Gentlemen, It’s Time to Get Serious About Your Health
Men’s health do matter — relying on your partner to notice your health issues might be too late.
On the 14th — 20th of June the world celebrated Men’s Health Week and all over my social media I was delighted to see several of my male friends — especially the singles ones — share posts relating to men’s physical, mental and emotional health.
This is at the back of reading yet another article, in which a man finds out he has stage 4 of a rare cancer, after his girlfriend forced him to go see a doctor because he had not gone for a medical checkup in years. This is just one of what is a common stereotype about men — a stereotype that is clinically proven to be true as men’s loneliness has been shown to be a risk factor for cancer and other diseases. Here’s the hint to all the single men who read this to go find a partner already.
All kidding aside — I wanted to share this short article to just encourage every man who will read this, and the woman to keep nudging — to be health conscious — mentally and physically.
In the case of the man in the article mentioned, getting a stage 4 diagnosis despite being someone who exercised regularly and ate healthy is the opposite of prevention. That is because in this particular case, he forgot to take into account his family history — his father had died from cancer. Having a family history of a disease is a significant risk factor and a good reason for anyone to get regular checkups. Indeed, where possible and affordable for those with a family history, genetic testing should be conducted to better make informed decisions about managing health care.
So what should men watch out for?
Reduce harmful habits such as drinking which interferes with testicular function and hormone production that can result in impotence and infertility; and smoking which can result in cancer and is associated with mental health problems.
Get regular and restful sleep as men get less sleep than women, are more likely to have sleep apnea and poor sleep in men leads to sexual dysfunction.
Get a regular yearly checkup — most men by age 40 need to get a colonoscopy and prostate exam.
Stop self-medicating when ill and be more observant of changes in their body, moods and attitudes. Also do not over medicate.
Take time for self-care and improve mental health by asking for help and seeing a therapist if needed.
Avoid/reduce stress, eat healthy and exercise regularly.
Use a condom to avoid STIs and if your work involves harmful toxins use protective gear like gloves/PPE
Wear sunscreen and avoid exposure to the sun by wearing hats, sunshades and long clothing.
Avoid unintentional injuries by practicing good posture and observing safety practices.
Gentlemen, over to you!
