Being a painter can be hard work, especially for muscles and joints, you would think, but there are more complaints. It is important to pay close attention to this. Do complaints occur? Then do not proceed, but first make sure that your complaint is clear. If you continue to paint while you have these symptoms, it will only make it worse and more harmful to your body.
Muscle and joint pain
As a painter you can find many inconveniences in your work, such as standing for a long time, painting in the same position for a long time or in an uncomfortable position, bending regularly or bending your knees. 79% of the Painters indicate that the work is very physically demanding. Do not walk around for too long with this muscle or joint pain, this will only make it worse. It may even be an idea to regularly take preventive ointments or tablets against joint pain. Muscle pain can also present in varying degrees, up to and including cramping. There are also various means for this, such as ointment that makes the muscles very warm, which improves blood flow and recovery. And if it really gets to cramping, then it is advisable to also get extra magnesium with magnesium tablets.
airway problems
As a painter you can work a lot in dusty environments, this quickly ends up in the airways. As a painter, you can suffer from respiratory problems, where you will feel a bit suffocated and stuffy. However harmless this sneezing and coughing may seem, it can lead to serious physical problems and a compromised immune system. It is wise that you consult your doctor in this case. He or she can determine exactly what the problem is and how it can best be solved.
painter’s disease
Nowadays much less common because painters are only allowed to paint with low-VOC paint. Inhaling these solvents is very harmful to the body. Initial complaints include nausea, light-headedness, headaches and palpitations. If you stop working with these solvents, the complaints will quickly decrease, but if you continue, it will turn out much bigger. Your appetite will be much less, shortness of breath, severe headache, poor sleep and eventually it can lead to depression and one can become very aggressive. This is not fun for you and neither for the people around you. So make sure that you do not continue with these complaints and that you protect yourself properly in the first place.
So if symptoms are at what stage it is light or heavy, do not continue without doing anything about it. Continuing with complaints may damage you for life, which is a shame if you still have so much ahead of you. The most common complaints are muscle and joint pain, respiratory problems and painter’s disease. All 3 complaints can be prevented or quickly reduced at an early stage. In the end, think of it this way: Prevention is better than cure.
I'm Joost Nusselder, the founder of Tools Doctor, content marketer, and dad. I love trying out new equipment, and together with my team I've been creating in-depth blog articles since 2016 to help loyal readers with tools & crafting tips.
