6 common health concerns that men ignore
With women known to suffer serious health issues these days, men’s health concerns have taken a backseat. However, this year’s International Men’s Day brings the spotlight back on the health of this gender. Among the many health issues plaguing them, here are the six most common ones that men should not ignore.
Chest pain: Most men associate chest pain with a heart attack, but there are several other health conditions that share this symptom. A lung condition such as pneumonia, a pulmonary embolism, or asthma are also associated with constant chest pain. “With increasing stress levels and unhealthy food habits, gastrointestinal health condition such as acid reflux or stomach ulcer are common among men. These conditions cause severe chest pain and should not be ignored,” says Dr. HemantMittal, consultant psychiatrist, counsellor and motivational speaker.
Breathlessness: Falling short of breath is a common complaint among men, and it indicates serious health concerns related to cardiovascular system. It might also indicate lung diseases, such as lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), chronic bronchitis, emphysema, asthma, or pulmonary hypertension. In fact, breathlessness is also sign of anemia, which is common in men these days.
Fatigue: Men experience extreme tiredness and an ongoing lack of energy on a regular basis. In some cases it goes even further to include lack of motivation, negativity and lack of sleep. “Fatigue can also be a symptom of a more serious physical or psychological health condition. Cancer, congestive heart failure, diabetes, arthritis, infections, and kidney or liver disease are a few serious ailments that are linked to fatigue, which should not be ignored. It can also indicate the malfunctioning of the thyroid gland,” says Dr. PravinDehana, general physician.
Depression: Statistics indicate that men are more prone to depression, the reason being men undergo a lot of stress — from a lot of expectations to fulfill for family and society. This leads to restlessness, stress and depression as they are not vocal about their problems. “Depression results from over activity of the brain trying to get neurochemicals (like serotonin, norepinephrine, dopamine) to function from all over the body. The brain then goes to a shutdown mode. While, in depression, the brain stops a lot of activity to preserve these chemicals, which leads to anger and suicidal thoughts,” says Dr. HemantMittal.
Memory loss: It’s not as simple as forgetting where you kept the cheque book or those important papers. Forgetfulness is more common in men than women. “Forgetfulness can be caused by age to some extent. However, it can also indicate several other serious issues like Alzheimer’s disease, brain tumours, brain damage or inflammation, etc. Vitamin deficiencies also cause memory loss, which is not is not a good sign,” adds Dr. Mittal.
Urinary crisis: Just like women, men also undergo genital issues which are largely ignored. Bloody urine or trouble in urinating among men is of serious concern, as it can be due to kidney and liver disorders. Bloody urine can be a symptom for prostate cancer and kidney stone, inflammation of bladder. “If ignored, this can lead to further complications among them. Enlarged prostate or prostate cancer is very common among men, but men tend to ignore the early signs, which aggravate the problem,” says Dr. AnandBiswas, DNB Urology.
What is the theme of international Men’s Day 2014? Celebrated in over 80 countries across the globe, International Men’s Day (Nov 19) honours the contribution men make to the society — as sons, brothers, husbands and fathers. Although the prime focus of the day being celebrated this year includes men’s health, gender equality and highlighting positive male role models.
Source: The Times of India
Published: 19 Nov 2014
Category: Features, Health alert
