Profession and health implications
November 2005

Interestingly, this does not only apply to certain professional activities that traditionally have been associated with a greater risk for the well being of the workers such as coal or asbestos miners.

Apart from the occupations that impose important physical stress, many others such as office employees or teachers, have frequent work related, health complains. It has been shown that 70% of the workers in various sectors, consider that stress or physical requirements are responsible for the worsening of their health.

Research shows that 40% of the patients who request medical advice, believe that their ailment or other complains are related to their occupation.

This is much more frequent in men. It has been shown that the percentage of men who believe that their health problem has been caused by their profession, is double in comparison with the percentage of women thinking the same.

Additionally research has shown that 13% of the patients have effectuated changes to their occupation because of health related reasons. A further 20% has modified their working methods and conditions in the professional activity in order to remain in the same sector and counter their health problem. An assessment showed that 60% of the workers had a favorable impact of the changes done.

These findings, indicate that it is very important for physicians and other professionals who provide health care to workers, to meticulously assess profession related complains and symptoms. Additionally physicians should not omit to search whether a health problem of their patients may be attributed to working conditions.

In the cases that indeed occupational conditions are a cause of health troubles, necessary correctional or preventive measures may significantly improve the situation. Certain changes in the working environment, can be much more effective for the management of somatic or psychological complains than the administration of medicaments.

However it should be noted that in medical schools, very often the future doctors are not well prepared and trained for the investigation and management of this kind of situations. For these reasons, today many physicians do not adequately search in this direction for their patients' problems.

Another important repercussion that should not be forgotten, is the serious psychological problems that are brought back to home from the workplace.

Tension and stress that are generated at the workplace and are subsequently transferred to the home environment, can be significantly more detrimental than somatic stress. This may have immediate negative repercussions to the marital life. It has been shown that it can affect and disturb to an alarming degree, the future of the relation of the pair.

In conclusion we will stress the fact that health problems, related to a large range of professions are much more frequent than what it was thought till now. These problems may be physical, psychological or psychosomatic.

Recognizing occupation related health complains and disorders, should be a priority for the treating physician and for the employer.

Adequate management and prevention of these problems can be beneficial for the worker, his family, the employer and increase work satisfaction, productivity and benefits the society as a whole.

Bibliography:

 Τhe Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health