Top 10 Health Risks For Men

‘Health is Wealth’ is an apt proverb which should be hold on to. It does not matter if you are a man or a woman, young or old, it is very imperative that you focus on your health. Lack of awareness, weak health education, and unhealthy work and personal lifestyles can cause steady deterioration of the well-being of women and men both.

The very common yet highly perilous health risks for men are discussed below:

Heart Diseases: Heart disease comes in many forms. Irrespective of its forms, it can lead to serious, fatal complications if left undetected. Routine checkups can help keep that heart beating. Your risk for cardiovascular disease can be calculated based on several risk factors, including your cholesterol, blood pressure, and smoking habits.

Respiratory Diseases: Many respiratory diseases start with an innocent “smoker’s cough.” Over time, that cough can lead to life-threatening conditions, such as lung cancer and debilitating diseases like emphysema, or COPD. All of these conditions interfere with your ability to breathe. If you have been a chronic smoker for more than 10 years, a low-dose CT scan maybe prudent to screen for lung cancer.

Alcohol Use:  Men face higher rates of alcohol-related deaths and hospitalizations than women do. Alcohol consumption increases the risk for cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, liver, and colon. Alcohol also interferes with testicular function and hormone production. This can result in impotence and infertility. Alcohol induced liver injury can even cause cirrhosis of liver.

Depression and suicide: Men are more likely to fall into depression than women as signs of irritability and fatigue are more common in men.  That said, men are also less probable to acknowledge the signs and seek help.

Unintentional injuries and accidents: Unintentional injury including drowning, traumatic brain injuries and fireworks-related mishaps are more at-risk for men especially adolescents who like risk taking.

Liver disease: Your liver helps you digest food and absorb nutrients while also riding your body of toxic substances. Liver disease includes conditions such as cirrhosis, viral hepatitis, autoimmune or genetic liver diseases, bile duct cancer, liver cancer and alcoholic liver disease.

Diabetes: It can lead to nerve and kidney damage, heart disease and stroke, and even vision problems or blindness. Men with diabetes face a risk of poorer testosterone levels and sexual impotence. This can lead to increased depression or anxiety. The best way to control your diabetes is to eat healthy, exercise and regular sugar monitoring.

Influenza and pneumonia: Influenza and pneumonia are two leading health risks for men. Men who have compromised immune systems due to COPD, diabetes, congestive heart failure, sickle cell anemia, AIDS, or cancer are more susceptible to these illnesses.

Skin cancer:  You can help protect against skin cancer by wearing long sleeves and pants, hats with wide brims, sunglasses, and sunscreen when outdoors. The risk of skin cancer can further be lowered by avoiding exposure to UV light sources, such as tanning beds or sunlamps.

Prostate Cancer: Prostate cancer is the most common cancer found in men and the second leading type of cancer death in men, after lung cancer. Some risk factors include increasing age, nationality and high-fat diet.

It is imperative that you focus on your health as much as you focus on your personal, social and work life on the grounds that poor health not only affects you but also people around you.