Tradie Health Issues You Shouldn’t Ignore

three trades people on an work site waving hello

Being a tradie is hard yakka, with a lot of pressure put on your body and unfortunately that could put you in the firing line for some health issues. A slight cough, a funny-looking mole or a sore back might not seem like much but are part of a list of health complaints that could lead to more serious conditions.

We talked to a doctor and a physio about the top 8 most common tradie health complaints and what to do about them.

1. A mole that has changed appearance

Our sunburnt country and its outdoor spaces are beautiful. But while you’re slogging it out in the weather, it pays to be vigilant and get any moles that appear different or have changed shape or colour checked out.

Dr Toby Gardner, Royal Australian College of General Practitioners Tasmanian Chair, advises being especially mindful about areas of the body that you can’t check yourself.

“For tradies particularly, it's the back of the ears and back of the neck,” he says. “Make sure your partner or someone else is keeping an eye on those areas, and any changes in an existing mole or any new moles should be checked by a GP.” There are many dedicated skin cancer clinics you can also book in to, and it’s a good idea to have a regular skin check.

Prevention: Covering up or throwing on some sunscreen at regular points throughout the day is a must. Wear protective clothing, a wide-brimmed hat and 50+ protection sunscreen – and don’t forget to apply it to the tops of your ears and back of the neck. Tradie health concerns also include potential eye damage and too much sun can put you at risk of melanoma in the eye, so UV shatterproof sunnies do the trick.

2. Back pain

Unless you’re Rambo or Thor, your back pain isn’t going away quickly. Did you know back pain costs the Australian health system $4.8 billion each year? It’s a huge industry, with tradies at risk due to all the heavy lifting and manual work.

Physiotherapist and NSW Chair for the Australian Physiotherapy Association's Occupational Health special interest group Will Hunt says this is definitely a symptom you should not ignore. “As a tradesperson, you can’t do your work unless you can use your body,” he says. “You need to keep it as good as you can for as long as you can.” If you can get to see a physio, that’s a good starting point. But you should also look at the equipment you use and how you use it day-to-day.

“If it's making you feel sore or if you can't get into the posture that you need to get into and the equipment's limiting you, think about how you can substitute it for something else or if there’s a different way to do the task altogether,” Will suggests.

Prevention: Look for equipment and tools that will support your back – for example, get padded suspenders for your tool belt to disperse the weight over your shoulders.

3. Feeling tired at work

Tradies account for 60 per cent of serious injury claims in Australia, with carpenters and joiners most at risk. Dr Gardner says anything that affects your alertness on the job needs to be investigated immediately. “Sleep apnoea is a commonly undiagnosed cause of tiredness, particularly in people that don't have a partner who can say, ‘You’re snoring and you're stopping breathing’,” he says. “People can wake up feeling okay, but then start to nod off because they've got sleep apnoea.” Dr Gardner says tiredness can also be caused by factors like low iron or depression, so it’s worth getting it checked out.

Prevention: Wear a fitness tracker to bed that will measure your sleep or ask your partner to listen for signs of disturbed sleep during the night. If you have any concerns, see your doctor.

4. A niggling cough

Most people are familiar with asbestosis and silicosis, but any types of pollutants can lead to a niggly dry cough and lung health problems. “Any sort of exposure that you're constantly breathing in can set off a little inflammatory response in your lungs,” Dr Gardner says. If you notice symptoms that include a decrease in your fitness levels or a cough that seems to have come out of nowhere, see your doctor sooner rather than later. “It’s all about cumulative exposure,” Dr Gardner says. “We don't hesitate to put these people through a CT scan pretty early.”

Prevention: A standard dust mask doesn’t offer the high level of protection needed for most trades. Wear a builders’ P2 respirator.

5. Feeling down or not yourself

Symptoms of psychological distress are varied but Dr Gardner says one of the early indicators is changes to your sleep patterns. “Impaired sleep is a cardinal side of depression,” he says. “So, waking up earlier than you plan to, not being able to get back to sleep or any sleep disturbance that is new.” Other signs of depression include increased irritability, not wanting to go out and not looking forward to anything. “Listen to the people around you,” Dr Gardner says. “If they say you’ve changed, go and talk to your GP.”

Treatment: Your GP will give you a mental health quiz. From there, treatments can include medication, psychotherapy or changes to your work environments. If you’re not comfortable talking to your GP, reach out to Beyond Blue, the Black Dog Institute or Lifeline. TIACS provides free phone and text counselling to tradies. Reach out Monday-Friday, 8am-10pm, on 0488 846 988.

6. You’re feeling thirsty and heading to the bathroom more

It sounds counterintuitive but if you’re constantly thirsty but also peeing more, you may have diabetes, and tradespeople might be putting themselves at a higher risk thanks to unhealthy diets. “A lot of tradies take in a packed lunch now, but there's still a lot that'll just grab a pie,” Dr Gardner says. If you have either of those symptoms, he recommends getting your sugars checked quickly. “Most people who get diagnosed with diabetes have had it for about three or four years before they've even seen a GP,” he says. “Every day you go with your sugar levels being high damages your arteries further and increases your risk of stroke, heart attack and other vascular diseases.”

Prevention: Following a healthy diet, managing your weight and getting enough exercise are all ways you can reduce your risk of type-2 diabetes.

7. Something in your eye

“We see lots of eye injuries in tradies,” says Dr Gardner. The key here, he says, is acting fast. “If you’ve got metal in your eye and come in early, we can remove it quickly, but people often come in on day two or day three and by then you can end up with a rust ring around the metal foreign body. It’s then a bigger issue because the foreign body is more difficult to dislodge, and you then also have to remove the rust with a burr.”

Prevention: “Constantly getting foreign bodies in the eye can affect your vision long-term,” Dr Gardner says, so eye protection is obviously a must.

8. Ringing in the ears

A constant ringing in one or both ears is called tinnitus, and tradies are among the workforces who suffer most from the condition in Australia. One of the causes is repeated exposure to loud noise and not wearing adequate ear protection. “Prevention is way better than any sort of treatment that we can offer,” Dr Gardner says. As well as ear protection he suggests limiting exposure and having breaks from the noise throughout the day. While there is no cure for tinnitus there are some therapies that may help, including cognitive behavioural therapy and using white noise machines.

Prevention: Make sure you are wearing ear protection certified to Australian standards on job sites.