Difficulties actually getting an appointment aside, how likely are you to see a GP when something’s wrong? Are you proactive, or do you just sort of hope the problem goes away?
Whether it’s laziness, embarrassment, or just a lack of self-care, it’s a known thing that men are much likely than women to see a GP when there’s something up. That’s all very well and good when it’s something minor, but what if it’s something big? Burying your head in the sand is not the way to go with your health.
We’re not saying you should ring up your GP surgery whenever you’ve got a sniffle, but there are some things everyone should be aware of.
1. Heart disease
Heart disease comes in multiple forms, encompassing conditions that affect the heart muscle, valves, or rhythm, or anything that blocks of narrows blood vessels. The result of this can be a heart attack, angina (pain), or certain types of stroke. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men over 50.
Warning signs to watch out for:
- Discomfort, pain, or heaviness in the chest
- Palpitations, a fluttering or fast, noticeable heartbeat
- Breathlessness
- Feeling lightheaded or dizzy
How to lower your risk
Typically, heart disease is caused by smoking, obesity, high blood pressure, or raised cholesterol.
If you smoke, you should quit. Easier said than done, perhaps, but find your local stop smoking service or see your GP for help kicking the habit.
If you’re not sure what’s going on with your blood pressure and cholesterol, see your GP for a check-up, or check at your local pharmacy to see what services they offer. Try and eat a balanced diet that’s rich in fibre and low in saturated fats, and make regular exercise a part of your life.
2. Depression and suicide
Depression is a disabling mental health condition that causes low mood, but can also lead to fatigue, feelings of despair and hopelessness, and a low sex drive. Serious cases of depression can make you feel like the world would be better off without you in it (which is never true – it’s just the depression talking). Suicide is a leading cause of death for men aged 20-34, which is a devastating and scary statistic.
Both depression and suicidal thoughts can be helped with talking therapies and medication. There are many different ways to treat depression, so don’t be too proud to ask for help. See your GP and they’ll be able to point you in the right direction.
Warning signs to watch out for:
- A persistent low mood, feeling sad, empty, irritable, on edge, or quick to anger.
- Problems with sexual function
- Loss of interest in everyday activities
- Withdrawal from friends, family, work
- Inability to cope at work/home
How to lower your risk
Depression is extremely common, with the Office for National Statistics finding that as many as 1 in 5 of us suffer from depression at some point during the year.
There’s no real way to prevent depression, but you can help to lower your risk slightly. It’s thought that eating a balanced diet, reducing alcohol consumption, and cutting down on sugary and fatty foods may help by keeping blood sugar levels steady, thus avoiding peaks and dips of energy which can affect your mood.
Exercising, too, can help, as it produces feel-good hormones called endorphins. These can lift your mood and make you feel more positive. Often the thought of exercising is off-putting when you’re feeling low, so it’s hard to push through and do it, but there are so many benefits of doing so. Give yourself permission to just do 5 or 10 minutes – something is better than nothing.
As part of our commitment to wellbeing, we’re collaborating with JAAQ, a mental health platform providing guidance and resources.
3. Lung disease
There are many types of lung disease, which all cause issues with your breathing in various ways. Examples include chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), pneumonia, and lung cancer. Respiratory disease is the third biggest cause of death in England behind cancer and cardiovascular disease.
Warning signs to watch out for:
- A lingering cough that lasts longer than 3 weeks
- Coughing up blood
- Breathlessness
- Feeling like you can’t catch your breath
- Wheezing
- Chest pain
How to lower your risk
Stop smoking. Yes, this is something we’ve already covered, but it can’t be stressed enough that smoking is the worst thing you can do for your health. Giving up is hard, yes, but it is doable, and your body (and wallet!) will thank you. Even if you’ve been smoking for decades, it’s still worth quitting.
Try to limit your exposure to things like second hand smoke (that’s when someone’s smoking around you), dust, fumes, and environmental smoke from burning wood and charcoal. Try to limit exercising in areas where car exhaust pollution is high too.
If you’re regularly drinking more than the NHS recommended guidelines of 14 units per week, you’re putting yourself right in the crosshairs of a variety of serious health problems, like high blood pressure, stroke, alcohol-related liver disease, digestive issues, and certain cancers.
Warning signs of alcohol dependency to watch out for:
- Finding it difficult to control your drinking
- Not being able to stop drinking once you start
- Drinking alone or in secrecy
- Drinking an increasing amount of alcohol
- Craving alcohol, or having withdrawal effects (tremor, insomnia, agitation, nausea, loss of appetite)
- Experiencing temporary blackouts or short-term memory loss
Warning signs of alcohol-related liver problems to watch out for:
- Nausea
- Loss of appetite
- Yellowing of the skin and whites of eyes (jaundice)
- Ankle and stomach swelling
- Confusion
- Vomiting blood or blood in your stool
How to lower your risk
It might sound obvious, but if you’re a heavy drinker, you should cut down. Stick to the guidelines of no more than 14 units per week, and have several alcohol-free days per week.
If you struggle with your alcohol consumption, reach out to your GP. Be honest about how much you drink and how it affects you. If you’ve built up a dependence on alcohol, going cold turkey can be dangerous, so don’t be tempted to just stop. See your GP, who will be able to signpost you to the relevant services that’ll help you stop drinking safely.
5. Type 2 diabetes
Diabetes is a condition where the body either doesn’t produce enough insulin, or can’t use it properly. There are two main types of diabetes: type 1, which is a lifelong condition not linked to your lifestyle, and type 2, which is linked to your lifestyle: namely, being overweight.
Warning signs to watch out for:
- Frequent urination
- Fatigue and irritability
- Blurred vision
- Slow-healing wounds
How to lower your risk
Know your risk level. Diabetes UK have a Know Your Risk calculator which can tell you if you’re at risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Find it here. Things that increase your risk score include being overweight, having a parent or sibling with type 2 diabetes, and being of certain ethnicities.
You can massively reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes and improve your diabetes if you have it by eating a balanced diet and doing regular exercise.
6. Testicular and prostate cancer
When was the last time you had a good old feel of your balls to check for any weird lumps or bumps?
Testicular and prostate cancer are two things that should be on your radar. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men overall, and testicular cancer is the most common cancer in men aged 15-35.
Warning signs to watch out for in testicular cancer:
- A lump or enlargement in either testicle
- Heaviness or pain in the scrotum
- A dull ache in the groin, lower back, or abdomen
- A sudden collection of fluid in the scrotum
- Unexplained fatigue, sweating, fever, or shortness of breath
Warning signs to watch out for in prostate cancer:
- Frequent urination
- A weak or interrupted urine flow
- An urge to urinate frequently at night
- Blood in your urine
- New erectile dysfunction
How to lower your risk
There are no known risk factors for testicular or prostate cancer. However, eating a balanced diet and exercising regularly (yup, that old chestnut) is never going to be a bad thing.
Be vigilant: make a habit of checking your testicles for anything out of the ordinary, and don’t delay seeking medical help if you do notice anything weird. The same goes for anything to do with your pee: if it’s weird for you, get it checked out ASAP.