Beware! – Threats to male health

Male health issue is a great matter of concern nowadays. Life is to enjoy. For that, a good physique is an essential requirement. It’s mandatory for a person to devote some time towards his health care. Although the life-expectancy gap between men and women has decreased, men health issues are really disquieting. It’s obvious that men are more exposed to disease causing environments, alcohols, drugs and various pollutants. Also they are more affected by the work stress. It is more likely for men to ignore small diseases or its symptoms than women. Many diseases like prostate cancer and low testosterone affect only men. Even some health risks like colon cancer, heart diseases, diabetes mellitus etc are more prevalent in men than in women. All these can be prevented and treated with early diagnosis. The major causes of death among young men are accidents, AIDS, cancer, heart disease, pneumonia, influenza, cirrhosis of the liver, congenital abnormalities etc.

Here are some staggering facts and figures. About 8.7 million adult men of age 20 years or more in the US have diabetes. Yet one-third   of them do not know it. Cigarette smoking is increasing among youth of 12-15 years old. 16% of the heavy drinkers were under the age of 21.Sexually transmitted diseases are more in men and quarter of those affected are teenagers. Use of drugs among men is also increasing. Men over 45 are at a higher risk of developing high cholesterol. About 5 thousand United states men experience Low testosterone  problems. But only 5% of them go for treatment. One in six men in the U.S develops prostate cancer in his lifetime. Also men have low bone mass, putting them at higher risk for development of osteoporosis later in his life. Below are a few common male diseases.

Prostate problems.

BPH or benign prostatic hypertrophy or enlarged prostate is a common disease found in men as part of the normal ageing process. A person suffering from this disease finds difficulty in emptying the bladder because the urethra (a tube that passes through the prostate and drains the bladder) is being compressed by prostatic tissue. The bladder weakens making urination more difficult. Signs of BPH include bladder regularity, urinary urgency, urinary hesitancy, urinary straining etc. The treatment of BPH includes medication, surgery etc, which depends upon the man and the severity of the symptoms.

Prostate melanoma is a form of melanoma that produces in the prostate,  a gland in the male reproductive system. Many factors, including genes and diet program, have been suggested as a factor in the development  of prostate cancer. The presence of prostate cancer may be indicated by signs, actual physical evaluation, prostate-specific  antigen (PSA), or biopsy. The symptoms of prostate cancer are similar to that of BPH. Treatment options for prostate cancer with intent to cure are primarily surgery, radiation treatment, stereotactic stereo surgery, and proton treatment.

Low testosterone issues

Low levels of testosterone, which is the most important male sex hormone, can affect a man’s sex drive, physical features and mood. It can be treated with hormone replacement therapy. Ageing, damage to the cells of testes and diseases of certain glands that contol and produce testosterone are the main causes of low production of testosterone. Decreased sex drive, no or poor erections of the penis, lowered sperm count, loss of body hair and muscle mass etc are the symptoms of this disease. Proper diagnosis is required because this condition can be caused by serious diseases affecting pituitary gland, hypothalamus etc. Hormone replacement therapy is the common treatment advises for this disease.

• A few tips for Prevention of male diseases
• Reduce drinking and smoking
• Have a healthy diet with vegetables, fruits, whole grains, high-fibre  food etc
• Keep cholesterol, blood pressure, sugar level etc in control.
• Include regular exercise in your daily routine.
• Manage a healthy weight.
• Try to manage stress and control it.

It’s disheartening to know that mans immunity power is decreasing now. The reason can be attributed to the pollution and the chemicals in food due to the application of fertilisers and preservatives. Human beings are always prone to infectious diseases. So it’s high time that men should pay more attention towards health care.

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