How to prevent the biggest risks to Men’s Health
The list of threats to men’s health is shorter than one would expect, and with a little bit of work, one can avoid all of them. The leading cause of death for men in the US is heart disease. Some other diseases that rank highly are stroke, cancer and chronic lower respiratory disease, which is what the CDC (Center for Disease Control) has found over the past years. With just a few simple lifestyle changes, anyone can change their life enough that these will no longer be anywhere near an issue for them.
Lifestyle choices that are key
Making lifestyle choices with your future health in mind is easy, and following even a few of these will have a profound impact:
- Start with a healthy diet. Foods that feature fast and high sodium levels prominently are foods to stay away from and limit, while the vegetable, fruits, lean protein foods like fish, high fiber foods, and whole grains you have been hearing about for years are what you should move toward.
- Stop smoking. This is not an easy step to take, but it is integral to a healthy lifestyle, because even if it is possible to live through smoking, the time and money spent doing it will never be gotten back. Doctors are very happy to help anyone get over this habit. Avoiding exposure to any type of smoking done by colleagues or family is also important, just as much so as staying away from air pollution and airborne chemicals (such as those found in some jobs).
- Drink responsibly. Drinking responsibly with respect to the body is different than with respect to the people around. Men above the age of 65 should stick to one “drink” a day while men below 65 can have two while still maintaining a relatively healthy lifestyle. Many types of cancer (like liver cancer) appear to be linked adversely with the amount of alcohol drank and the length of time a larger amount is drunk for. Blood pressure problems may also result from large and regular doses of alcohol.
- Relax. Stress kills the immune system, and it has been shown in more and more studies that the more stressed a person is over their day to day activities, the more they get sick, besides the fact that they are enjoying life less. Learning to deal with stress healthily is hard, but definitely worth it.
- Go for a walk. Getting moving, even a small amount is much better than not at all, and it has been proven that walking hard can help control weight and may lower the risk of some types of cancer as well as heart disease. That is a big benefit from something that takes such a small investment.
- Achieve and maintain a healthy weight. Lowering the risks of heart disease and many different types of cancer by just keeping some pounds off and maintaining a healthier weight sounds like way too easy of a solution for something as big as death or permanent hospitalization.
Go to the Doctor For Regular Check Ups
Those yearly prostate exams and such are serious business, and nothing makes a man look less like a man than having a serious health problem that could have been prevented if he just kept up with his doctor visits. In all seriousness, going to the doctor is a good thing that can keep a man feeling like a man. Follow the doctor’s instructions and go on with life the better for it.
What are other things we can do?
Among the most common causes for death is motor vehicle accident. Drive with a seat belt on, while not drowsy or under the influence, and following the speed limits to make sure that life is not suddenly out the window. It is never worth a life to get somewhere unsafely.
The saddest common cause of death for men is suicide, and it is the saddest simply because it is the most preventable. No matter how bad the situation, treatment is available, so if it ever is looking attractive, call for emergency help or head to the nearest ER to get help. Having signs of sadness and depression too bad to live through is something that doctors have the answer to.
In Summary
Health is your responsibility, but it does not only impact one person. Keeping your body healthy helps keep many other people happy and safe, and by acting on and understanding the biggest risks to men’s health in general, life can continue with relative ease. The impact of having a healthier lifestyle is immeasurable, and starting with some simple healthy lifestyle choices could just save a life.