Many workers are unable to stay up late and work overtime because of work factors, and sometimes have to work night shifts, especially taxi and truck drivers, security guards, police, actors and journalists, nurses, etc. However, working night shifts for a long time can disrupt the biological clock, break the rules of life, affect physical health, and various diseases will follow.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" Data-track="23" What problems does > always work the night shift? </h1>
1. Cause eye strain
People who work at night stay in an environment of non-natural light for a long time at night, which is easy to cause visual fatigue. Especially workers who face electronic screens for a long time will bring greater damage to the eyes, resulting in dark circles, dry eyes and pain, and can cause dry eye disease in severe cases. In addition, prolonged eye muscle fatigue can also cause further vision to deteriorate, resulting in blurred or ghosting of things.
2. Damage to the nervous system
Long night shifts can also damage the brain and reduce responsiveness. Studies have found that not sleeping for 24 hours is like drunkenness, making it difficult to react slowly, difficult to control language and action, and over time can cause autonomic disorders, resulting in neurasthenia and insomnia.
3. Increase the risk of cancer
Night shifts themselves are carcinogenic factors, and studies have shown that women who work night shifts for long periods of time are predisposed to breast cancer, and men who work long night shifts have a higher risk of prostate cancer, while also improving the chance of lung cancer and melanoma. Because long night shifts can disrupt the biological clock, affect the expression of tumor-related genes, damage cellular DNA, and thus increase the risk of cell carcinogenesis.
4. Causes indigestion
Working night shifts for a long time will also disrupt eating habits, break the regularity of three meals a day, affect gastric acid secretion, thereby increasing the risk of gastrointestinal diseases, such as gastric ulcers, duodenal ulcers, gastritis and indigestion.
5. Cardiovascular disease
Prolonged lack of sleep is also a high risk factor for inducing hypertension, and changes in circadian rhythms can increase blood pressure, but also stimulate the release of inflammatory factors, increase the burden on the cardiovascular system, and even cause vasospasm and myocardial infarction.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="13" How can > reduce the harm caused by night shifts? </h1>
1. Learn to sleep correctly
After returning home from work, you can't immediately make up for sleep, sit quietly for half an hour or an hour, or you can do an activity that relaxes you, and then lie down and sleep after the tension and excitement are reduced. Curtains should be closed, eye masks and earplugs should be closed during the day, because sleep is promoted in a quiet and dark environment.
2. Supplement with adequate nutrition
People who regularly work the night shift should be reasonably supplemented with B vitamins vitamins D and B6 to prevent anemia and osteoporosis. Eat more fresh vegetables and fruits, increase the proportion of coarse grains in staple foods, and eat large fish and meat.
3. Exercise more
Under the premise of ensuring adequate sleep, dozens of minutes of time should be taken out to be outdoors, which can help reduce stress and benefit physical and mental health.
Tips
It can be seen that regular night shifts will bring so many disadvantages to the body, and if possible, try to change jobs and put physical health in the first place. The work unit should do a good job in employee health management, arrange working hours in accordance with scientific laws, and arrange classes scientifically. Patients with sleep disorders, neurasthenia, chronic diseases, and psychological disorders cannot work night shifts. Workers who regularly work the night shift go to the hospital at least every 6 months for a comprehensive examination, focusing on vision bone density, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular levels, and hormone levels.
Family doctor online special article, unauthorized reproduction