Top Health Risks All Truckers Should Know About
Top Health Risks All Truckers Should Know About
There are so many factors when it comes to your health such as genetics, diet, exercise, stress and so much more. However, with that in mind here are the three critical health risks that all truckers should be aware of.
1. Skin Cancer
Parts of the body exposed to the sun for extended periods of time are 90% more likely to develop skin cancer. As a truck driver, you spend long hours with the sun on one side of your face and arm. It is important to be actively applying sunscreen and wearing long-sleeves when possible.
Make sunscreen a part of your pre-trip maintenance. Be sure to use sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or more and go to the doctor immediately if you see any new blemishes or moles.
2. Obesity
Truckers are at a higher risk for obesity because of the nature of your job and limited healthy food options while on the road. When you are overweight, your heart has to work harder to pump blood to your organs especially after eating a large meal. Obesity can cause diabetes, high blood pressure, depression, heart disease, joint problems, cancer, and sleep apnea.
3. Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea also referred to as the silent killer, is one of the major health risks you should be aware of. You might not even know you have sleep apnea unless you record yourself sleeping or someone tells you that you snore extremely loudly. You might wake up coughing, irritated, with headaches, and exhausted.
You may think you are not at risk for sleep apnea because it is more common among larger truckers. But the unhealthy lifestyle can make you gain weight without noticing and lead to conditions like sleep apnea. It can also affect smaller people for reasons such as airway obstruction or due to having constricted airways.
Those who have been screened and started their treatments rejoice in the fact that not only do they have their lives back, but their quality of life is greatly improved. Treatments may include working out and living a healthier lifestyle, surgery, and getting a CPAP machine.
If you aren’t sure that you need to be tested check out Aeroflow’s sleep apnea screening questionnaire. All you have to do is honestly answer the questions and submit the form and they will assess your sleep apnea risk for you, for free. Then you can take further actions based on the results.
Truck Driver Health
Trucking is a gratifying profession with the freedom of the open road. However, it comes with great responsibility. Don’t let the temptations of eating totally unhealthy meals and not taking care of yourself ruin your health. By making small adjustments to your diet and seizing opportunities to move more, your heart and waistline will thank you.
Comment down below how you stay healthy on the road and visit TruckLogics for more blogs.
