Occupational hazard: Working in shifts? Watch out for these health risks

By Megha Reddy
Occupational hazard: Night, rotating shifts can wreak havoc on your system. You may develop serious illnesses and debilitating conditions. Megha Reddy has some solutions.

People working in night shifts won't hesitate to tell you about the toll their work life takes on their sleep schedules.These professionals include doctors and nurses, call-centre employees, staff in the hospitality industry and at airports, journalists, security personnel or someone whose job requires him to be in liaison with international partners and work as per their time schedules. Whatever the reason, a night shift work can wreak havoc on your system if you aren't careful.

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There are two kinds of shift work that we come across. One is a fixed shift and the other is the rotating shift.

"Working in rotating shifts can cause severe damage to our health," said Dr Manohar KN, consultant physician, internal medicine, at Bengaluru's Manipal Hospitals."There is an increase in the number of patients coming to me who complain of high stress levels and weight-gain problems due to working odd hours. Women mostly complain about thyroid imbalance and related issues."

A study , published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, found that women who have worked rotating night shifts for five or more years not only experience shorter lifespans in general, but also are at an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

"We are seeing a rise in problems such as irregular menstrual cycles, stress-induced problems, obesity problems and PCOD cases among women due to altered sleep patterns, unhealthy eating habits and lack of exercise," said Dr Ratna Srinivasan, consultant gynecologist at Fortis Hospitals, Bengaluru.

Understand your risks

Some of the serious risks associated with shift work seem to develop gradually over decades, but others develop more quickly. Acidity, weight gain, thyroid imbalance, irritability , anxiousness and depression are some of the problems that are seen to be developing quickly.

"Gastrointestinal disorders are more common in shift workers than in day-time workers. Common complaints are pain and alterations in bowel habits, especially constipation, indigestion, diarrhoea and irritable bowel syndrome. Ulcers are also common in shift workers," said Dr Neelam Singh, a Bengalurubased nutritionist.

Long-term health problems include high blood pressure, heart diseases and diabetes mellitus (which disrupts the production of insulin), and also a shorter life span in many cases.



What you can do

It is important to keep the risks in perspective. Even if performing shift work is a risk factor for some diseases, it's only one of many ­ just like not getting enough sleep or eating too late and eating unhealthy food. If you're in good health to begin with, the overall risks to any given person performing shift work remain low. If you work in shifts, here are some things that you can do:

1. Eat healthy and exercise

Eating a well-balanced diet and exercising is important as many of the risks of shift work are related to obesity and metabolic syndrome.

Night shift workers often feel drowsy at work and by making the right food choices, they can help in staying alert and active.

"A diet high in protein and fibre gives a steady stream of energy . For high fibre, you can include salads made of sprouts, chana, carrot, peas, sweet corn, chopped vegetables, beans, etc. They have a good amount of protein as well as fibre," said Singh.

"About 30-45 minutes of exercise improves health. It can be any form of exercise at any time of the day.Whatever you enjoy , exercising five times a week is sufficient to keep health in check," said Manohar.

It is also important to try and in corporate as much physical activity during work hours, like taking the stairs instead of the elevator.Walking and stretching while taking breaks also help.

2. Get enough sleep

Lack of sleep has its own health risks and shift workers sleep less effectively than day workers because of the exposure to light during the day . Shift workers should make an extra effort to get at least 7-8 hours of sleep. As much as possible, avoid using your phone, computer or other electronic devices before going to bed because the light they emit is particularly stimulating to the brain. If your sleeping environment is too noisy to allow you to fall and stay asleep, use earplugs. Also make sure to block out the light in the bedroom with room-darkening shades or with a sleep mask.

3. Stop substance abuse

Working in shifts may lead to intake of more caffeine or stronger stimulants or smoking to stay awake. These become habits over time and could hurt one's sleep, work and emotional well-being. So, take a relook at your habits.

4. See your doctor

If you notice any small problem, it's better to see a doctor than to self-medicate. Your doctor might suggest medicines either to help you stay awake during shifts or to help you sleep when you get into bed. Also, if you're concerned about the health effects of shift work, your doctor should monitor your health more closely. That's especially true if you already have any health problems.

"I would say the organisations who work at these hours should take more interest in their employees' health. Pre-health checkup before hiring is common, but yearly health checkup is also a must. If employees are healthy , even the organisations' productivity will improve."