A community of 30,000 US Transcriptionist serving Medical Transcription Industry

Besides carpal tunnel and PVD, what else - do we have to worry about....

Posted: Jul 11, 2014

as far as occupational hazards? Are we more prone to head and neck disease because of earphone usage? Arthritis because of all the hand work? I am trying to stay ahead of any potential health problems if I can. I notice that my eyes are shot from this job. I have to get a stronger prescription every year. Thanks to any response.

Don't furgedda bout sciatica pain! - Teardrop

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Don't minimize the pain coming from the sciatic nerve. Big OUCH.

there is a hazard in everything and you have control over most of - the ones you mention here. NM

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NM

The worst - occupational hazard

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is the psychological damage. I may never recover from the PTSD caused by years of anxiety and abuse.

Please don't. - Seriously

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Yes, doing transcription now is stressful, difficult and a whole host of other things. But please don't be over dramatic. PTSD is a serious thing; not something you just throw around like that. You have the choice to leave your situation.

So - PTSD

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is somehow more serious than losing your sight, losing your hearing or getting carpal tunnel? Yes, everyone has a choice to leave any toxic job, so why don't they?

Short answer, YES - I have carpal tunnel

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from working a job I got paid to do. My family member has PTSD from watching a little girl burn in a house fire and being unable to save her. On bad days, my wrist hurts. On his bad days he is unable to leave the house, for fear he will break down. He wakes at night screaming, covered in sweat. He gets to relive the moment over and over. I can get PT and surgery if needed. We have found very little to help him.

So yes, you can get a hearing aid, glasses or a wrist splint, although I've never heard of anyone going blind or deaf from MT. A lot of that occurs with normal aging.

also, turn down the volume, get better earphones, adjust the brightness, - take breaks and adjust your posture. POOF

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no carpal tunnel, no tinnitus, no eye strain, no back pain, etc....

Has anyone done THEIR part to prevent these things, or is it poo, poo me and who can we blame week?

bellyachers...gotta love the comedy in this.

I Agree - see msg

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Thank you. I hate when people throw around that term. It is to be reserved for people who are thrust into situations over which they had no control being thrust into and no choice about getting out, then experience extreme abuse or combat stress.

I felt used and abused as an MT, so I got out. Granted, it's harder for some people because of a disability or living out in the boonies, but you still have a choice. Men and women in long-term combat, or children in extremely abusive situations are the only ones allowed to use PTSD, if you ask me. You're a grown woman with choices.

While the diagnosis of - PTSD

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might be too strong to describe what some of us experience as MTs, there can be psychological consequences of having the constant vague stress of this job... daily emails pointing out "mistakes" such as typos, wondering whether or not you will have work that day or if the work you have will net you enough to make a living, knowing that even a short break to go to the bathroom might mean you fall behind, knowing that if you lose a job even with years of experience you will have to take a test to land the same job you have done for years probably at less pay,(if you are lucky), knowing you will never get a raise or even praise for your skills and on and on, not to mention the endless sitting and social isolation etc.

Yes, a lot of us do end up with some sort of anxiety disorder, low self-esteem or whatever you care to call it, and you see it played out daily on this message board, and it can still be very debilitating even for those who finally decide enough is enough and get out, i.e. "I'm only good enough to get a job at McDonald's or Wal-Mart."

I personally went from a large MTSO to a smaller one which is not nearly as bad, but even after nearly a year I still have a constant nagging dread every time I log on to work, something I have never had with any other job.

There are various types, levels, and causes - of PTSD. I think we all have it.

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nmsg

No we don't - sm

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Granted sometimes this just sucks really bad. Don't know how else I can say it just stinks. My pay is so low now I'm stressed. I get up and tell myself it's going to be a great day and by the end of the day I have a crappy line count, or difficult dictators, lots of researching, etc. But it is also my choice on staying. There are reasons that some of us "think" we have no choice, but when it boils down to the truth, we all have a choice. Granted it's tough cos the economy is so messed up right now, but we all have choices.

Working at a mental health place awhile back I learned a lot about PTSD. These people don't have choices. Granted there may be different levels of PTSD, but it's for them. Using PTSD as an excuse trying to equate ourselves as equals with the horrors that true PTSD cases there are is just wrong. Nobody is forcing anyone to stay at their job, but the difference is we all have choices. People with PTSD do not, though am sure they would all rather switch places with people who think they have PTSD because they don't like their job.

For any of us to say that because what we go through each day (which right now for me SUCKS BIG TIME!) it is PTSD, is just wrong. You all don't have PTSD, it's just...laziness (yeah, yeah I know flame me all you want for stating the obvious), we all have a choice, I just get tired of reading the victim mode of our our companies, MTSOs, supervisors or whatever our work situation is has caused PTSD. Such a copout for saying I'm don't want or am too lazy to find another job.

Oh my goodness, you are my soul sister - I agree with you so much

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Thank you for posting. People who say transcription has given them PTSD have never seen what it looks like or does to a person.

There are plenty of - people

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who don't think PTSD, anxiety disorder, depression, stress etc are "real" or something that someone should just get over and get on with their lives.

There are also plenty of people who survive the most hideous events imaginable and go on to be relatively stable and mentally healthy.

Just because you don't think MT stress disorder exists doesn't mean it isn't very real and debilitating for some people.

Not anywhere did I say I did not believe - transcription was stressful

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But the stress of doing our job is nowhere close to combat stress or the stress abused children feel.

It may not be extreme, like combat stress or - child-abuse stress. But - S/MSG

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it's more insidious. It's gradual and cumulative. Kinda like mercury poisoning or dermal sun-damage. Then, after years and years of it, POW!

It is more insidious??? - No it is not

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Your lack of compassion for others astounds me. You have the ability to remove yourself from the situation. An abused child does not. I'm embarrassed for you.

I can't even tell what you're reply is about. - Its just a personal attack.

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Try to go on disability for it - they'll blow it right into perspective. - passing through. NM

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NM

definition of PTSD - per Psychology Today

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Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder that may develop after exposure to a terrifying event or ordeal in which severe physical harm occurred or was threatened. Traumatic events that may trigger PTSD include violent personal assaults, natural or unnatural disasters, accidents, or military combat.

I do think that the CHRONIC stress of wondering what kind of work load we will have, if we will have dictators who are understandable and the fact that this finished product rests on our shoulders to interpret from junk dictation is very unhealthy. So, it's not quite as bad, but it's bad enough. We don't have to fight over it. Yes, we can leave the profession but when you are ALREADY stressed about what you know, the UNKNOWN is also stressful to contemplate. Couple that with the social regression/repression we have from isolated jobs and that spells neurosis of some sort.

We live in precarious times.

I feel shell-shocked sometimes from the stress of the job and what is going on in the world. It can be overwhelming.

That is the point - exactly...

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while what we have might not be as "dramatic" as PTSD, it is very real and sometimes the results can be devastating... just look at the amount people who "go postal" in other workplaces, rampaging, murdering their coworkers and supervisors, etc. Why did they choose this instead of just saying "Wow, I need a new job." ? No one really knows. Fortunately most of us handle our stress by eating or drinking too much, popping Xanax, yelling at loved ones or coming to whine and gripe on a message board.

one more point that is valid - sole provider

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When you are the only person to support a family in this profession, that is kind of like survival stress, just not life and death, but the threat of homelessness is very real for some of us.

I have zero backup, and I support one child. I don't know how you all do it with more mouths to feed.

Arthritis - JavaMomMT

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in my knees, back, neck, and shoulders.

ACHES AND PAINS - call me crazy

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I have tried Allegra (or your favorite sinus decongestant) to help with what I perceive to be nerve impingement and inflammation of sinuses that cause pain in neck and shoulder and arms, et cetera. Helps, I think.

I know Seldane helped, but they pulled it off the market! Caused heart condition or something.

A big ol' butt - From lack of exercise - nm

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fat ankles - beulah

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I mean swollen

Me too! I hate my swollen ankles after work! - elephantannie

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I've taken to wearing compression hose and I feel like I should be in a nursing home!

sensitivity to loud noises, music, TV - low threshold

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I sometimes even have to ask my son to lower his voice when he is talking to me.

I many times jump out of my skin at a car backfiring.

True that! Sound-sensitivity has turned me into - the downstairs neighbor from h***.

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Turn that TV up 1 dB too loud, or buy a set of wind chimes, and I'll be pounding on their front door within minutes.

It always seems to hit my digestive system - the worst...ulcers, etc

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May not sound dramatic, but guess it can slowly kill you. Just had a dictator who yawned through her dictation - had to retype most of the VR dictation, what I could make of it. Have a burning in my stomach now.. time for more Pepto. :p Seriously, have had a couple operations already for GI problems. :p

I have some hearing loss - going deef

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I have problems with chronic dizziness. I had to have a hearing test as part of the workup, and I have some hearing loss in the mid ranges in both ears, left being the worst. My ENT said he wasn't a bit surprised with what I do for a living and the earphones that I have hearing issues developing. He said he would be more surprised if I didn't. Plus my vision is considerably worsened after staring at the computer so much and eyes are drier, too.

constant ear ringing and buzzing - bzzzzz

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x

I've got that, too. And it doesn't help that - I often have to turn the sound - sM

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up to uncomfortable levels to hear a whispering dictator while excess noise is going on the background, or other similar problems.

Then, of course, you know what comes next: The dictator suddenly coughs loudly!

or their cell phone goes off or some other God awful something - bzzzzz

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xx

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