Funeral Directing & Talking ALS With Stuart Millheiser

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.

According to an article on TIME, it would seem as though funeral directors are at higher risk of developing ALS. The main reason for this is the exposure that these workers have to formaldehyde, which is a natural chemical compound that has a number of uses. These include - but are not limited to - space heaters and smoke for cigarettes. As one can imagine, this compound is quite frequent in the work of funeral directing, according to Stuart Millheiser.

As told by the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery & Psychiatry, there is something of a connection between the people who have died from ALS, and the exposure seen in regards to formaldehyde. In fact, there was a study in that very journal that utilized a sample of 1.5 million Americans. Of course, these individuals would have different jobs, resulting in varying levels of exposure to this compound. However, the results where shown and they proved to be interesting all the same.

Funeral directors - mostly men who were exposed to high amounts of formaldehyde, were approximately 4.5 times more likely to die from ALS, than those who worked jobs with little to no exposure. Andrea Roberts, who was one of the authors involved in the study mentioned earlier, stated that females usually had different job descriptions compared to men in the field. More often than not, Roberts said, female employees tended to work more with clients, as opposed to becoming involved in embalming, which is where formaldehyde exposure was most prominent. This is more worthwhile information to be highlighted by the likes of Stuart Millheiser.

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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