Professional hazards of the driver. Occupational diseases of drivers

Occupational diseases drivers can be conditionally divided into several groups.
The first is diseases of the spine and small pelvis. They are associated with an uncomfortable functional position behind the wheel, in which long time the driver is located. These include radiculitis, osteochondrosis. This bouquet is complemented by hemorrhoids and, of course, prostatitis, which is the most “representative” disease of this conditionally divided group.

Statistics say that 40 to 60% of men suffer from prostatitis. Different reasons contribute to the emergence of this disease - here both smoking and drinking, but the driver's priority is stagnation of blood circulation in the small pelvis, and I'm not afraid to repeat it, it leads to an uncomfortable posture in which the person is constantly driving.
Of course, in comparison with hemorrhoids, prostatitis is more dangerous for a man, and the full-fledged action of this composite organism is most important, since prostate disease, as a rule, leads to the development of impotence.
The second group of diseases is associated with increased emotional stress. Constant stress behind the wheel causes cardiovascular disease. That is why drivers have the most frequent heart attacks, hypertension, heart rhythm failures.
The third group - diseases gastrointestinal tract associated with irregular and malnutrition during work. But these diseases are the lot of professionals, mostly truck drivers and, to a lesser extent, amateurs.

By and large, motorists are less susceptible to the listed diseases. It all depends on how much time a person spends behind the wheel and how attentive he is to health.
What needs to be done to prevent the occurrence of diseases, and even more so their transition to chronic form?

No matter how trite it may sound, these are a variety of physical activities, that is, a daily set of gymnastic exercises, which should keep the cardiovascular system normal, tone nervous system including blood circulation. There is nothing supernatural in it, in general, this is an ordinary set of gymnastic exercises, the only thing that must certainly be present is circular movements in lumbar spine, all kinds of flexion and extension. This is especially important when we talk about the activation of blood circulation in the pelvis.
There is nothing better for the prevention of occupational driving diseases contrast shower. And at the same time, there is nothing easier - in the morning after taking a hygienic shower, switch to a contrast one. Moreover, you do not need to immediately rush to the maximum temperature difference, enter this procedure gradually, especially if you have never done it - from cool-warm, bringing the difference over time to the maximum hot-cold, one that the skin can withstand for several seconds. Such a temperature swing activates the blood circulation of the skin, the central blood circulation, normalizes the tone of the nervous system, and stimulates the immune system.

And the final chord of regime preventive measures should be a daily walk. But a walk is not visiting guests, going to a store or a market is just walking. On the day you need to walk about five kilometers for 40 minutes. Whether you do it in the morning or in the evening, it doesn't matter.
These three components are enough to keep yourself in a training mode and activate your vitality. important features organism.

I emphasize especially: everything is good to do on time, it is important to prevent the onset of the disease, and even more so its transition to a chronic form. It is very important to find a doctor who will help you at the stage of microsymptoms, when minimal changes have occurred in the body or their occurrence is possible. In this case, you can put a person on his feet, which medicine rarely achieves today due to the fact that people turn when, as they say, the edge has come. It is better to go to the doctor “in an empty way”, that is, to play it safe than to end up in a clinic.

Each profession is complex in its own way and has a certain impact on people's bodies. Working as a driver is no exception, and professional chauffeurs with experience, a detailed examination often reveals a whole bunch of diseases. They are mainly provoked by a constant sitting position and minimal mobility during working hours. Let's look at the occupational diseases of drivers, what leads to them and how to prevent their development?

How to Prevent Digestive Disorders in Drivers

Doctors are aware of a variety of professional diseases of drivers, but it usually starts with disorders of the gastrointestinal tract. The first trouble is the growth of fat deposits on the abdomen, chest and hips. Many truckers forced to drive sedentary image life, have overweight due to the fact that the food consumed is not digested properly, turning into fat. The reason is simple: the driver, due to minimal mobility and lack of physical activity uses almost no energy.

Prevention of occupational diseases is not an easy task, but in this case everything is quite doable. The driver only needs to refuse fast food, sweet soda, all kinds of snacks and other useless food. With an unbalanced diet, it will be impossible to fix anything. The diet should consist mainly of foods with a low content fast carbohydrates and fats, that is, it is desirable to make the menu from:

• lean meat;
• low-fat dairy and fermented milk products;
• fish;
• vegetables and fruits.

It is recommended to prepare food yourself and take it in containers on the road, or buy diet food at eateries. In between flights, it is recommended to go to the gym, go for runs, and do cardio.

In addition to obesity, due to insufficient physical activity, another disorder associated with intestinal motility can develop. Food consumed on the go is not fully absorbed, lingering in the body longer than necessary. This leads to accumulation toxic substances, violation of the production of enzymes and irritation of the mucous membranes. All this leads to inflammation of the intestines, gastritis, ulcers, and even the appearance of low-quality polyps. To avoid all this, drivers need to eat not on the go, but in a cafe at the table, and after eating it is worth allocating 10-15 minutes of walking - this is good for digestion. Often, drivers develop and diabetes due to malnutrition.

Why Drivers Have Circulatory Problems

Cardiovascular diseases are also quite common. Even medical statistics confirm that men who are forced to drive often and for a long time are more at risk of developing hypertension and sometimes even heart attacks. At this phenomenon There is an elementary explanation. The high emotional load arising from the fact that the driver is forced to constantly control the road does not allow him to relax.

Adds fuel to the fire and minimal activity with a weak metabolism, causing muscle atrophy, including the heart. In a sitting position, the cardiovascular system simply does not have to fully function, so its condition is gradually depressed.

Prostatitis in drivers

A driver who is constantly in a car seat may have problems with the reproductive system. The main reason is the lack of loads. In men aged 20-50 years, prostatitis is a common disease, and many patients of urologists are drivers. The first symptoms of the disease are manifested by general weakness and fatigue. The sooner treatment is started, the lower the chances serious complications in the form of infertility and impotence.

Prostatitis develops due to stagnation of blood in the pelvic area, which is aggravated by constant shaking and physical overload when driving over bumps. Seat heating also has an extremely negative effect, because overheating of the groin area is dangerous for the male genital organs.

A professional driver who spends a lot of time behind the wheel periodically gets out of the car. When this happens in the cold season, the body experiences sudden temperature changes, which also negatively affect prostate and provoke inflammation.

Infertility - even more dangerous disease professional driver, which can lead to untreated prostatitis. The risk is especially high if the driver constantly drives with the heated seat on. Frequent auto-diseases of taxi drivers and truckers are also associated with other sexual disorders, including:

• weakened erection;
• reduced potency;
• premature ejaculation;
• difficulty reaching orgasm.

If the pelvic organs are not treated in a timely manner, the violation will progress and lead to serious deviations.

Muscular and skeletal systems

People who constantly drive cars have probably paid attention to how discomfort in the spine occurs after long trips. Muscle pinching is one of the most common problems professional drivers, and many ignore the resulting discomfort.

Gradually, pain, burning sensation and numbness occur in the restrained area. If nothing is done, musculoskeletal system may deform. In advanced cases, it appears internal bleeding, refuse digestive organs and material exchange is disturbed. In general, the health consequences are the most unpleasant.

If you don’t get up every two or three hours and do a warm-up and simple exercises, a professional driver will definitely be overcome.

Other health problems

Exhaust fumes cause many health problems. Men working as taxi drivers or truckers have to constantly stay in an atmosphere with exhaust gases. Over time, this becomes a problem leading to health problems. The respiratory system is affected as toxins enter the bronchi and lungs. Smoking aggravates the situation, and frequent auto-diseases include mucosal degeneration, emphysema, and even oncology.

Above, we have already found out that stagnation of blood in the pelvic area in drivers is the cause of many health problems. Without proper prevention the driver is unlikely to be able to avoid such chronic disease like hemorrhoids. The risk of its development is especially high if the car uncomfortable seat but that's not the main reason. Wrong work intestines due to an unhealthy diet often leads to constipation, which contributes to the appearance of hemorrhoids.

So we figured out what diseases drivers most often suffer from. Only the prevention of the listed chronic diseases and timely access to a doctor when the first symptoms of any disorder are detected.

People have suffered from diseases at all times. These diseases are so common that almost everyone suffers from them at some point. Even in such a prosperous country as Sweden, diseases account for 10-15% of disability cases. Of the 1,000 patients who first went to the 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 organism, is very insignificant. In other words, diseases are 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 features and the fact that many men are engaged in hard physical labor.

There are other diseases spinal column: , discosis, , , , , lumboischialgia, etc. The onset of the disease is acute or gradual, from minor pain to the most 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, level of damage to the intervertebral discs.

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

Due to change metabolic processes in there are vascular, muscular, motive and other disturbances.

Prolonged driving not only causes pain in the neck and back, but can cause chronic diseases. Experts from the British Royal Automobile Society (RAC) found that many drivers constantly sit in wrong posture, which leads to overexertion of the back muscles. The most dangerous is the “banana pose”, when the driver sits, leaning over the steering wheel and stretching straightened legs to the pedals.

This creates maximum pressure on, which is exacerbated by shaking while driving. The risk of serious injury during accidents also increases. Doctors recommend the use of hard seats, well-fitted to the figure of the driver. Don't move too far away from the pedals. It is important to properly adjust the position of the head restraint.

Better use the seats upholstered in fabric rather than leather or vinyl. RAC Foundation Director Edmund King noted that diseases are widespread among taxi drivers, salesmen and other people who spend a lot of time behind the wheel, which is largely due to the fact that drivers do not pay due attention to their prevention.

According to the rules - a Russian bath after exercise, and not by itself, but with obligatory cooling of the body before entering the steam room and obligatory dipping (with the head) after leaving the steam room. There are also many myths regarding cold baths, one of which is allegedly arising from cold water prostatitis. But prostatitis is by no means hypothermia of the prostate gland, but stagnation in the muscles of the perineum, which (prostatitis) is also an “occupational” disease of truck drivers. To prevent prostatitis and prevent it, I would recommend deep squats before or immediately after a long trip, while keeping your arms extended upwards in front. For achievement desired effect for one exercise you need to sit down at least 100 times.

Get up after squatting, again exhaling "ХХАА". Squats improve venous return blood from lower extremities and thus maintain normal blood circulation in the muscles of the perineum, which is the main prevention of prostatitis. In conclusion, I would like to recommend truck drivers to regularly look into Gym to keep good muscle tone, which is necessary for the prevention of diseases that manifest themselves with long motionless poses. These diseases include headaches, fatigue, irritability, diseases large joints, hypertension, hemorrhoids and a number of others. Remember: sickness musculoskeletal system body, or rather musculoskeletal system are treated with exercise alone. 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. Proper movement, or exercise, is not entertainment, but a necessary routine, just like maintenance for a car. You have to do it - that's all! Preferably regularly. And through "I can't" and "I don't want to." My average patient is lazy, cowardly and weak. This is the crux of the whole problem. I don't want to make myself sick!
when preparing the material, the material of the magazine "Avtotrak" was used

Movement is life. Today, for many, movement is driving your car. But that’s not what they wanted to say with this worldly saying. Nowadays, the car has ceased to be a luxury, but has become a means of transportation. Moreover, for many, the car has become an integral part of the work. Taxi drivers, truckers, minibus drivers, etc. cannot imagine life without a car. These professions oblige drivers to be behind the wheel all day. , and what occupational diseases lie in wait for drivers?

Top most common driver illnesses:

1. Prostatitis. One of the most frequent illnesses male genital area. A sedentary lifestyle is one of the main and most common causes occurrence. Being in a sitting position for a long time, blood circulation is disturbed and a stagnant process appears in the pelvic area, which leads to prostatitis.
2. Haemorrhoids. Hemorrhoids are caused not only by impaired blood circulation in the pelvis. Frequent constipation is the main cause of hemorrhoids in men. Not balanced diet with insufficient fiber content necessary for work digestive tract, is main reason constipation. Therefore, it is necessary to consume foods containing fiber: fruits and vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds.
3. Osteochondrosis. Osteochondrosis is caused by a sedentary lifestyle and wrong position driving posture.
4. Radiculitis. One of the most common causes of sciatica is osteochondrosis.
5. . Lack of exercise promotes deposition excess fat. This leads to disruption of metabolic processes, after which the situation with overweight worsens even more. The situation is aggravated by an improper diet, of which fast food is an integral part.
6. Cardiovascular diseases. Men whose profession is associated with constant driving are prone to heart attacks and for two reasons: strong emotional stress and lack of physical activity. Emotional overload is manifested due to the constant tension behind the wheel: you must always be focused and attentive so as not to get into an accident. Lack of physical activity contributes to the weakening and atrophy of the heart muscle, which leads to various cardiovascular diseases.
7. male infertility. The sitting position contributes to an increase in temperature and overheating of the testicles, which interferes with the maturation of spermatozoa and excretion male hormones. The heated driver's seat aggravates the situation, as well as cramped.
8. Disease of the gastrointestinal tract. Applies to drivers who neglect healthy food and often don't have time to eat properly. For example, truckers.

Prevention of occupational diseases of drivers

So, what needs to be done in order to minimize the consequences caused by prolonged driving.

The first thing you need to pay attention to is physical activity. If possible, go for walks and play sports. If possible, take breaks. During the break, try to move more and, if the situation allows, do exercises to improve blood circulation in the pelvis:

1. Circular rotation of the pelvis, first in one direction, then in the other direction
2. Torso forward with hands touching the floor
3. Squats
4. Side bends of the body

If it is not possible to get up, you can do the following exercise: while sitting, we begin to draw in the area between the testicles and the anus, while the muscles of the buttocks should not strain. This exercise is practiced. Exercise is effective for the prevention of prostatitis, as well as diseases associated with blood stasis in the pelvic area.

The second thing drivers should think about is equipping their driver's seat with a special orthopedic mattress.

Prevention of osteochondrosis, sciatica, hemorrhoids, prostatitis
—
-supports correct posture
- Reduces driving fatigue

Remember, prevention is easier than cure. Therefore, it is better to take care of disease prevention in time, otherwise occupational diseases of drivers may appear at any time.

It is no secret that a sedentary lifestyle can have an extremely negative impact on human health. What kind of diseases are not attributed by doctors to office workers, cashiers, accountants, or even drivers. Yes, yes, the latter also often suffer the most various diseases, without even suspecting that their favorite car may be their cause. In this article, we will talk about the most common ailments that accompany avid drivers, and help determine methods of dealing with such unpleasant companions of motorists.

All "professional" drivers' diseases can be divided into four groups. This:

1. Diseases that are the result of a long sitting position: osteochondrosis, habitual dislocations, hemorrhoids, prostatitis and sciatica.

2. Pain associated with constant stress, which are the result of stress (arrhythmias, cardialgia, hypertension and heart attacks).

3. Diseases caused by inadequate and irregular nutrition during work (gastritis, peptic ulcer, colitis, pancreatitis and cholecystitis). True, this group of ailments is more typical for professionals, not amateurs.

4. Problems associated with a sedentary lifestyle and metabolic disorders, presented in the form of obesity and diabetes.

Let's look at some of them in more detail.

1. Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract

The first of the problems that overtook a professional driver is a disease of the gastrointestinal tract. This is not surprising, because, constantly being behind the wheel of a car, there is simply not enough time for a healthy and balanced diet. So, a sedentary lifestyle will certainly affect intestinal motility, because the food absorbed on the go will not be able to be absorbed normally, which means it will stay longer in the intestines.

As a result, all the accumulated toxins have a detrimental effect on the mucous membrane, disrupting the natural production of enzymes. This fact makes it possible to attribute inflammation of different parts of the intestine to occupational diseases of drivers: from duodenum and ending with the rectum. Naturally, in the absence timely treatment, it would seem, a petty problem can easily provoke the formation of more serious illnesses(for example, malignant polyps).

As a preventive measure, experts recommend eating on a comfortable chair in a roadside cafe, and after a serious lunch or dinner, you should take at least 15 minutes for a walk. However, if you can't afford to take your eyes off the car even for a long time, then learn a simple set of gymnastic exercises that must be performed every three hours of the trip. These include:

- rotation of the body;

slopes;

2. Overweight

Of course, move to own car much more convenient than public transport, but if you are forced to constantly be behind the wheel, then increased comfort can quickly turn into less pleasant phenomena. Of course, at first, few people think about the fact that a sharp decline physical activity threatens with the appearance of excess weight, especially given the immutability of eating habits, but the fact remains, and sedentary image life definitely leads to a violation of the processes of blood circulation and metabolism. In the latter case, the most characteristic consequence of this phenomenon is the strong growth of adipose tissue, which accumulates mainly on the abdomen, thighs and chest.

The results of physical inactivity (weakening of muscle activity) will be noticeable after a month active work using a car: body volumes increase, and a second chin appears.

Probably, you have repeatedly paid attention to the fact that most truckers have fairly solid forms, because all the fast foods consumed (and carbohydrates along with them) cannot be digested normally and are immediately converted into fat. This is not surprising, because the driver's body practically does not expend any energy.

It is still possible to deal with this problem. Try giving up hamburgers, hot dogs and sweets. mineral water, replacing them with low-calorie foods with a minimum content of fat and carbohydrates (for example, chicken, beef, lean fish, vegetables, cottage cheese and skimmed milk). It is better to cook food on the road either on your own or order diet foods in passing cafes, especially since today they are far from uncommon.

Certainly, excess weight will not become a serious obstacle when driving a vehicle, but it can still cause certain problems. Eg, overweight body causes a number of other diseases, among which heart problems are among the first, and this can already serve as a contraindication to driving.

Probably one of the most common types modern diseases are problems with the heart and blood vessels. In particular, those men who, due to their occupation, are forced to stay behind the wheel of a car for a long time, are much more prone to heart attacks and hypertension. In principle, this phenomenon has a completely logical explanation. Firstly, due to strong emotional load(you need to constantly monitor the road) you can’t relax, and Secondly, lack of physical activity leads to muscle atrophy, including cardiac.

4. Reproductive system

Despite the fact that many male drivers deny having any problems related to " men's health", it is not always so. In fact, permanent sitting and the lack of any physical activity often leads to disastrous results.

This disease is the most common urological problem of men aged 20 to 50 years, and 70% of patients are professional drivers. The first signs of prostatitis may appear as general weakness And fatigue, which is often accompanied painful sensations in the perineum and various sexual disorders. However, even the smallest problems require an immediate solution, otherwise the disease will simply turn into chronic phase, accompanied by serious complications - impotence and male infertility.

Among possible causes appearance of such unpleasant disease Doctors single out a sedentary lifestyle. As for the drivers, then to the permanent sitting position(leads to stagnation of blood in the small pelvis) it is worth adding also constant shaking, and physical overload when moving on rough roads. As a result, blood circulation is disturbed and the supply of oxygen to all organs is significantly reduced, which thereby causes the development of inflammatory processes. In addition, there is a constant injury to the perineum, which has an extremely negative effect on general condition Bladder and prostate.

A separate point should be noted modern technologies designed to improve driver comfort. Eg, the third in the list of causes of prostatitis among car owners is the use of heated seats. Scientists have long proven that overheating inguinal zone is a direct path to problems with prostate and genitals, which eventually become weak and inactive.

It is also dangerous for men and abrupt change temperatures, which is especially important in the cold season. For example, when leaving a warm car for cold air you risk getting inflammation of the prostate gland. Of course, all of the above factors undoubtedly affect " male power", but most significant reasons appearance functional disorders are stress. Traffic jams, traffic accidents and aggressive drivers contribute to emotional overwork and reduce protective functions organism, as a result of which the man begins to get sick.

4.2. male infertility

Almost any disease only gets worse over time, leading to more and more serious problems. Prostatitis in this case is no exception, and constant driving can threaten infertility. The point here is that overheating of the testicles prevents the normal maturation of spermatozoa, and at the same time the release of male hormones. This fact applies to absolutely all "inveterate" drivers, especially those who use a heated seat and wear tight underwear.

4.3. Sexual disorders in men

Sexual disorders are another problem for many motorists, because all the effects described above simply cannot but affect this part of a man's life. Decreased potency, weakened erection, early ejaculation and reduced ability to orgasm may accompany a professional driver long months and even years, and if the problem is not fixed in time, then further development serious illness is only a matter of time.

5. Muscles and spine

It is no secret that most of the diseases of drivers are associated precisely with an uncomfortable position of the body behind the wheel of a vehicle. As a result, blood circulation in the pelvis is significantly disturbed (this was mentioned above) and the load on the spine increases. The most common manifestations of back problems are radiculitis and osteochondrosis, which, by the way, can lead to disability.

In addition, the incidence of herniated discs of the spine is not in last place. They are characterized by destructive processes in the spine and are explained by the lack of an adequate level of lubrication (disc nutrition). In turn, such "nutrition" also depends on the deep muscles of the spine, which in normal condition play the role of a kind of pump that pumps lubricant into the discs. If these muscles cannot contract and relax in the usual way, then lubrication of the intervertebral discs will be impossible.

The first signal of edema ischial muscles is pain in the transverse zone and the region of the ridge, as well as numbness of the legs. Sometimes there may be a burning sensation. In addition, the symptoms of osteochondrosis are often expressed in severe pain in the pelvis and chest, and in case of damage to the cervical vertebrae, clouding of consciousness and even hallucinations are possible. I must say that all the painkillers that drivers resort to bring only temporary relief and are not able to eliminate the very cause of the problem. Besides, side effects such pain relief is often manifested in the form of bleeding of the stomach, various allergies, depression or a general decrease in performance.

6. Light

By type of activity professional driver have to face different problems health, but one of the most significant is lung disease. Considering the fact that a car enthusiast is constantly surrounded by exhaust gases, it is not surprising that he inhales more than 200 toxic compounds. In addition, brake pads, which, when burned, form asbestos dust, also contribute to the development of diseases.

One of the first symptoms of damage respiratory system there is a sore throat, which can also be accompanied by mild bleeding. On the other hand, ignoring similar symptoms is fraught with the appearance of dystrophy of the mucous membrane, as a result of which it ceases to protect the lungs from toxic damage.

At professional truckers toxins and dust penetrate not only into the lungs, but also into the bronchi, which is significantly aggravated by smoking (the organs of the respiratory system become very sensitive to lesions of this kind, as a result of which various inflammatory processes and cancer education). Emphysema (growth of connective tissue lungs and blood vessels), which significantly reduces the volume of the lungs. This disease is deadly, as the deterioration of lung ventilation makes them defenseless against the effects of various harmful microorganisms.

Naturally, constant tension and concentration on the road situation cannot but affect the driver's visual acuity. In addition, driving in different time day and under different weather conditions is significantly different, which means that the eyes get tired in different ways. Therefore, many motorists often use glass tinting, in particular, apply to upper part protective tint film (width should not exceed 15 cm). This addition is designed to protect the eyes from blinding sunlight, although in some cases it is not enough (for example, in the morning, when the sun is just rising).

Some experts recommend choosing glasses with gray, green or brown tint, which most effectively provide color reproduction and significantly increase the contrast of the image itself.

8. Prevention of occupational diseases of drivers

Given all of the above, it is quite logical to focus on minimizing negative factors caused by prolonged driving. First of all, pay attention to physical activity and if possible increase the duration hiking and doing sports. It is also necessary to take breaks in the movement, during which it is imperative to leave vehicle and loosen up a bit. If the situation allows, you can do several exercises that will improve blood circulation in the pelvis. These include:

- circular rotations of the body and its inclinations (first in one direction, and then in the other direction);

Forward bends touching the floor;

Squats.

In cases where there is no opportunity to stand up, you can perform another exercise: in a sitting position, without straining the muscles of the buttocks, begin to draw in the area between the testicles and anus. Periodic performance of such an action will help train the muscles of potency, that is, the pubococcygeus muscle.

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