Walk in the park, swim in the pool. In general, it relieves muscle pain and psycho-emotional stress.

In addition to rational physical activity, it is necessary to take care of your own health by equipping your car with devices such as massage and heating seat covers (although car manufacturers today themselves make heated driver’s seats even in budget cars). However, no matter how passive it is, every 3 hours of driving you need to take a break, at least half an hour. Moreover, during this break you need not just stand by the side of the road with your eyes closed, but get out of the car and take a short walk.

Experts have determined that driving a car for 12 hours without good breaks causes temporary impotence.

Another problem for drivers is. On normal food Car enthusiasts don’t have enough time, so crackers, chips and chocolate are constantly swallowed up in traffic jams, which big cities far from uncommon. Since, while stuck in a traffic jam, the driver does not pay attention to food at all, but watches the traffic light and the “newcomers” trying to overtake him, the amount of harmful food eaten per day exceeds any reasonable standards. At the same time, there is no satiety, but overweight and an increase in glucose are guaranteed. Bottom line: Snack as much as you want. But only the right products. Don't be lazy to grab a carrot, cucumber, apple or a sandwich made from whole grain bread. And don’t wash it all down with sweet soda water (someday pay attention to how much sugar it contains). If you can’t imagine your life without cola, then at least buy a diet one.

As for nerves, that's a separate conversation. To the question: “Do you think swearing while driving is harmful or beneficial?” Participants in one of the driving Internet forums responded as follows:

- "Healthy. This outputs negative energy from the body..."
- “Steam must be released immediately, otherwise nervous breakdowns may begin later...”
- “By swearing, you throw out all the negativity, and therefore you are more attentive while driving, you don’t get nervous and don’t freak out. This reduces the risk of collision."
“I usually do it silently, but I still feel relieved.”

Psychologists agree with the opinion of drivers and advise “not to keep it to yourself.” Thus, if it accumulates, then it is better to speak out stronger than to slam on the gas, trying to actually prove who is the boss on the road. Road accidents are already high, so there is no need to add to the statistics.

People have suffered from diseases at all times. These diseases are so common that almost every person suffers from them at some time. Even in such a prosperous country as Sweden, illness accounts for 10 - 15% of cases of disability. Out of 1000 patients who first consult a doctor in connection with the disease, 400 are sent to the hospital, 30 of them remain there for examination and treatment, and 5 are operated on.

Familiarization with the state of affairs shows that such diseases are approximately evenly distributed in all age groups, and the increase in their number due to the aging of the body is very insignificant. In other words, illness is almost as common in the young as in the elderly. Men suffer from them almost twice as often as women. This can be explained by anatomical and physiological characteristics and the fact that many men are engaged in heavy physical labor.

There are other diseases spinal column: , discosis, , , , , lumboischialgia, etc. The onset of the disease is acute or gradual, from minor pain to a severe condition due to unbearable pain. Course - with frequent or rare exacerbations, without periods of improvement, with a gradual or rapid increase in the severity of the disease. The nature of the disease depends on the degree, nature, and level of damage to the intervertebral discs.

At x-ray examination: changes in the shape of bodies, changes in the height of intervertebral discs, the presence of bone growths on the vertebrae - “claws”, “spikes”. This was the reason for the widespread opinion of osteochondrosis as a “deposition of salts in.”

Due to the change metabolic processes vascular, muscular, motor and other disorders occur.

Long-term driving not only causes neck and back pain, but can cause chronic diseases. Experts from the British Royal Automobile Society (RAC) have found that many drivers constantly sit in incorrect posture, which leads to overstrain of the back muscles. The most dangerous “banana pose” is when the driver sits leaning towards the steering wheel and straightening his legs towards the pedals.

This creates maximum pressure on, which intensifies due to shaking while driving. The risk of serious injury during accidents also increases. Doctors recommend using hard seats that are well adjusted to the driver's figure. You should not move too far from the pedals. It is important to correctly adjust the position of the headrest.

It's better to use seats upholstered in fabric rather than leather or vinyl. RAC Foundation director Edmund King said illnesses were widespread among taxi drivers, door-to-door salesmen and others who spent long periods of time behind the wheel, which was largely due to the fact that drivers did not pay enough attention to their prevention.

According to the rules - Russian bath after exercises, and not by itself, but with mandatory cooling of the body before entering the steam room and mandatory immersion (with the head) after leaving the steam room. There are also many myths regarding cold baths, one of which is that it supposedly arises from cold water prostatitis. But prostatitis is by no means hypothermia prostate gland, but congestion in the muscles of the perineum, which (prostatitis) is also an “occupational” disease of truck drivers. To prevent prostatitis and its prevention, I would recommend deep squats before or immediately after a long ride, while keeping your arms extended upward in front. For achievement desired effect For one exercise you need to squat at least 100 times.

Stand up after squatting, again exhaling "XXAA". Squats improve venous drainage blood from lower limbs and thereby maintain normal blood circulation in the muscles of the perineum, which is the main prevention of prostatitis. In conclusion, I would like to recommend that truck drivers regularly go to the gym to maintain good muscle tone, which is necessary to prevent diseases that occur during long periods of immobile postures. The group of these diseases includes headaches, increased fatigue, irritability, illness large joints, hypertension, hemorrhoids and a number of others. Remember: diseases musculoskeletal system body, or rather, musculoskeletal system, are treated only with exercises. But the right movement heals, the wrong one cripples.

The movement itself, such as playing football, volleyball, tennis, is not a prevention of the diseases we are considering. Correct movement, or exercise, is not entertainment, but a necessary routine, just like maintenance for a car. We have to do it - that’s all! Preferably regularly. And through “I can’t” and “I don’t want.” My average patient is lazy, cowardly and weak. This is the crux of the whole problem. I wish you not to make yourself sick!
When preparing the material, material from the magazine "Avtotrak" was used

Spinal diseases have always bothered people. And now there is hardly a person who has never experienced back pain in his life. 10-15% of cases of disability occur due to diseases of the spine. For every thousand initial visits to a doctor due to spinal disease, there are four hundred cases of hospitalization, of which 30 cases require further examination and treatment, and five require surgery.

Medical statistics confirm that people of any age are almost equally susceptible to diseases of this kind, and the increase in their number due to the aging of the body is insignificant. But there are differences by gender: men are twice as likely to be affected by these diseases than women. Firstly, for reasons determined by anatomy and physiology. Secondly, because men are more likely to do physically demanding work.

The concept of "osteochondrosis" today is defined as degenerative-dystrophic diseases of the spine, primarily intervertebral discs - with a decrease in their height, deformation and stratification. This inevitably affects the functioning of other body systems. But the spine suffers the most. Osteochondrosis is not the only disease of the spinal column. Sciatica, sciatica, spondylarthrosis, discosis, lumbago, lumboischialgia, herniated disc, etc. are also common.

Spinal diseases begin with acute attack or gradually, may be accompanied weak pains or severe condition. Exacerbations can also occur with different frequency, but inevitably with increasing severity of the disease. The nature of the disease will depend on the extent and how affected intervertebral discs.

On an x-ray examination, osteochondrosis indicates itself by the presence of changes in the shape of the vertebral bodies, the height of the vertebral discs, the presence of "claws" and "thorns" - i.e. bone growths on the vertebrae. Actually, this is where the widespread opinion about osteochondrosis as a “salt deposition” originates.

Violation of metabolic processes in the spine leads to muscular, vascular, motor and other disorders.

Osteochondrosis "at the wheel"

The consequences of prolonged driving can be not only painful sensations in the back and neck, but also chronic diseases spine. According to the results of a study conducted by the RAC - the British Royal Automobile Society - it became known that most drivers sit in the wrong position for a long time, the result is overstrain of the back muscles. The “banana pose” has a particularly negative impact on health - when the driver has straightened legs extended towards the pedals, and the body is tilted towards the steering wheel.

The pressure on the intervertebral discs is maximum, and shaking during driving increases it even more. The likelihood of serious injury during accidents also increases. On the recommendation of doctors, in trucks it is better to use hard, well-fitted seats for the driver. As for the seat upholstery material, it is better if it is fabric, not leather or vinyl. The driver should not move too far away from the pedals. And the headrest should be carefully adjusted.

Truck drivers who drive for a long time do not pay due attention to the prevention of spinal diseases, and in this - main reason Problems.

Meanwhile, osteochondrosis can be attributed to occupational diseases of drivers. And choice plays a huge role in maintaining driver health. truck- taking into account not only its driving performance, but also the ergonomics of the cabin.

driver's seat

Adjustable lumbar support is desirable, which should be set as low as possible; changing the height and inclination is also relevant. The back should also be adjustable, maintaining the spine in a physiological position, taking into account its curves.

The seat must be equipped with a headrest, which will protect cervical regions spine during jerks or sudden braking of the truck.

Installation of seats in the Transport Center

How to sit correctly

The body position should be straight, the seat back acts as a support for the spine. Then the pressure on intervertebral discs will be uniform. If the design of the chair does not provide for this, get yourself a small flat pillow, which you will put under your lower back. Make it a rule to stop every 2-3 hours and get out of the cab - move a little, inspect the car. There are several exercises you can do in the parking lot.

A few words about special orthopedic pillows for the back: such a pillow reduces the adverse effects of vibration on the spine, which is forced to maintain a fixed posture for a long time. The right comfort pillow conforms to the shape of your lower back, providing good support for your spine. It helps preserve correct posture, reducing pressure on lumbar region spine and prevents diseases caused by a “sedentary” position.

What exercises to do

During a stop along the way, you should get out of the car, grab a support with your hands, which will serve as some strong part of the body, and perform the “jackknife” exercise - try to stretch the spine, straightening your legs and arms and bending your torso as much as possible to lower your pelvis as close to the ground as possible. Accompany the exercise with a long exhalation “HAA”.
Having straightened up, perform the following exercise: place your feet wider than your shoulders, and, turning your torso towards either leg (so that the front leg is pointing toe forward and the back leg is perpendicular to the front), try to slowly bend forward. Then the legs should be changed. The hands slide along the leg and touch the ground near the front leg. The exercise is performed while exhaling. The front leg does not bend. There may be pain in the lower back and along the back of the leg, but this is normal. This will not cause deterioration if you do the exercise correctly and slowly. The exercise is decompression.

The preventive value of such exercises is great. They prevent the appearance acute pain in the back, and if they already exist, they help get rid of them. There is a pattern: the more neglected the back, the more more pain. But this is only at first.

The ability to go through pain and overcome it helps a person get rid of serious illnesses, strengthen the spirit and body, and save oneself from the need to swallow painkillers in the future.

It is important to understand that back pain may return after long trips, but that is why you should not forget to do preventive exercises, which help reduce the severity and duration of pain.

If on the eve of a long trip the driver can devote some time to exercising on the horizontal bar, it would be great. It is best to lift your legs - straight or bent at the knees - until your toes touch the bar. Raising the legs must be done while exhaling; the first few movements may be accompanied by pain, sometimes severe - you need to be prepared for this.
To relieve pain good remedy may be a visit to the bathhouse or sauna.
To get the desired effect, you need to visit the bathhouse after doing the exercises. Before visiting the steam room, the body must be cooled, and afterward, also plunge into the head. There is a prejudice that taking cold baths is fraught with prostatitis. However, the fault here is not of hypothermia, but of the same motionless sitting, due to which congestion in the muscles of the perineum.
To prevent this occupational disease Before a long ride, you should do deep squats with your arms stretched up and forward. The desired effect is achieved by performing at least one hundred squats at a time. The exercise should also be performed after the trip.
You need to get up after squats while exhaling: “HAA.” The scheme of action of the exercise is as follows: venous outflow of blood occurs from the lower extremities, normal blood circulation is maintained in the muscles of the perineum.
It is advisable for a truck driver to become a regular visitor gym: good muscle tone is an indispensable condition for resisting diseases caused by long stays in immobile positions. And this is not only osteochondrosis, but also increased fatigue, irritability, headaches, hypertension, hemorrhoids, joint diseases. Diseases of the musculoskeletal system can only be counteracted by exercise. But - exclusively correct exercises.
Just physical activity(playing volleyball or football, for example) will not be a prevention of the above diseases. Exercises aimed at prevention are not entertainment. They are necessary. Doing them is just as important as it is to technically prepare your truck for a long journey. Not doing this is dangerous. The same goes for your body.

Health and happy journey!
Your Transport Center

knowledge about what occupational diseases Drivers make money on the road, which will not encourage either loved ones or the drivers themselves. But is it worth burying your head in the sand or should you have a clear understanding of prevention in order to promote relatively normal functioning your body, which does not get sick...

Prostatitis

A constant sitting position does not allow blood to fully pass through the pelvic organs; stagnation forms in them, which leads to inflammation of the prostate gland;

Hemorrhoids

Having earned this diagnosis, it is difficult to sit still. The first manifestations are heaviness and discomfort during bowel movements, tingling of the rectum. Some may consider this a trifle, a short-term ailment, but the disease does not stop there. When defecating, blood appears, the patient cannot sit for a long time, coughing and sneezing cause terrible pain in the rectum. Extreme manifestations of the disease are prolapse of hemorrhoids;

Osteochondrosis

It is provoked by stooping and incorrect position behind the wheel. Reason dystrophic process is poor blood circulation. The most serious consequences there will be the formation of malignant growths on the spine that clamp nerve roots spinal cord. From this, the symptoms can be very different, for example, pain in the heart, in the stomach, a lump in the throat, heaviness in the esophagus or unpleasant tingling in the area of appendicitis;

Cordially -vascular diseases

It's obvious that sedentary image The driver's life is promoted by poor circulation not only in the pelvic organs, but throughout the body. In addition, professional drivers often experience stress, which, combined with low physical activity provokes heart attacks and strokes. The fact is that the elasticity of blood vessels and the heart muscle is low during physical inactivity. Poor elasticity provokes stagnation of blood in the vessels, especially in the veins of the legs, which is fraught with varicose veins.

Low blood circulation in the brain leads to insufficient oxygen supply to tissues, which manifests itself in lethargy and decreased attention. Can the driver allow this to happen? Think about it because of your lethargic state There will be an accident!

Infertility

Do professional drivers know that sitting increases scrotal temperature by up to 36.6 degrees?

For a person this is normal temperature, for sperm maturation – abnormal. Additionally, heated driver seats and tight underwear increase the chance of low sperm viability;

Gastrointestinal disorders

Rare and unhealthy snacks at gas stations in the form of hamburgers, soda or sweet tea are a direct path to the development of gastritis and heartburn.

This list is enough to think about quality and timely prevention. Outpatient and inpatient treatment is not permissible for people on the road, because they have responsibilities, deadlines and a completely inflexible schedule.

Prevention

Prevention is daily activities aimed at preventing the occurrence of occupational diseases of drivers. You can’t eat right today, move a lot tomorrow, or listen to classical music for peace of mind the day after tomorrow. You need to create a regimen where exercise and nutrition are scheduled. This approach will ensure the preservation of health in difficult road conditions.

The right set of food for a long journey

Morning hours

Every morning starts with gymnastics. You need to stretch and prepare the body for long road, uncomfortable sitting position. It is important that gymnastics have simple strength exercises, which strengthen the muscle corset, which is very important in the prevention of osteochondrosis. In addition, good muscle tone maintains vascular elasticity and smooth blood circulation.

Gymnastics should begin with head tilts and end with circular movements of the feet. The emphasis is on bending and turning the body, squats, push-ups, which perfectly strengthen the back and abs. The exercises should end with stretching in the form of a maximum forward bend.

Important for drivers full breakfast because it is not always possible to have a snack on the road. The morning meal should contain 30% of calories from daily consumption. Moreover, they eat breakfast with those dishes that provide long-term satiety and do not bring discomfort in the form of bloating and increased gas formation. Fatty food takes away energy, so it is immediately excluded. The best option will eat a plate of low-fat cottage cheese with the addition of dry Siberian fiber and dried fruits (dried apricots, raisins, prunes), a portion of oatmeal or buckwheat porridge with boiled chicken breast.

Snack and workout

After breakfast and exercise, you can drive for about four hours and stop for a second snack. Apples, bran and tea are a great solution. Doing a little workout is just as important as eating.

The inability to leave the cabin does not mean that you cannot do sedentary gymnastics.

Warming up will be a great help in traffic jams, helping to relax the body and provide emotional relief.

To disperse stagnant blood:

Place your hands on your shoulders and make circular movements back and forth.
Tilt the head to the sides, forward and backward.
The bent arms are lowered to the waist, the shoulders are lowered and pulled down with a sharp movement. Do up to eight repetitions.

To relieve nervous tension:

Place your hands behind your head and pull it back. As you inhale, bend your back forward, as you exhale, straighten your back and smoothly lower your head to your chest.
The following exercise allows you to switch your attention. Hands are placed palms up on the steering wheel. Thumb the left hand touches all the other fingers in turn, starting with the index. The right hand does the same only with the little finger.

To work the neck and shoulders:

The head is tilted to the chest and turns are made to each shoulder.
Standard tilts and turns of the head.

For eyes:

First they look at the fingertips of an outstretched hand for 5-6 seconds, then into the distance. Repeat up to eight times.
Blink quickly for 30 seconds after resting for 10 seconds. Repeat three times.
Close your eyes tightly for 5-10 seconds, then open them wide. Repeat up to ten times.
Eye movement in a circle and diagonally.

For legs:

When sitting, it is very important to avoid stagnation venous blood, so you need to start warming up your legs from your feet, making circular movements, then pull your foot towards you and straighten it, and at the end simply lift your feet on your toes. It is necessary to do exercises with big amount repetitions up to 50 times each.
To unload the back, bend and turn as large an amplitude as the car cabin allows.
Gymnastics behind the wheel will not waste more than half an hour of your time.

Dinner

This main reception food for professional driver, which accounts for 50% of calories from daily ration. It is preferable to eat meat, steamed omelettes with herbs. Avoid fatty pies, cakes or excessive amounts of sweets.

Dinner

In the evening, it is better to plan your meals two hours before bedtime. The basic diet should consist of fermented milk products such as yoghurt, kefir, cottage cheese. In summer, when the weather is hot, it is better not to eat too much for dinner, as digestion of food becomes more difficult.

Before going to bed, massage your lower back and neck with simple rubbing and stroking movements, which will become the best prevention osteochondrosis.