Occupational Disease 职业病

One of the problems for being a teacher (except being under-paid, very time-consumed) is to get all kinds of occupational diseases.

1. Hoarse voice or callused vocal cord 声音沙哑+声带长茧
2. Lower back pain 腰痠背痛
3. Chronic bladders inflammation 慢性膀胱炎

Above should be the top 3 problems, I guess. I was lucky enough to have "only" the top 2 and 3. Haha.

Here are some suggestions to prevent them:

• Protect your vocal cord: I've been always very careful about using my voice. Try to use your diaphragm (丹田 dantian) than just the muscles around your throat. Always drink warm or hot water or any substitute drink to rinse your vocal cord is the best way to maintain your voice quality.

Another effective way is to let your students talk when you're tired or talk too much.

• Avoid lower back pain: Give up your heels! Even though my chiropractors have been warning me for years, I finally quit wearing heels in class 3 years ago. The reason is simple-- I just can't handle the pain anymore. Sure the idea is very glamours to be chic, tall and pretty in the class (any heels do help to lengthen your legs), but, after teaching for 10 years... It's better to quit wearing heels at work.

Yoga is another good way to prevent lower back pain. By bending your body, especially stretch and lengthen your back and spine, really help your body to relax.

Lift your legs high at the end of the day--like all the ballerinas will do after a long-day practice (晾腿）. Simply put your leg up high against the wall, will relax the muscles on your legs, so you don't end up having varicose veins (静脉曲张 jingmai quzhang). If you think that's too much trouble, just place a pillow underneath your leg (as long as it's higher than your heart) before you sleep, that will do.

• Deal with chronic bladder inflammation: When you have to teach back-to-back for 5 or 6 hours, it's hard to go when you have to go... The result is-- you have chronic bladder inflammation.

"No work (or school, students or $$) is worth your health!!" I have to remind myself all the time, or any other bank tellers, salesperson, flight attendants, fellow teachers, even my stpe-mom-in-law that. I guess many female teachers have the same like me.

2 tips: (without antibiotics!!)

• Pure, no sugar added cranberry juice: You can get them for $5,6 from Trader Joe's. It tastes very sour and tangy. But, it'll definitely wash out what ever cause the affection. And it's only juice, not medicine.




• Beets: Try NOT to eat it cold as in salad (or you can "de-ice" them into "room temperature" first). Making it into soup, or juice (only add room temperature water, not ice cubes) will also enhance your kidney function.