Men's Health Issues - Contrary to common belief, men are also prone to several health issues. According to studies, the reason for this is lack of health awareness, unhealthy habits and lifestyle, food consumption, little to no knowledge about health, and financial constraints/fear.
What Are Men's Health Issues?
Genetics can also be a factor when identifying health issues in a person. For example, men are more likely to have balding, color blindness, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, hemophilia, and Hunter syndrome. Researchers have found out that the X chromosome is responsible for most diseases found mostly in males. They hypothesized that mosaicism is the probable cause of genetic diseases. Simply put, mosaicism explains how males are more prone to such genetic diseases. Since males only have one X chromosome, their chances of having a genetic disease are like an on and off switch. On the other hand, females have more diverse genetic traits because of their XX chromosomes. This makes them less prone to X chromosome-related diseases.
With this in mind, let us take a look at several health issues commonly found in males.
Heart disease
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found that one in four men has some form of heart disease. This means that at least 25% of males in America experience some sort of heart ailment. The probable reason for this is due to genetics, lifestyle, and toxic habits. In addition to this, the lack of awareness and knowledge in health also adds to the high occurrence of these illnesses in males. Some of the most common types of heart diseases in men are high blood pressure, cardiomyopathy, aortic aneurysm, and coronary artery disease,
If you are someone who likes to eat pork belly, steak, burger, fries, and other fatty foods, then your risk of getting heart disease is higher than that of someone who eats foods that have less cholesterol.
Living a sedentary lifestyle also increases your risk of heart diseases. Remember, the heart is also a muscle. It needs proper exercise and stimulation. Doing cardiorespiratory exercises like jogging and swimming will help improve your heart. Furthermore, being overweight and lacking sleep also increases your risk for heart diseases because they add additional stress to your heart.
Prostate Cancer
According to health organizations and research, prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers in men. The prostate is located in between the penis and bladder. Prostate cancer occurs when cancerous cells develop in the prostate area.
Doctors and researchers do not know much about prostate cancer. However, if doctors discover it early, they can treat prostate cancer. If discovered late, the cancer cells in the prostate can spread to other parts of the body and become fatal. Some of the curing methods that doctors suggest to prostate cancer patients are prostatectomy (removal of prostate glands), radiation therapy, chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, high intensity focused ultrasound, and cryotherapy.
If ever prostate cancer reaches the point where it is no longer curable, doctors would often administer and recommend medicine such as painkillers that help improve the patient’s quality of life.
Additional Reading: Prostate Cancer Symptoms and Signs
Diabetes
Diabetes can transfer through genetics. However, indolence and a sedentary lifestyle are also factors that contribute to the risk of this disease developing. Diabetes refers to when your blood sugar is either too high or too low. When it is too low, it is called hypoglycemia. When it is too high, it is known as hyperglycemia.
Both cases of diabetes can significantly affect your health, lifestyle, and body. There are several types of diabetes, but what you should pay attention to is type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is when your body is resistant to insulin - the compound that is responsible for breaking sugar down. You are more likely to be at risk for type 2 diabetes if you are:
- 45 or older
- Have relatives with the same condition
- Overweight
- Living a sedentary lifestyle
- Indolent
- African American, Hispanic or Latino American, Native Alaskan, Pacific Islander, American Indian, or Asian American (ancestry also counts)
Signs of Type 2 Diabetes
The common signs of type 2 diabetes are increased hunger, increased thirst, tiredness, cloudy urine, and slow wound regeneration. The best way to know if you have diabetes is to check your glucose levels. High levels of glucose in the blood may indicate that you have this illness. If you are feeling any of these symptoms, seek your doctor immediately.
As you might observe, an unhealthy lifestyle can lead to complications in your health. Furthermore, genetics also plays a part in these health issues. Exercising and observing a healthy diet are good ways to prevent and remediate common men's health issues.
If any of your family members have conditions that can be genetically transferred, then you can have your genetics checked by a doctor. By doing so, you’ll be able to take measures to prevent these common men's health issues from affecting your lifestyle and body.
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