Sometimes just getting more exercise keeps you healthy at work. When it comes to more serious illnesses, changes in the workplace can also bring improvement. When it comes to what makes people sick at work, there are at least two different statistics.
The most common occupational illnesses
At the top of the list of recognized occupational diseases are noise-induced hearing loss, asbestos-related diseases, and lung and throat cancer. That may make regular newspaper readers wonder. After all, most of the sick leaves and days of incapacity to work of employees are due to completely different complaints: Musculoskeletal disorders and back problems have increased epidemically. Sick days due to mental illnesses have risen sharply recently. In addition, there has been an increase in respiratory diseases such as chronic bronchitis. In addition, general injuries as well as diseases of the digestive system and cardiovascular diseases are among the top group of sick leaves.
Cause of illness at work?
The reason for the difference between recognized occupational disease (only diseases directly caused by the occupation are considered occupational diseases) and sick leave is due to the different responsibilities. For the former, only employers pay contributions to the employers’ liability insurance associations, thereby ceding possible liability claims. These are predominantly required in the case of occupational accidents. However, an illness can also be a case for the employers’ liability insurance association. If the hairdresser’s skin cannot tolerate handling chemicals or the baker has an allergic reaction to flour dust, the cause lies directly in the occupation. Therefore, in these cases, the employers’ liability insurance associations would pay for treatment and possible retraining.
Common diseases are not occupational diseases
Health insurance companies are responsible for all other so-called widespread diseases. “If someone has spinal complaints because of obesity and malnutrition and possibly incorrect stresses during leisure time, the cause is not occupational,” explains Professor Stephan Letzel, an occupational physician from the University of Mainz, “but primarily personal behavior or inherited factors. Nevertheless, occupational physicians are not turning a blind eye to the changing stresses and strains in the working world. Studies have shown that the causes of widespread diseases can also be strongly linked to the situation in the workplace. This is reinforced by the increasingly older workforce, Letzel emphasizes.
Psychological strain due to stress
Since the near-ubiquitous introduction of computers, stress has shifted from physical to primarily psychological demands. For some workers, work becomes more uniform to the point of exasperation; for others, complexity increases enormously. The latter complain above all about the high volume of work, the fast pace of work, the expected high level of accuracy and the constant demand for attention. Those who feel overwhelmed get into a constant state of alarm. Inner tension, fear, nervousness and exhaustion develop. Underchallenge, on the other hand, creates boredom and unwillingness and can therefore also be psychologically stressful. Even if the back hurts, this is often due to psychosocial conflicts at the workplace. Contradictory work instructions, lack of recognition and support, excessive controls, and fear of losing one’s job all strain the body and psyche. In contrast, to feel good, employees need recognition from colleagues and supervisors. Feedback on work results, transparent decision-making processes and a good company information policy have a positive influence on the working atmosphere.
Sitting strains the spine
Contributing to the common ailment of joint or back pain is, of course, the change in physical stress at work. Occupational physicians recommend that at least a quarter of daily working time should be spent in motion and sitting should be limited to half. At computer workstations, however, people spend an average of 80 to 85 percent of their daily working time sitting. Sitting puts more strain on the spine and back muscles than standing or walking. If the pressure on the intervertebral discs of the lumbar spine is set at 100 percent, it is approximately 140 percent when sitting straight, and can even rise to 190 percent when sitting in a bent-forward posture.Sitting not only puts a strain on the spine, but can also hinder breathing, blood circulation and digestion, and you tire more easily. Other possible secondary complaints include headaches, neck and shoulder pain, as well as discomfort in the arms and hands.
What to do to prevent illness?
Mild forms of this one-sided strain can be addressed with behavioral changes and exercise compensation. Anyone who gets dry eyes from constantly reading or staring at a screen can, for example, use special eye drops to combat this so-called office eye syndrome. Ointments or rubbing alcohol from the pharmacy can also help with muscle tension or stimulate blood circulation in tired limbs again – however, these measures should always be understood as a supplement to a personal program for balancing exercise.
