Professional Diseases - Types, Symptoms, and Prevention

Introduction:

Professional diseases are also named occupational diseases. For diagnosing a professional disease, it is essential to have a connecting factor between the illness and occupation of an individual. It is clinically and pathologically not different from the non-occupational origin.

What Are Professional Diseases?

Professional diseases develop from complex circumstances involving the pathophysiological response of an individual exposed to the risk factors, such as chemical agents, biological agents, physical hazards, and psychological or physiological stimuli that act as potential hazards in work activities or work environments.

What Are the Most Common Professional Diseases in India?

The most common occupational diseases in India are :

• Musculoskeletal Disorders: It affects the muscles, tendons, and nerves. Common examples are carpal tunnel syndrome or tendonitis, hernia, repetitive strain injuries, tension neck syndrome, arthritis, and thoracic outlet syndrome.

• Coal Workers Pneumoconiosis: It is caused by chronic inhalation of coal dust resulting in progressive massive fibrosis and impairment in lung function.

• Skin Disorders: Contact dermatitis, also called eczema, and certain skin conditions.

• Respiratory Illnesses: Such as chronic cough, asthma, chronic obstructive lung diseases, asbestosis, and byssinosis.

• Pesticide Poisoning: It is caused by chronic inhalation of pesticides and mainly affects people working in the agriculture sector. The symptoms include headache, fatigue, dizziness, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, stomach cramps, diarrhea, blurred vision, excessive tearing, sweating and salivation, syncope, cough, low heart rate, etc.

• Occupational Noise-Induced Hearing Problems: Results in hearing loss and auditory issues. Loud sounds can damage sensitive structures in the inner ear and cause noise-induced hearing loss.

• Cancers: A few examples of cancers resulting from exposure to risk factors in workplace activity and work environment include lung cancer, gastrointestinal cancer, cancer of the larynx or pharynx, and mesothelioma (cancer that occurs in the thin layer of tissue covering most internal organs).

• Stress and Mental Health Disorders: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is most commonly seen in individuals who are in high-pressure workplaces, such as the military or law enforcement. Other mental issues like anxiety attacks, apprehension, panic, and stress caused due to work pressure can affect a person’s mental well-being.

• Infectious Diseases: Individuals in the healthcare system, hospitality sector, and social workers are at an increased risk of contracting contagious diseases, such as hepatitis B and C, tuberculosis, and even human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

What Are the Symptoms of Professional Diseases?

Early detection and monitoring of the signs and symptoms can prevent the worsening of the health condition. The symptoms vary with the organ or the part of the body affected.

• Professional Lung Diseases: The symptoms include cough, wheezing, shortness of breath, difficulty in breathing, chest pain, chest tightness, abnormal breathing pattern, etc.

• Occupational Skin Disorders: The symptoms include itching, rash, pain, redness, burning sensation, swelling, and the formation of pus, small blisters, or wheels.

• Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WMSDs): The symptoms include pain, weakness, swelling, numbness, tingling, burning sensation, fatigue, sprain, and fractures. It mainly affects the muscles, nerves, tendons, joints, cartilage, and spinal discs.

• Occupational Noise-Induced Hearing Loss: Loss of hearing efficiency, inability to hear high-pitched sounds, partial deafness, muffled or distorted speech, tinnitus (ringing or buzzing in the ear), a feeling of fullness or pressure in the ear.

• Pesticide Poisoning: Symptoms include headache, fatigue, dizziness, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, stomach cramps, diarrhea, blurred vision, excessive tearing, sweating and salivation, syncope, cough, low heart rate, etc.

How Does Occupational Disease Occur?

An individual exposed to potential hazards, such as chemical, biological, physical, and psychological, during work activities or work environment contracts occupational diseases.

The various modes of contracting occupational diseases include:

• Inhalation.

• Ingestion.

• Irradiation.

• Transcutaneous route.

• Psychological.

• Ergonomics

How Are Professional Diseases Diagnosed?

Occupational diseases go unrecognized as we often forget to consider the workplace factors that could contribute to an individual’s medical condition that would facilitate the diagnosis of a medical condition.

• Occupational Health History: It is essential for an individual’s health record to include his occupation, nature of work, workplace details, and risk factors associated with his work.

How Are Professional Diseases Classified?

• Professional diseases are caused by exposure to agents exposed arising from work activities. Such diseases are caused by chemical agents.

• Diseases are caused by physical agents. Occupational diseases target organ systems.

• Biological agents and infectious or parasitic diseases.

• Occupational diseases that target organ systems like respiratory disease, skin disease, musculoskeletal disease, and mental and behavioral disorders.

• Occupational cancer.

• Other diseases.

How To Prevent Professional Diseases?

Though professional diseases occur less frequently, it is severe and disabling. Therefore, it is important to take preventive measures to protect individuals from occupational diseases, which are pretty hazardous.

• Provide a safe work environment.

• Monitoring of workers’ health at the workplace.

• Restricting the mode of entry of the potential hazards.

• Proper ventilation and lighting at the workplace.

• Protective covering like wearing a mask, gloves, respirators, ear plugs, safety goggles, chemical aprons, safety shoes, hard hats, and personal protective equipment can prevent exposure to the risk factors resulting in occupational diseases.

• Counseling for individuals with anxiety or stress related to work pressure can help with serious mental disorders like depression.

• Educate the workers and employees of the organizations or industries about the preventive measures to be taken for their welfare.

• Create awareness among policymakers, employers, workers, and representatives of the preventive measures to be taken while working in high-risk occupational sectors.

• Eliminate or minimize risks at the workplace.

• Reduce risks through engineered controls or physical safeguards.

• Engineering controls by redesigning the ergonomic workplace.

• Administrative controls by adjusting work schedules, workload, and work timings enforced by changes in work practices and management policies.

• Programs designed to modify individual factors, such as employee exercise.

• Wear braces, wrist splints, and back belts to maintain good ergonomics and prevent injury to muscles, nerves, tendons, joints, cartilage, and spinal discs.

• Medical intervention.

Conclusion:

Professional diseases are medical conditions resulting from repeated and long-term exposure to risk factors, such as chemical agents, irritants, hazardous chemicals, dust, fibers, biological agents, and physical hazards from the work activity or work environment leading to lasting effects, even after exposure ceases. Though occupational diseases occur less frequently, they are severe and disabling; thus, early diagnosis and appropriate management lead to better efficiency in the workforce.