5 Conditions Men Should Know as They Age
There are many differences between men’s and women’s bodies. These differences can make men and women susceptible to different diseases. June is Men’s Health Month. It’s the perfect time to learn about the various conditions that affect men as they age and how to prevent them.
Cardiovascular Disease
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), heart disease, or cardiovascular disease, is the leading cause of death for men in the United States, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Heart disease refers to a group of conditions affecting the heart. The most common heart disease is coronary artery disease, caused by plaque buildup on the artery walls. Additional types of heart disease include heart attack and heart failure.
According to the CDC, the leading cause of heart disease in men is hypertension, which nearly 47 percent of men have. Other risk factors include diabetes, obesity, physical inactivity, and excessive alcohol use. To reduce your chances of developing heart disease, you want to keep your blood pressure low, maintain a healthy weight, eat a balanced diet, and stay active. You also want to eliminate smoking and excessive drinking.
Lung Cancer
According to the American Cancer Society, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in men. Lung cancer starts in the lungs but can spread to other parts of the body if not treated. In the early stages of lung cancer, there typically aren’t symptoms. However, as the disease progresses, it can cause a persistent cough that won’t go away, a bloody cough, chest pain, hoarseness, headache, and unexplained weight loss.
There are two types of lung cancer: small cell lung cancer and non-small cell lung cancer. Small cell lung cancer is the most common and almost always comes as a result of smoking. When a person smokes, it damages the cells lining the lungs. With continually smoking, the damaged cells act abnormally and eventually cause cancer.
Your best chance to reduce the risk of lung cancer is to stop smoking. However, smoking is an addictive habit, so if you’re struggling to quit, talk to your doctor about treatment options.
Prostate Cancer
Prostate cancer is one of the most common types of cancer in men behind lung cancer. Prostate cancer begins in the prostate, which is a small walnut-sized gland. It’s slow-growing cancer, but if caught early, it is treatable. The early stages of prostate cancer may not produce any symptoms. However, as the disease progresses, you may experience trouble urinating, blood in the urine, unexplained weight loss, or erectile dysfunction.
Doctors are unsure what causes prostate cancer, but it’s most common in men after 50. Other risk factors include obesity and a family history of prostate cancer. Even though it’s unclear what causes the condition, there are steps you can take to reduce your chances of developing the disease. For example, you can maintain a healthy diet, keep a healthy weight, and exercise regularly. You should also talk to your doctor about your risk for prostate cancer to see if preventative medications could be proper for you.
Erectile Dysfunction
Erectile dysfunction is when a man is unable to keep a firm erection. Sexual arousal in males involves a complex process between the brain, nerves, emotions, muscles, blood vessels, and hormones. And an inability to keep an erection means there’s a disconnect in one of these areas.
Erectile dysfunction alone isn’t a life-threatening disease and often resolves on its own. However, if it’s an ongoing issue, it could be a symptom of an underlying condition, especially in older men. Some common causes of erectile dysfunction include heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, and multiple sclerosis. Additional causes include tobacco use and alcohol consumption.
If you’re having an ongoing problem with erectile dysfunction, don’t be embarrassed to speak with your doctor, especially if you’ve been diagnosed with a condition such as heart disease or diabetes. Bringing it up with your doctor early on can help them monitor your health to ensure no underlying concerns are causing the dysfunction.
Diabetes
Diabetes is a condition where your blood sugar levels are too high. There are two types of diabetes: Type 1 and Type 2. Type 1 diabetes tends to develop in childhood or adolescence, while Type 2 diabetes is more common and develops in adults after 40. However, both types tend to produce the same symptoms, including increased thirst, frequent urination, extreme hunger, fatigue, irritability, blurred vision, recurring infections, and unexplained weight loss.
There are a lot of risk factors that can contribute to the development of Type 2 diabetes. It’s more likely to develop in overweight and high blood pressure, abnormal cholesterol levels, abnormal triglyceride levels, and a family history of diabetes. If left untreated, diabetes can increase your risk of cardiovascular disease, nerve damage, kidney damage, depression, Alzheimer’s disease, and eye damage.
If you or a loved one is living with one of these conditions and needs assistance at home, the team at Visiting Angels Cullman, Alabama can help. Our caregivers provide personal grooming, meal preparation, transportation, medication reminders, and more. Our Cullman office serves those in Cullman, Etowah, Walker, Marshall, and Blount counties. To learn more about our services, you can give us a call at 256.734.6600.