Is your job damaging your heart’s health?

Various types of jobs damage people’s health in different ways, but whether their job becomes harmful depends on them, their lifestyle, genetic predisposition and work conditions. Some occupations damage people’s health more than others, and it’s important for people to be informed.

Have you ever asked yourself if your job is damaging your heart’s health? Cardiovascular disease is a term used for all conditions the circulatory system and heart are experiencing. The World Health Organisation states that it’s the cause of death of more than 30% of people. Only in the UK this condition leads to 94,000 deaths. So is your job this bad for your heart?

If you have one of the following jobs you are at risk

You are working at a desk

If you have a sedentary job then you are more likely to suffer from heart problems than the people who occupy an active position. Martha Grogan, a cardiologist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester states that when sitting you’re a prolonged period the insulin sensitivity and enzymes levels drop faster than they usually do, and your heart condition deteriorates.

A great way to maintain your insulin sensitivity and enzymes levels normal is to stand up and walk around the office every two hours. Switching to a standing desk can improve your health condition.

Emergency responders

Your role is to save people’s lives, but your position can also affect your heart. If you have a job that mixes inactivity with high stress, like fighting fires and crime, then you are at risk to suffer from cardiovascular disease. Average jobs come with a 15% risk of suffering from heart disease, but police jobs grow the risk to 22% and firefighting positions to 45%.

Factors like high stress, exposure to pollutants like carbon monoxide, unhealthy eating, shift work, and long hours can grow the chances you to suffer from a heart condition. Hypertension is one of the most common heart problems emergency responders are dealing with.

You may not want to change your job to prevent heart disease, but you can switch to a healthier lifestyle to control it. Exercise, a healthy diet and low blood pressure can prove helpful.  

Bus drivers

Peter L. Schnall, a professor of medicine at the University of California, states that bus drivers are more predisposed to suffer from hypertension than people who occupy other positions. One of the reasons is that they have a sedentary job that requires them to be vigilant, to prevent accidents and to keep the passengers safe, and this stresses them.

You cannot control stress when you have this job, but you can lower the other risk factors that cumulate with your job to prevent cardiovascular disease. Studies show that bus drivers have higher body weight, heart disease rates and cholesterol levels, compared with other workers.

Bartenders

Nowadays, most of the states worldwide have anti-smoking laws in bars and restaurants. But this doesn’t mean that all of them respect these regulations. Many employers force their workers to serve drinks and to ignore clients who are smoking indoors. This means that servants and bartenders involuntary inhale tobacco smoke and they are at a high risk to have a heart attack.

The business owners who allow their clients to smoke inside should install effective ventilation systems to lower the risks they expose their employees to.

If you are working in a bar or restaurant that allows its clients to smoke indoors, you should look for other job opportunities because the present position is damaging your health.

Tunnel and bridge workers

If you are working in transportation tunnels you have 35% more chances to experience a heart-related problem than the rest of the people. Mauro Moscucci, chief of cardiovascular division at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine says that people shouldn’t be surprised to find this out. When working in a tunnel you expose yourself to high levels of carbon monoxide daily, and in time it affects your health state.

Studies have also shown that the people who expose themselves to polluted air are more likely to suffer a stroke or heart attack.

Welders

When you weld, you join metal parts by heating them to melting temperatures. During this process, high levels of welding fume are generated and they contain fine and ultrafine particles. Studies have shown that when you are exposed to toxic fumes you can experience metal fume fever and respiratory system problems. In addition to affecting your respiratory system, welding fumes also grow your chances to experience cardiovascular events. Studies show that when working in the welding industry for a long period people are more likely to die because of ischaemic heart disease.

You should discuss with your employees to improve working conditions to prevent this from happening. They should provide all workers equipment to protect them from breathing hazardous particles and install fume extraction systems in the buildings where welding is done.

Losing your job can also cause heart problems

Some occupations can damage your heart’s health, but losing your job can also cause heart problems. When you worked for the same employer more than 10 years, and you lost your job of other factors than your fault, then you are also at risk to have a stroke because it stresses you out.

Sometimes people lose their jobs because the plant relocates, because the company cuts jobs or because their position is no longer needed, and the idea of not being able to provide for their family overwhelms them. They have double chances to suffer a stroke compared with the people who can keep their job, or who have other job opportunities.

A Harvard study also states that the people who lose their jobs are at a greater risk to develop other health problems like diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease, in the next two years, than the ones who find alternatives.

It’s always recommended to save money to be able to financially support yourself if something like this happens. You’ll definitely find another job, but it may take a while until you find the right employer.