How To Prevent The 5 Most Common Men’s Health Concerns
Unfortunately for men, women tend to have a longer life expectancy. But many of the leading causes of deaths among men can often be prevented!
Taking care of your body requires continual healthy lifestyle choices and routine doctors visits. Similar to the check engine light in your car, listening to your body’s warning signs can detect illnesses at an early stage and stop it at the source.
Here is what you need to know about the 5 most common men’s health issues so you can live a longer, healthier life!
Heart Disease & Complications
Heart Disease Heart disease has been and continues to be the number one killer in the United States, especially among men. It’s important to learn about heart disease and the symptoms so you can protect your most vital organ.
Common Symptoms & Signs:
The most common heart disease is Coronary Artery Disease (CAD). This occurs when plaque beings to buildup and narrow your coronary artery, making it more difficult for your heart to circulate oxygenated blood throughout the body.
In the beginning, symptoms like trouble catching your breath or discomfort in your chest may seem like mere annoyances but these can eventually lead to bigger issues such as a stroke or heart attack.
Heart Attack. Occurs when heart conditions have reached the point where blood stops flowing to the muscle of the heart.
Symptoms in Men: chest discomfort that includes squeezing, pressure, or pain in your arms, chest, back, neck, abdomen, or jaw.
Stroke. A sudden disabling attack or loss of consciousness caused by an interruption of blood flow to the brain. A stroke is 1.25 more likely to occur in men than women.
Symptoms in Men: To detect a stroke, use the acronym FAST: face drooping, arm weakness, speech issues, time to call 911.
How to Treat or Prevent Heart Disease
There are several risk factors that contribute to heart disease such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, age, smoking, diabetes, and family history. While we cannot control our age or ancestral tree, we can control how we treat our bodies to minimize some of these risks:
Swollen Prostate and Prostate Cancer
Swollen Prostate: Frequent urination can be a very common and frustrating problem for men. The most common reasons for these issues are due to an inflamed prostate, also known as Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH).
Common Symptoms & Signs:
When men reach a certain age (typically around 30 or older), changes in their hormonal balance can enlarge the prostate gland and compress the urethra causing symptoms like:
How to Treat or Prevent BPH:
While the treatment depends on the severity of the symptoms, medications and supplements will typically reduces the effects of BPH. But sometimes surgery may be necessary.
Prostrate Cancer: Maintaining your prostate health is also important because it can reduce your chances of being diagnosed with prostate cancer, which is one of the most common cancers found in male adults.
Common Symptoms & Signs:
Since there are rarely any symptoms of prostate cancer in the early stages, it’s important to check with your doctor to see if you need a prostate cancer screening.
How to Treat or Prevent Prostate Cancer:
The good news is prostate cancer is often treatable. A routine screening includes a simple blood test and rectal examination, which is generally recommended at age 50.
Depression and Suicide
Because men tend to view being depressed as being weak or vulnerable, this serious mental disease often goes undiagnosed until it becomes a life or death matter. But the fact is that more than 6 million men suffer from clinical depression each year.
Common Symptoms & Signs:
Instead of feeling sad or crying, men often display different signs of depression than women. Men are also four times more likely to commit suicide so it’s important to recognize these symptoms before it gets more serious:
How to Treat Depression and Prevent Suicide:
If you or your loved ones experience any of the symptoms above, talk to your doctor or counselor about a treatment plan. And if you’re contemplating suicide, call for emergency medical help or the Suicide Prevention Hotline (1-800-273-8255) immediately.
Diabetes & Weight Management
Type 2 diabetes affects nearly 26 million adults, making it truly an epidemic in the United States. This can lead to heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, vision loss, and loss of limb.
If you are diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes or have prediabetes (the precursor to Type 2), it’s important that you take this seriously.
Common Symptoms & Signs:
The symptoms from diabetes can range from mild to severe but here are the most common:
How to Treat or Prevent Diabetes
If you are overweight, you can be severely at risk for developing Type 2 diabetes. Studies prove that eating a healthier diet and increasing your activity level can restore your blood sugar to normal.
And keeping your waistline slim not only keeps health issues like Type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol at bay, but also boosts your self-confidence and mental health.
There’s no one-size-fit-all treatment for diabetes so some people may need medication or insulin to manage their glucose levels. Speak with your doctor or endocrinologists to find what works best for you.
Lung Cancer
Are you one out of every five men that smoke? If you answered yes, then you should know that lung cancer is responsible for more deaths than prostate, colon, and breast cancer combined!
Common Symptoms & Signs:
Similar to prostate cancer, you may not experience symptoms until the disease has spread to other parts of the body. But if you do smoke and have a persistent cough, pain in the chest, swollen neck, or wheezing, consult your doctor for a screening.
How to Treat or Prevent Lung Cancer:
While it’s the deadliest type of cancer among all others, it’s also one of the easiest to prevent. Smoking tobacco is responsible for 90% of lung cancer cases and your odds of being diagnosed significantly drop as soon as you kick the habit.
Now that’s easier said than done. But there are many treatments out there that can help you prevent any more damage to your lungs:
The Bottom Line
Now that you understand the most common health concerns for men and the risks, now is the time for action. Stop avoiding the doctor and treat your body right!
For More reading you can check out some of these articles: