Top 7 Threats To Men’s Health Today.

God decided to make men stronger, but not necessarily healthier. Men lead their partners in fatalities for almost all diseases (14 out of 15 in fact) with Alzheimer’s being the only exception. Even their average lifespan is shorter by 5 years than their counterparts.

More than the biological factors, the reason men tend to attract these health woes is more psychological. On an average, men visit their doctor far less than women do. Most men tend to relate their ability to ably perform their responsibilities, to their general health and wellness, leaving them at risk of terminal illness by the time they seek medical help.  So let aside your male chauvinism, listen to subtle changes to your health and seek medical guidance when its needed.

As someone rightly said: “Health isn’t simply the absence of disease”.

Top 7 threats to Men’s Health today:

There are no surprises on this list because they are so common and rampant considering the lifestyle and stress that men (and to an extent women) go through in today’s hectic fast paced lives:

1. Heart disease and Stroke: If there is one threat that every man dreads….and rightly so…is cardiovascular disease. Heart disease and stroke are the first and second leading causes of death worldwide, in both men and women. But the occurrence of death is men is higher (and earlier) as men’s arteries develop atherosclerosis earlier than women’s, partly due to the lower levels of good cholesterol (HDL). So men need to be more careful of their diet and exercise and do more to avoid fatality.
2. Lung Cancer: Tobacco smoke causes 90% of all lung cancers. Even though smoking rates have reduced, but lack of effective screening tests to diagnose lung cancer earlier makes it a lethal disease affecting men. The best preventive and curative recommendation (and a fairly straight forward one) still remains: QUIT Smoking! Check with your medical practitioner on effective ways to help curb, quit and refrain from relapse.
3. Prostate Cancer: Men have no competition from their partners here. Prostate cancer remains the most common cancer affecting men, with skin cancer coming a close second. Many prostate cancers are slow-growing and unlikely to spread, but lack of initial screening tests make the identification of more fatal and aggressive cancers difficult. Aggressive treatment of relatively harmless cancers can cause problems like impotence. Considering the stigma associated, most men do not bring these issues out of the closet, leading to late detection and increased fatalities.
4. Depression and Suicide: Though women look more vulnerable to depression strangely it is the men who top this list. The crux of the problem lies in the way men tend to “bottle up” their pent up frustrations, anxieties and fears. These feelings manifest in various other forms like aggressiveness, drug and alcohol abuse, etc. Men are also less likely to seek help for depression. So though women beat men when it comes to attempts at suicide, men are less likely to chicken out and more adept at sticking to their motive. Suicide is the eighth leading cause of death among all men; for young men it’s higher. Seek expert counseling and help to avoid taking the drastic step.
5. Diabetes: Aptly called the “silent” killer, diabetes doesn’t manifest itself aggressively or suddenly, but more like a parasite eating away without the victim knowing it.  It is more the effect on other vital organs and processes that make it supremely fatal. Heart attacks, strokes, blindness, kidney failure, and amputations are the fallout for thousands of men. A startling statistic: One boy in three, born in this century has a risk of contracting this disease. Obesity and stress are likely feeding the diabetes epidemic. Moderate but continuous exercise, a healthy controlled diet plan and positive outlook to life can help prevent, control and possibly reverse diabetes.
6. Erectile Dysfunction: Though the least fatal when compared to others, what Erectile Dysfunction (ED) does to men is far more psychological than physical. A lack of interest and depression are fallouts of ED. More importantly ED, mostly caused due to arterial blockages (atherosclerosis), is primarily a tell tale sign of ill health in blood vessels throughout the body.  Ensure that you consult an urologist to diagnose and treat early.
7. Alcohol Abuse: Studies have proved that men face higher rates of alcohol-related deaths and hospitalizations than women do. Alcohol consumption increases risk for cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, liver, and colon. Alcohol also interferes with testicular function and hormone production, resulting in impotence and infertility. Keep your intake under limits (if you can’t let go) or best dunk the bottle forever.