Men share a dubious distinction. When it comes to the leading causes of death they easily outdistance women. Which may account for why women generally outlive them. Even though these health threats are well known and quite often preventable men tend take their health for granted. And pay for such neglect later when the threats become deadly serious.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. Not when just a bit of care the major health threats can be minimized. To help with that here’s a quick overview of six major health threats men need to be better aware of.
The list starts with heart disease. It is linked to nearly 28% of all premature deaths. This is a result of high blood pressure, obesity and diets that are laden with too much fatty food. Result? Fat deposits build up in your arteries and cuts the blood supply to the heart. The outcome can be fatal. To avoid this do what you can do get in 30 minute of exercise everyday. That’s all it takes along with modifying your diet to insure you are eating enough fiber, fruits and vegetables. Watching your blood pressure and cholesterol is another good idea.
Smoking, poor diet, and obesity are contributing factors in cancer another avoidable cause of death in men. Prostate, colon and lung cancer kill at alarming rates. Regular health screenings can detect early stages of colon or prostate cancer when they are most treatable. While quitting smoking can go a long ways towards preventing lung cancer.
Prostate cancer in particular is a problem for men. Second only to skin cancer in frequency it can strike at any age. One in six will be diagnosed with it. Yet given it is slow growing men rarely die from it. Again annual screenings, think PSA tests and digital rectal exams (DRE), are your best line of defense.
A rupture of a blood vessel in the brain due to a bloackage results in a stroke. And it’s said that heart disease and stroke are a lot like two sides of the same coin in that the causes and preventive measures are more or less the same for both. Monitor your blood pressure, don’t smoke, and eat a proper diet as well as limiting your alcohol intake will take you a long way towards beating the odds of stroke.
Diabetes is a silent killer. It comes about when your body is unable to process sugar normally. The glucose builds up in the blood and slowly poisons you. Taking you on a trip to heart disease; stroke, and kidney failure. Exercise and eating right can reduce the odds of developing type 2 diabetes by more than 50%.
Asthma and bronchitis are the last on this dubious hit list. Smokers are at a much higher risk with these chronic respiratory diseases than non-smokers. Toxins in the workplace can also put you at risk.
Don’t disregard these health threats. They’re not your destiny if you’ll basically watch what you eat, watch your weight and watch how much you exercise. And avoid dumb things like smoking or drinking to excess. Those who do can enjoy better health in the long run.
Featured author Leonard Z Sennish has written many men’s health articles like this one on the symptoms of prostate cancer. Should you need to learn more about the treatment of enlarged prostate, get up to speed on BPH, or discover your options when it comes to prostate surgery the site to visit is ProblemProstate.com.