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Most of his time a person is busy with professional issues, which affects the state of health. For example, a naturalist artist and an oil platform worker are in completely different working conditions. An industrial worker is exposed to heavy physical exertion and exposure to carcinogens, and an artist deprived of activity will earn problems with the spine and, most likely, with the eyes. Occupational risks are identified and corrected by an occupational pathologist. What you need to know about a specialist, what diagnostic and treatment methods does he use?
General characteristics of the direction
Occupational pathology was singled out as a separate specialty only at the end of the XNUMXth century. Now students, having received a basic medical education, can choose further professional training in this area.
Occupational pathology is one of the branches of medicine that specializes in the so-called “occupational diseases”. Practitioners study exactly how certain working conditions affect the human body, help to correct their harmful effects.
There are diseases that are characteristic of certain categories of the working population. For example, office workers often face diseases of the spine, eyes and coloproctological problems, while construction workers and miners suffer from lung pathologies due to constant exposure to dust.
What factors are considered to be “working”? Low or high temperatures, excessive vibration, radiation, regular stress (for example, from air traffic controllers or doctors).
What is included in the list of duties of a specialist
A practicing doctor identifies occupational diseases, looks for ways to prevent them or neutralize complications. Usually, an occupational pathologist works only with a theoretical base, but doctors of a narrow specialization are engaged in the treatment itself.
The main goal of occupational pathology is to develop a scheme to protect patients at high risk. To do this, doctors conduct scheduled medical examinations at enterprises or offices, collect anamnesis, and analyze the information received. The result is specific recommendations to reduce the negative impact of professional factors.
Specialists determine the suitability of people who apply for a position. The conclusion is drawn up after the delivery of basic tests and a visual medical examination.
The duties of an occupational pathologist are clearly regulated at the legislative level. The doctor conducts medical examinations (both primary and regular), identifies and registers workers who suffer from a certain occupational ailment.
The specialist also prescribes the necessary list of tests and redirects the patient for examination to a specialized specialist. In most cases, the occupational pathologist diagnoses and prescribes therapy together with other doctors.
Occupational pathologists, together with city services, monitor sanitary and hygienic conditions at the workplace, develop and conduct thematic events to minimize occupational ailments.
It is this doctor who issues sick leaves, certificates of professional unsuitability / suitability and monitors the health status of employees throughout the entire shift.
| Impact factors | Risk group | Organs that are affected | Possible consequences |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vibration | Drivers of large equipment and vehicles | Whole body, especially limbs | Episodic pain, deformation of the nail plates, sleep problems, excessive irritability |
| Infrasound | Employees of industrial enterprises who work near fans, heating furnaces, compressors | Nervous system, organs of hearing | Partial or complete hearing loss, lethargy, apathy, hypersensitivity, dizziness |
| High temperatures | Hot shop workers, firefighters, mine rescuers | Thermoregulation system | Increased sweating, violation of natural thermoregulation, possible problems with the heart, gastrointestinal tract, blood composition |
| Low temperatures | Cold shop workers, expedition members, fishermen | Blood vessels | Paleness of the skin, decreased activity of the limbs, tissue necrosis |
| РџРѕРІС <СЕ РμРЅРЅРЅРμ Р ° С,РјРѕСЃС "РμСЂРЅРѕРμ РґР ° РІР" РμРЅРёРμ | Divers working on underground or underwater structures | Spinal cord, circulatory system | Convulsions, numbness of the limbs, decreased functionality of the brain, kidneys, lungs |
| Increased noise level | Workers in woodworking, weaving and other industries | Nervous, cardiovascular system | Episodic heart pain, blood pressure disorders, hearing problems, excessive irritability |
What symptoms should you see a doctor for?
The main goal of the occupational pathologist is to identify the relationship between the poor health of the employee and his professional environment.
The doctor is obliged to accept the employee with minimal headache, discomfort in the cervical region, and even with nosebleeds. Making an appointment will not interfere with new employees.
A specialist is obliged to advise a person about possible occupational diseases, conduct an examination and determine belonging to a particular risk group.
Passing an occupational pathologist is mandatory before applying for a new position.
All workers must undergo a professional examination at least 1-2 times a year with the relevant information entered in the medical book. Also, without a health check, you will not be able to get the right to drive a car or other transport.
An unscheduled visit to the doctor is applied in case of malaise, which is associated with violations of working conditions, mechanical / chemical injury received at the workplace.
Methods of diagnosis
An appointment with an occupational pathologist consists of collecting an anamnesis – information about the patient, his state of health and the professional conditions in which he resides. After the examination, it is possible to prescribe a number of tests or consultations with highly specialized specialists.
The doctor asks questions not only about the current place of work, but also the patient’s previous activities, since some symptoms may manifest themselves after a long period.
A multifaceted dialogue is replaced by inspection. An occupational pathologist examines the skin, lymph nodes, visible oral mucosa and assesses the general condition of the body. Visual examination is followed by palpation, measurement of blood pressure, temperature and heart rate.
Upon completion of the manipulations, the occupational pathologist writes out an appointment for tests or sends for a consultation to another specialist.
The occupational pathologist’s responsibilities do not include treatment. If necessary, the doctor will be able to provide first aid, but the specialized treatment will be handled by a specialist doctor.
The patient must come for a re-examination with all the tests and a conclusion from the doctors. The occupational pathologist studies the information received and issues a conclusion. This is a document that confirms or denies that a person is healthy, and his condition does not interfere with further educational or professional activities.
The certificates received, information about allergies, chronic diseases, etc., are attached to the conclusion.
If the state of health is unsatisfactory due to working conditions, the occupational pathologist reports this to the authorities. The further course of action depends on the severity of the employee’s condition and the loyalty of the management. Most often, the damage caused to the employee is compensated by insurance. If this is not the first case of deterioration in the health of employees, then working conditions are being made more loyal.