No, we’re not talking about serial killers here, but instead the five most prevalent diseases in the UK. What are they? 

• Heart disease
• Cancer
• Stroke
• Lung disease
• Liver disease

These diseases result in the most number of deaths across Great Britain, the potential killers easily take 150,000 deaths per year. However, if we take proper preventive measures such as lifestyle changes and timely health checkups, nearly 30000 out of 150000 can be avoided. 

How can life-threatening diseases be related to one’s occupation? Since most people spend 8-12 hours at the workplace, the type of job they do plays an important part in their life. ZOHL is an occupational health company, that looks after your occupational risk factors and conducts medical tests to see if your work is affecting your health. How can my occupation contribute to any of these diseases? Let’s check out.

Heart Disease

Every five minutes someone is admitted to the hospital in Uk due to a Heart Attack. It’s the most common cause of death and also the one that depends on lifestyle changes. Smoking, obesity, an unhealthy diet, a sedentary lifestyle, no physical activity, and secondary diseases such as hypertension and Diabetes have a great impact on the occurrence of heart disease. 

Any kind of job that limits your physical activity contributes to a cardiac problem. Taxi drivers get heart disease because they have limited physical activity, they move very less as they’re seated in the driver’s seat all day. The same thing can be said about an office job that involves you sitting in the same position for hours and hours.

Cancer

We all know cancer is a cell mutation, but how is it related? Certain jobs have increased exposure to carcinogens. For example, people in the construction industry working with Asbestos for years. Another example, is Drivers with chronic exposure to benzene. And even offshore workers that work in the heat have a higher chance of developing cancer, UV rays can cause serious damage.

Night shifts cause disruption of the body’s natural clocking system, known as circadian rhythms that have been linked to cancer. This means night workers are at an increased risk of cancer.

Stroke

A stroke is a result of blockage of blood supply to any part of the brain. This could result in a lack of movement, no sensation, and disturbance in the part of the body controlled by that area of the brain. 

People with stressful lifestyles or high-risk jobs are likely to develop stroke. Furthermore, lifestyle factors add more to stroke risk as they narrow down the blood vessels supplying the brain.  It was found that those with high-stress jobs had a 22 percent higher risk of stroke than those with low-stress jobs. Who are they? Doctors, teachers, and engineers. 

Lung Disease

COPD, Asthma, and other lung diseases result in a large number of hospitalizations. Lung diseases are aggravated due to occupational hazards. Inhalation of benzene fumes, lead, and asbestos, greatly enhances the chance of lung-related diseases. 

Remember smoking makes lung disease worse.

Liver disease 

Obesity and alcohol are the main reasons for liver disease, undiagnosed liver infections also add to it. Dry cleaners, garage workers, chemists, and farmers get frequently in contact with hepatotoxins.

With that said, it can easily be concluded that occupational hazards and the type of job you do can affect your health status. Therefore, it is recommended to take timely health checks. This is not only to prevent diseases but also helps maintain good health status. 

Call ZOHL or visit the website for more details. We promise to offer you the best clinical experience.