12 Ways Working Can Wreck Your Health
Hand and Wrist InjuriesCarpal tunnel syndrome, numbness that’s caused by a pinched nerve in your wrist, takes a lot of heat for computer-related hand and wrist injuries. But you’re more likely to get it if you work with tools that vibrate, or use a repetitive, twisting motion to get your job done. Blame sore hands and wrists from keyboard use on a different cause: repetitive stress injuries. To Help Prevent It: Take frequent breaks. Talk to your doctor or an occupational therapist to see if bracing or a change in position may help.
Back Pain
Whether you work outside pushing a mower or in a cube pushing paper, your back can take a beating. Who has time to remember to lift heavy objects the proper way, practice good posture when you sit, and get up to walk around every half hour or so (or take a break if you’re on your feet all day)? And if you have a few extra pounds, that only makes things worse. Back pain among workers ages 40-65 costs employers more than $7 billion a year. To Prevent It: Use your legs to lift, watch your posture, and always ask for help if something is too heavy or awkward.
Hearing Loss
More than 30 million of us face harmful levels of noise on the job. Another 9 million work with materials (solvents, metals) that could lead to hearing loss. And it isn’t just the workplace that’s causing the problem -- even folks in quiet offices listen to music or other audio at unsafe sound levels through headphones or earbuds. To Prevent It: Wear earplugs if you’re exposed to prolonged sound over 85 decibels (for example, an idling bulldozer).
Lower-Body Pain or Swelling
When work makes you sit or stand for hours at a time, you might get fluid buildup in your legs, ankles, and feet. Your doctor might call this peripheral edema. Symptoms include swelling and discomfort. Check with your doctor, who may prescribe something as simple as compression socks to help. To Prevent It: Move around often.
Eye Strain or Injury
More than 20,000 eye injuries happen in the workplace every year, at a cost of about $300 million. Many workers are also affected by computer vision syndrome, or digital eye strain, which can lead to dry eyes, headaches, blurred vision, and neck and shoulder pain. To Prevent It: Follow the 20-20-20 rule: Take a 20-second break every 20 minutes to look at something 20 feet away.
Stress-Related Pain
Stress can play a major role in all sorts of ills, including:
Headaches
Lack of sleep
Stomachaches
Problems concentrating
Depression
Anxiety
More than a third of American workers have it at some point. And it doesn’t always go away once you clock out. To Prevent It: Find your stress-busters.
Headaches
Pain is a common cause of missed time at work. What’s the top type of pain for sick days? Headaches. Whether it’s the strain of concentrating, everyday job stress, or workplace things like noise, smells, or hunger, we’ve all had to deal with a throbbing noggin from time to time. To Prevent It: Take that lunch break or have a quick snack. Hunger often triggers headaches.
Neck Pain
It starts as a little twinge that just won’t go away, no matter what you do. It often results from lousy posture, whether you’re in front of a screen at the office or under a car at your shop. Any activity that pulls or strains your neck muscles can cause pain. Irritated nerves and problems with the vertebrae in your neck also can play a role. To Prevent It: Pay attention to your posture.
Hernia
Do you lift heavy objects at work? If you don’t do it the right way, you could get a hernia. That’s when a part of your bowel slips out through a weak spot in the muscles of your abdomen or groin. Hernias are even more likely if you’re overweight, if you smoke, or if you don’t eat a healthy diet. It’s usually several lifts that cause a hernia, not one. To Prevent It: Learn proper lifting technique.
Weight Gain
No, this isn’t a typical workplace injury. But it’s all too easy to pack on extra pounds if you keep snacks at your desk, give in to fast-food lunch runs, and sit for long periods of time. To Prevent It: Get up. Move. Eat healthier.
Skin Problems
Your jobsite may be full of irritants. There may even be some in the air. Whether it’s copy machine toner, solvents, or exhaust, it can affect your skin. Contact dermatitis, the most common workplace skin condition, is a rash that appears where an irritant touches your skin. If you spend a lot of time outdoors, you have a higher chance of getting skin cancer. To Prevent It: Know what’s risky indoors and out, cover up, and use sunscreen when you are outside.
Respiratory Disease
Coal miners come quickly to mind with this condition, but they aren’t the only ones at risk. Anyone exposed to lots of dust, fibers, or chemicals in the air could have problems. Lung diseases are the main cause of workplace illness in the U.S. Some can lead to lung cancer and death. To Prevent It: Know your worksite and follow its safety measures. If you smoke, stop.