Unlike women, men show very little or no concern at all about their health. This is maybe one of the reasons why women in general live longer than men. Both face almost similar health concerns but the fact that most men die at an early age proves that they are less conscious about the state of their health. There are a few top health problems that most men face today, and if men tend to keep on ignoring the signs and symptoms and do not connect to a specialist for regular screening, they will continue to have a high risk for the diseases, and worse, death.
Heart disease is perhaps the most common cause of death among men aging thirty and above. According to research, thirty percent of men all over the world have heart conditions. Men who have a family history of heart problems have a higher risk for it, but so do men who do live unhealthy lifestyles. Smoking, drinking, eating foods high in cholesterol, and living a sedentary life– these are the common factors that contribute to heart disease.
To fight heart disease, regular exercise is necessary as well as eating a healthy diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Regular physical activities can help reduce the risk for heart attack and stroke by up to 80 percent, even if your routine simply involves walking in the park for thirty minutes each day. Eating foods that are low in cholesterol, sugar, and salt, is also an excellent way to lower a person’s risk for heart problems.
Another common health condition that men face is lung cancer. Lung cancer is somewhat equivalent to breast cancer for women, and is considered as the deadliest form of cancer among men. Over the past decades, lung cancer has claimed more lives than all the other forms of cancer combined. The largest factor that contributes to lung cancer is tobacco smoking, although it can also be acquired simply by inhaling second-hand smoke or smoke from vehicles.
There are several ways to treat lung cancer nowadays, including chemotherapy and radiation, although you might want to prevent it altogether by quitting smoking, avoiding second-hand smoke, and staying away from polluted areas as much as possible.
The second most common cancer among men is cancer of the prostate glands. No one knows exactly what causes prostate cancer, but with the help of modern technology, symptoms of the disease can be detected earlier with through PSA or Prostate-Specific Antigen Test. PSA is a type of protein produced in the prostate glands. When a high level of PSA in the blood is detected, there’s a possibility that the prostates are affected with a disease including cancer. If detected earlier, there’s a huge chance that the cancer can be treated.
Last on the list is Type II Diabetes. It is the most common form of diabetes, and while millions of men in the United States alone are diagnosed with it, not all realize that they have the condition. Type II Diabetes results when the body fails to produce enough insulin, or if it ignores insulin altogether. This leads to glucose building up in the blood instead of going to the cells. African Americans, Asian Americans, Native Americans, and Latinos have a higher risk for the condition.
A person’s age and family health history also plays a role in the development of Type II Diabetes. Perhaps the best way to avoid acquiring this form of diabetes is to watch your weight and watch what you eat. While there is no food linked to diabetes, maintaining a healthy diet low on sugar should help regulate your body’s insulin level. Monitoring your blood sugar regularly would also help you prevent serious complications.
For men ages forty and up, the diseases mentioned above can sometimes be inevitable. This is especially true for guys who live an unhealthy lifestyle. Smoking, drinking, overeating, and lack of physical activities are the largest factors that contribute to heart disease, lung cancer, prostate cancer, and diabetes. If you can get rid of such practices, you can easily keep any kind of disease at bay. Furthermore, if you make it a habit of visiting your doctor regularly, you’ll have a higher chance of avoiding some of the deadliest diseases known to man.
