Health: Monitor your man’s health!
WE LOVE THE MEN IN OUR LIVES, AND SOMETIMES WE NEED TO GIVE THEM A LITTLE ENCOURAGEMENT TO HELP THEM TAKE GOOD CARE OF THEMSELVES, SAYS DR ELLIE CANNON…
November is Movember, the month where we should all be concentrating on men’s health issues. Typically, men can ignore health concerns and are far less likely to turn up at the doctor’s surgery with a problem. So, it may be up to you to push your other half into seeking help or spotting symptoms that could be a worry…
HEALTHY HEART
Everyone over 40 is entitled to a free health check at their GP’s surgery to look at blood pressure, waist measurement and cholesterol. Heart disease is more common in men, and your man is at risk if he smokes, doesn’t exercise or comes from a family with heart disease. Grab a tape measure and check his waist. It should be less than 94cm (37in) – otherwise he needs to hit the gym!
SCREEN TIME
Don’t let him ignore screening tests! Men over 60 are offered screening for bowel cancer via a self-test kit that comes in the post and must be sent back. All men in their mid-60s are offered abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) screening. This scan measures the large blood vessel (aorta) in the tummy to see if it’s enlarged. Detection allows for treatment of this life-threatening condition.
IT’S GOOD TO TALK
Sadly, three out of four people who commit suicide are men, with as many as one in eight males having experienced a mental health issue. But guys are not always great at admitting how they feel, plus they may see psychological issues – such as depression, anxiety or stress – as a sign of weakness or failure. If you’re worried about your man’s mental health, start a conversation today. Do your best to get him to open up and seek help.
WEIGHT-LOSS WORRIES
Loss of appetite is always significant, along with losing weight without trying. It can be a sign of a physical or mental health issue, as it’s a classic symptom of thyroid problems, cancer and depression. If it’s part of a mental health issue, such as depression, you may find your man just forgets to eat or shows no interest in choosing food. This is not a symptom to ignore.
PASSION GAUGE
In a healthy, happy relationship, women don’t usually expect their partners to say no to sex. But a man’s libido can be reduced by certain conditions, including depression, when they lose enjoyment in everything. For guys, losing their libido sometimes occurs as a side effect of medicines, as a sign of type 2 diabetes or as a result of changes in testosterone levels. A lack of sexual interest is always worth discussing with his GP.
NIGHT-TIME TOILET TRIPS
Are you being disturbed at night because your partner keeps getting up to visit the toilet? Passing water at night is one of the classic signs of prostate problems – not prostate cancer, but what’s known as ‘benign prostate enlargement’. This can cause all kinds of changes to a man’s bladder habits that he may have noticed, such as a weak urine flow or straining to pee. There’s plenty of help available, including medication, and he may need a prostate blood test.