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Wednesday, August 12, 2015

By Jason McDonald


Certain jobs entail higher levels of risk than others. Those who perform manual labor, on a daily basis, are more likely to experience discomfort or injuries than those who take up office jobs with little physical activity to account for. Anyone who has been involved in medical practice or awareness, like Stuart Millheiser, can attest to this. With that said, I think that it would be wise to go over the work of funeral directors, and the connection that it may have to ALS.

TIME published an article that detailed how funeral directors may be at greater risk of developing ALS than previously considered. The main reason for this was formaldehyde, which is a chemical compound that the workers in question are exposed to on a regular basis. Keep in mind that formaldehyde has a number of uses, including the smoke that goes with cigarettes. Of course, there is more information that can be detailed by the likes of Stuart Millheiser.

The Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery & Psychiatry published that went into extensive detail about deaths tied to ALS, in tandem with formaldehyde exposure. There was a study that sampled a total of 1.5 million Americans with individual jobs. Of course, you may already imagine that exposure will vary from person to person, since not everyone possesses the same type of employment. Regardless, the results of said study were shown and they were, for lack of a better term, surprising.

The study detailed that funeral directors, who were mostly male, were 4.5 times more likely to pass away due to ALS, than those who worked jobs where formaldehyde exposure was anywhere from low to nonexistent. The reason why most of these deaths involved men was because they found themselves involved in embalming, where various elements were present. Women, in this field, seemed to work at the front desk where interaction was more prevalent. This is useful information, and I am sure that names like Stuart Millheiser can say the same.

As one can see, this is interesting research, and it's more than worth considering for anyone who's looking to get involved in this field. Even though it may be something that people find interest in, it's important to understand what you're getting into. If you're able to do, you can find ways to take care of yourself, and limit your exposure to formaldehyde as much as possible. Studies like these are worthwhile, as they show potential links to ALS.




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