As a man in his 40s, you should be aware of the health problems you might be suffering from.
Men’s health is specifically important as it includes a variety of gender-specific issues, like testosterone production, sexual health and increased likelihood of engaging in risky behavior. When it comes to their health, men tend to avoid visiting doctors or going to the hospital, however, they usually suffer from diseases that can be prevented. It is a fact that men do not make their health a priority in their lives and thus, become a target of many diseases, which can be fatal as well.
While visiting the doctor for regular medical checkups is a must, men tend to shy away from it, even in their 40s, and then become the target of many illnesses as they do not get treated at an early stage. Apart from that, men tend to indulge in smoking and drinking alcohol more than required, which then leads to chronic diseases.
Keeping this in mind, we have listed down some of the health problems that men over 40 go through. Have a look below:
Heart Disease
The reason for 25% of all male deaths in the US is heart disease every year. The scariest part of heart disease is that it lacks symptoms before sudden death due to it. About one half of all men who die suddenly from heart disease never experience the symptoms. However, the risk factors for heart disease include high blood pressure, high cholesterol and smoking. Around 51% of American men possess at least one of those risk factors. Apart from that, the other factors leading to heart disease can be diabetes, obesity, poor diet, physical inactivity and excessive alcohol intake.
According to Dr Raman Tanwar, Urologist and Andrologist at Jyoti Hospital, “Exercise has been referred to as a ‘polypill’ due to its numerous beneficial effects on cardiovascular risk factors and cardiovascular system physiology. Exercise improves angina through enhanced oxygen delivery to the myocardium, and increasing exercise capacity is an independent predictor of increased survival among men.”
Cancer
The most common types of cancer that affect men are skin, prostate, lung and colorectal cancer. While lung cancer is known to cause the most deaths in men than any other cancer, prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer that affects men. Cigarette smoking is almost always the cause of lung cancer, so avoiding or quitting smoking can help in preventing this type of cancer. While prostate cancer is quite common in men, many men do not die from it as it grows very slowly. Testicular cancer is another major issue among men. It most commonly occurs in men ages 20 to 54.
Depression
Although women too can suffer from depression, men experience depression differently. Men suffering from depression are usually more likely to feel tired and irritable and can lose interest in work, family and hobbies. Along with that, they are usually more likely to find sleeping difficult. Depressed men are also almost four times more likely to die from suicide than women. Many men fail to recognize that they are depressed and do not seek help for depression, often because they are less likely to talk about their feelings and emotions. Depression affects men of all ages and races. A variety of factors contribute to the disorder, including genes, environmental stress and illness. However, men who seek help or treatment can recover from this mental health disorder.
Osteoporosis
Although osteoporosis is more likely to affect women than men, it does not mean that men are immune to this illness. Osteoporosis causes a weakening of the skeleton which makes it easier for the bones to break. Around millions of men in the U.S. suffer from this disease. The most common fractures in osteoporosis occur in the hip, the spine and the wrist. The fractures can cause disabilities in men, and complications from hip fractures are more likely to kill men than women.
Sexual Health
Sexual health refers to a state of well being in which a man can completely participate and enjoy sexual activity. However, a wide variety of factors affect men’s sexual health, including physical, psychological, social and interpersonal factors. Sexually-transmitted diseases, or STDs, can ruin men’s overall health and sexual health. While there are options available to avoid STDs, not every man is willing to go for them. Men can reduce the risk of obtaining an STD by knowing the sexual history of their partner, using latex condoms and receiving vaccinations.
Erectile Dysfunction
Erectile dysfunction, or ED, refers to the inability to produce or maintain an erection for satisfactory sexual activity. Erectile dysfunction becomes more common as men start ageing. Some of the factors that contribute to this disease are stress, depression, low testosterone and clogged arteries. However, it could be due to another medical condition as well. Apart from that, erectile dysfunction might be a warning sign of heart disease or another serious medical issue.
Dr Tanwar says, “Studies show about 1 in 2 men over the age of 50 have some degree of erectile dysfunction (ED). While ED becomes more common as men age, growing old is not the only cause. The Massachusetts Male Aging Study (MMAS) reported an overall prevalence of 52% ED in non-institutionalised men aged 40-70 years in the Boston area; specific prevalence for minimal, moderate, and complete ED was 17.2%, 5.2%, and 9.6%, respectively.”
Conclusion
No matter what their age is, a man’s health is utmost important as he has certain responsibilities to take care of. Whether he is 14 or 40, he should certainly seek treatment if he is going through any medical issue. However, most men tend to hide their medical problems, thinking that it will only worry their families and later have to go through severe and painful treatments when the problem becomes worse.
No matter how small the medical problem feels like, you should always pay the doctor a visit to make sure that it does not get any worse. If the doctor advises you to get tested, certainly go for it to live a healthy life which is disease free.