A Focus on Men’s Health

June marks Men’s Health Month, a time specifically geared towards encouraging men to take control of their health outcomes by staying aware of preventable health problems, while taking initiative to seek medical advice and treatments for injuries and/or disease.

Men’s health is very important, not only for the individual, but for the lives of the family and friends involved. It’s important to take the proper measures, not only this month, but all year long, to ensure that health is a top priority. The first step towards taking care of your health, is knowing what you could be facing.

WedMD published a story on the top health threats facing men. These are oftentimes common and preventable, yet negligence and masked productivity may inevitably lead some men to experience these threats such as:

Cardiovascular disease (The leading threat to men’s health)

• Heart disease and stroke are the first and second leading causes of death for men
• Men’s arteries develop atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries due to plaque buildup) faster than women and this could lead to heart attacks or strokes due to unstable blood clots

Lung Cancer

• Fortunately, as the smoking rate declines, so do the cases of men dying of lung cancer
• However, lung cancer is very aggressive and spreads very quickly, that when diagnosed it’s often at an advanced stage, and less than 50% of men survive a year later

Prostate Cancer

• The leading cancer for men, with 1 of 6 men who will be diagnosed
• Prostates are prone to develop quandaries as men age, making it extremely important to go through the preventative screening test(s)

Depression and Suicide

• Research shows that men with signs of depression are more likely to develop heart disease
• Men are less likely to seek help for depression. While women attempt suicide more often, men are more successful at completing it, which is why it is the eighth leading cause of death among men

Diabetes

• Boys born in 2000 or later have a shocking 1/3 chance of developing diabetes

Erectile Dysfunction

• Although not life threatening, it may still be a sign for other health problems
• ED can be caused by atherosclerosis, which affects blood vessels

 Don’t worry, it’s not all bad news. There are many actions you can take to make sure you live a rich, healthy life every day. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) highlights the top ways to improve male health:

• Get Good Sleep
  • Adults need between 7-9 hours of sleep, but insufficient sleep can result in developing many chronic conditions like diabetes, obesity, and depression
• Say No to Tobacco
  • Quitting smoking and avoiding secondhand smoke not only improves your overall health, but lowers your risks of lung disease, cancer, and other illnesses
• Move More
  • Adults should have around 2.5 hours of moderate-intense activity at least 2x a week, every week.
• Eat Healthy
  • Eating a variety of natural foods and try to avoid or lessen your intake of highly processed foods, sugars, added fats, and/or alcohol
• Tame Stress
  • Stress is very important as it can lead to depression and suicide. Find your best methods to tame stress and reach out to others for support. Avoid drugs and alcohol
• Stay on Top of Your Game
  • Pay attention to your signs and symptoms, keep track of your numbers (blood pressure levels, cholesterol, weight, etc), but most importantly, see your doctor.

The last point may be the most central. Fellas, it’s important to visit your doctor instead of putting it off. Get your routine checkups and any preventative screenings you may need. Certain conditions may not have symptoms so checkups can be very important in determining the outlook of your health. And with the flexibility of your R-Health doctor’s hours, it’s imperative you take advantage, especially on this month.