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June is Men’s Health Month

There are 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 after 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. The sad fact is that most Americans eat high fat diets and do not exercise much, if at all. 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. Taking medication and 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 can be scary. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer, excluding skin cancers, in American men. 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.

Some prostate cancer symptoms:

• Increase in urination frequency, especially at night
• Difficulty in starting urination, with painful or burning sensation
• Painful emission
• Blood in urine
• 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.