Going to work each day should not be worrisome. You shouldn’t have to think about possibly developing a disease that could disable you. But, some professions are like this. There are some inherently dangerous professions out there that can cause many workers to become sick and disabled. Some of those include mining, firefighting and construction. So, how are occupational disease diagnosed?
There are times when it can be difficult for doctors to pinpoint and diagnose an occupational disease. This can lead to unnecessary tests and inappropriate referrals to doctors in other specialties. When this happens, the opportunity to protect the patient is missed by his or her medical team.
For the reasons mentioned above, doctors will ask a set of questions to patients to rule out or to help diagnose occupational disease in New Orleans. Those questions include the following:
- Have you ever been exposed to, or are currently exposed to, any of the following: dust, fumes, loud noises, radiation, asbestos or chemicals?
- In your opinion, do you believe your health issues could be related to the work you perform?
- What type of job do you perform?
- When you are at work, how are your symptoms? Are they worse or better when on the job?
When the answers to these questions raise the suspicions of doctors, the medical team will be responsible for compiling a complete history of the patient’s occupational health.
If you believe you are suffering from an occupational disease or illness, an experienced attorney can help. You will want to be medically evaluated and discuss with your attorney how you can receive compensation for missed time at work in Louisiana.
Source: Department of Health, “Diagnosis of Occupational Diseases,” accessed Jan. 10, 2018