It is well known that men are much less likely than women to seek basic
or routine preventative medical care. However, there are certain
common men's health problems that are treatable if caught early enough, but
can be permanently debilitating or even fatal if they are not detected
until symptoms make themselves known. Common issues of this type
include heart disease, prostate problems, and hypertension. These are all
potentially silent killers that can be prevented or treated if detected
early enough.
Heart disease is the most common killer of both men and women in
America. In the U.S., an estimated 61.8 million people live with
cardiovascular disease. The sad fact is that most Americans eat high fat
diets and do not exercise much if at all. This leads to high cholesterol levels
that can block the crucial cardiac arteries causing heart muscle failure or can
lead to blood clots elsewhere in the body that can progress to the
heart and cause a heart attack. Fortunately, if heart disease is detected
before major damage to the heart muscle has occurred then treatments
are available. Lifestyle changes are the first line of defense in prevention and
treatment of cardiovascular disease. Medical interventions range from drugs to surgery. Taking medication and by following a physician approved program of diet and exercise means that men can live a long and full life, even with heart disease.
The statistics on prostate cancer are grim. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer, excluding skin cancers, in American men. The American Cancer Society (ACS) estimates that during 2006 about 234,460 new cases of prostate cancer will be diagnosed in the United States.It is estimated that eighty percent of men who reach the age of eighty will be diagnosed with prostate cancer. As Americans continue to live longer lives, the overall impact of prostate cancer is becoming more prevalent. Fortunately, prostate cancer is easily treated if it is detected early in the disease's
progression. For this reason, it is very important that men over the
age of forty receive annual prostate examinations. Typically, the
progression of prostate cancer is quite slow, and many people can live with
the disease for years without experiencing any symptoms.
Some of prostate cancer Symptoms:
Increase in urination frequence, specially at night.
Difficulty in starting urination with painful or burning sensation
Painful ejaculation
Blood in urine or semen
Pain or stiffness in the back, hips, or upper thighs
Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is often called "the silent
killer" because it is usually asymptomatic until a heart attack or stroke
occurs. For this reason, everyone should receive regular blood pressure
screenings regardless of age or sex. If caught early enough,
hypertension can be treated via medication and/or by change in lifestyle. |
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