5 Conditions that Affect Men
In last week’s blog we talked about how important it is to have a father figure in your life and how dad’s presence aids in a child’s development. Last week’s blog was all about giving fathers the recognition and credit that they so deeply deserve. In this week’s blog, we are going to talk about how to take care of dad and how to ensure that his health is taken care of. Because let’s face it, dads all over the world put their family before themselves and often neglect their own health. So within this blog, we will talk about the top 5 killers that affect men more often than women. This is important to know because we need to take care of those who take care of us and with this knowledge, we can do just that.
Here are the top 5 killers from the CDC for 2021 that affect men more commonly than women.
- Abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA): An abdominal aortic aneurysm occurs when there is an enlarged part of the aorta, the body’s major blood vessel. If this aneurysm were to burst, it could cause life-threatening bleeding. The causes of such a condition can vary; high blood pressure, hardening of the arteries, and/or trauma. All of these causes are commonly found in men. Some men have a long day at work, depending on their career it may even be dangerous. A slight trauma to the body can cause an undiagnosed aneurysm to burst. Also, most men are known to have high blood pressure due to diet, stress, smoking, and more negative lifestyle habits. In order to prevent AAA from developing you should avoid smoking or using any tobacco products, eat a clean diet, manage your blood pressure, and overall just develop a healthy lifestyle.
- Gout: Gout is a condition that is considered a more common and complex form of arthritis that can affect a person. It is characterized as to be felt like a sudden jolt of pain, swelling, and or redness in the joints. Gout can be caused by a poor diet, excessive alcohol consumption, and drinks that are high in sugar. All of these foods and beverages are high in purines which trigger urate acid to form in an effort to break down the purines. When an excess amount of urate acid forms in the body, gout follows. In order to prevent gout from forming, avoid consuming products that are high in purines.’
- Parkinson’s disease: Parkinson’s disease is a progressive nervous system disorder that ends up affecting an individual’s movement. The early stage of Parkinson’s starts off with tremors and developing little to no expression in the face. This disease will progress as time goes on and unfortunately it can not be cured. However, there are ways to help your symptoms and to maybe even reduce your risk. The main causes of Parkinson’s are genetics and other environmental factors, such as being exposed to certain toxins for a prolonged period of time. Due to the unknown cause of Parkinson’s, there is no proven way to completely prevent the disease, however, being aware of your lifestyle choices is a place to start.
- Skin cancer: Skin cancer occurs when there is an abnormal growth of skin cells. There are many things that cause skin cancer, but mainly it has to do with sun exposure. Signs of skin cancer can be speckled dark spots on the skin, a mold changing in color or size, and more. The most common way to prevent skin cancer is to avoid prolonged periods of time in the sun, to cover up skin that is exposed to the sun, and/or to be sure to apply sunscreen daily and regularly.
- Lung cancer: Lung cancer is a type of cancer that occurs in the lungs, once again when there is an abnormal growth of cells. The main cause of lung cancer is smoking, which unfortunately is an unhealthy habit that many people have today. Some symptoms of lung cancer can be: developing a cough that won’t go away, shortness of breath, chest pain, coughing up blood, losing weight without trying to, and more. The best way to prevent lung cancer from developing is to not smoke or stop smoking, avoid secondhand smoke, be aware of the things that you inhale, and to also develop a healthy lifestyle that includes eating clean and avoiding toxins.
While all of these conditions can affect women, they more often than not impact men. That being said take this blog as an educational tool to take care of the men in your life. Ensure that they are being taken care of and that their health is in check. Have them follow the precautions for each condition and make sure they are staying in touch with their doctors regularly. This can help create the motivation needed to stay healthy, as well as stay on top of any possible preconditions that may be developing.
