While there are many advantages of being an EMT, such as the personal satisfaction of helping others on a daily basis, there are a number of risks that you should be aware of. After all, this is a simple fact of life; with most jobs, there generally exist some negative aspects. For example, many computer engineers suffer from back problems due to the fact that they are sitting for extended periods of time. Let’s examine what the risks of being an EMT are.
Unhealthy Eating and Sleeping Patterns
Due to the fact that EMTs often work very lengthy hours, it is easy for them to break away from healthy eating and sleeping habbits, and adopt unhealthy eating and sleeping patterns. When one is working long, long hours, they will evidently have less time to sleep. Furthermore, they will also have less time to prepare healthy meals regularly, thus they will often resort to fast food and other foods that are quick to make (and by a general rule of thumb, if it’s quick to make, it’s probably not all that healthy for you). Additionally, studies show that many EMTs work second jobs, which leaves even more time to sleep adequately and prepare healthy meals.
Psychological Trauma
Unfortunately, on a day to day basis, EMTs have to witness gruesome scenes; ones involving critical injuries, which are often too much for the human eye to bare. When one is exposed to such trauma day after day, it can lead to psychological problems and forms of depression. EMTs are basically seeing people during some of the worst times of their lives, and repeated exposure to this can certainly get to their head. One of the best things that an EMT can due to minimize this psychological damage is to talk to someone about your work regularly. The mistake many EMTs make is keeping their emotions bottled in, until a point where it just becomes too much to handle. Talking to someone you trust regularly can certainly help in dealing with the trauma.
Exposure to Illnesses
EMTs are often in contact with people who are ill, and carrying contagious diseases. It is extremely important EMTs to remain sanitary, use the proper medical equipment, wash their hands regularly, and to have regular check ups. Most states require EMTs to have a blood test taken once every two years, as there have been cases where EMTs were infected with Hepatatis C, likely from exposure to others on the job.
Obesity and High Blood Pressure
Studies also show that a large number of EMTs suffer from obesity. One must keep in mind that obesity and high blood pressure are very closely interwined. As a result, with such higher numbers of EMTs suffering from obesity, their chances of suffering from high blood pressure increase dramatically. This somewhat ties into the fact that EMTs work very long shifts, and often second jobs, leaving them with no time for physical exercise to stay in shape.
Excess Noise
EMTs are often subject to extremely loud noises, such as the ambulance sirens. Studies show that EMTs are subjected to noises between 65 and 83 dBA. This number is well above the federal authorized level.
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