Every year hundreds of thousands of accidents happen at work. Some of them end up only in bruises; others can lead to permanent health damage or even death. The risk of getting injured depends to a great extent on the type of a job an employee performs. Construction workers are far more likely to get seriously injured than people who work from home. Nonetheless, certain accidents and injuries occur across many different employment sectors. In one of our previous articles, we described the five most common job-related injuries we treat at our Spring Hill walk in clinic. Today, as a continuation, we are sharing four more accidents that people experience at work.
In certain workplaces, employees are exposed to hazardous substances in many different forms, e.g. fumes, gases, or vapors. Even though most people believe that toxic chemical exposure occurs only in factories, tunnels, gas stations, and construction sites, the truth is that office workers may be exposed to chemicals, too, in the form of paint, cleaning chemicals, etc. There are various symptoms of fume inhalation:
Keep in mind that inhalation is not the only kind of chemical exposure, as it can also occur through skin contact and swallowing. If you believe that you have been exposed to any type of toxin at work, don’t wait until the first symptoms start bothering you; visit our Spring Hill walk-in clinic where we will ensure that your health is not at risk. Remember that some toxins may cause permanent brain damage: The sooner you act, the better for your health.
Being exposed to high levels of noise may result in permanent hearing loss. Loud sounds may damage inner ear cells or cause nerve damage. In some cases, short exposure will cause only a temporary change in hearing, e.g. ringing in ears or tinnitus, which usually goes away by itself after several minutes or hours. However, it’s important to note that there is no rule which says that only long-term exposure contributes to permanent hearing loss. Sometimes, it can occur instantly due to intense or explosive sounds. Loud noise has a few more negative health effects, too: stress, increased heart rate and blood pressure, reduced productivity, and concentration. People most at-risk are those who work in noisy environments, such as factories, mines, building construction sites, and road construction sites. Unfortunately, the Hearing Loss Association of America reports that about 60 percent of the people with hearing loss are either in the workforce or in educational settings.1
People who work on elevated structures, such as roofs, ladders or scaffolding, are in danger of falling, usually due to faulty equipment or slip and fall. With not much room for error, it takes just a second to fall, but the injured employee may struggle with the terrible effects for years. It’s no secret that some falls end up fatal. This is why it is so important to properly protect yourself when working on elevated structures. Using rails, appropriate gear, and proper training may save your life.
Our Spring Hill walk in clinic is often visited by patients with cuts and lacerations. There are multiple office devices that may cause their user to wince in pain – even such seemingly innocent things like a paper cutter, scissors or that glass of water. It is not that hard to cut or tear the skin; yet sometimes it’s not so easy to make it stop bleeding if the wound is deep. Lacerations to the head may even be life-threatening. Besides stopping the bleeding, the biggest concern after getting a cut or laceration is infection. Symptoms like fever, excessive swelling or pus serve as an alert to visit your doctor’s office right away.
Regardless of whether you had a minor accident or you got seriously injured, if your condition is non-life threatening and doesn’t require going to the emergency room, we are here to help you. At our Spring Hill walk in clinic, our experienced physicians will provide you with immediate diagnosis and treatment. Why would you suffer if you can get help right away? We will make sure that you get back to work as quickly and safely as possible.
Remember, no appointment necessary, you can just walk in and get the care that you deserve.
1 http://www.hearingloss.org/content/basic-facts-about-hearing-loss
