Health – Warning signs for him

No matter how healthy your man claims to be, disease can strike anytime.

So, your man is complaining about a dull ache in his balls. He searches online, and five minutes later he’s convinced he has testicular cancer. Or, you wonder why yesterday’s headache hasn’t gone away and, before you know it, you’re reading about brain tumours in a panic. Men are prone to illnesses and diseases, and as the person who lives with him, you should always be vigilant. Examine his moles, don’t ignore persistent pain, and – perhaps most importantly – check his testicles for lumps. Help him now:

EYE OFF THE BALL

John Hartson, a former soccer player, was about as far from vigilant as you can be. Although an expert with football, he was anything but when it came to his own balls, ignoring the lumps he’d found until it was almost too late.

“It wasn’t until I started suffering the most horrendous headaches that I went to see my GP and mentioned the lumps,” says Hartson, who was 34 years old that time. “Within days I found out the lumps were testicular cancer and the headaches were the result of a tumour. I’d waited so long to get checked that the cancer had spread to my lungs and brain and I was diagnosed with stage-four cancer. Had I got the lumps checked when I first discovered them, I could’ve spared myself months of operations and gruelling treatments.”

If your husband is complaining of similar symptoms, get him tested immediately.

IN A HEART BEAT

Sbu, 39, was far more cautious when he spotted early warning signs. In his case it was chest pain.

“I was enjoying the sun while at the beach in Durban. I was relaxed but had this discomfort in my chest. It felt a bit like indigestion but didn’t go away. When I got back I went to see the doctor. He listened to my chest and didn’t like the sound of it, so he sent me for more tests.” Just as well since the specialist discovered an artery blockage. “The specialist was pleased that I saw him straight away because it stopped me having a heart attack. It could’ve

happened within weeks or months. Men think we’re indestructible but we’re not, and you shouldn’t ignore certain warnings from your body,” he says. Prevention is much better than cure, and if something feels unusual in any way, you must get it checked out.

STOMACH ACHE

The symptoms: He’ll experience a pain in the stomach area and it won’t subside after a few hours. The most likely explanation is that this could be a simple case of trapped wind. But if the pain is sudden and severe, it might be due to appendicitis, gallstones, bleeding ulcers, kidney stones, or just a pulled muscle. Long-term or recurring pain can be a sign of irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, urinary tract infections or simple constipation.

What to do: If he says it feels like indigestion, treat it with antacids. “But if it’s crippling pain, or he has a high temperature and it doesn’t subside within an hour or two, he should consult the GP,” says Dr Auldric Ratajczak. Stomach ulcers are often treated with medication called proton pump inhibitors. Severe gallstones require keyhole surgery to remove the gallbladder. Larger kidney stones can be broken up using ultrasound, or removed through the bladder.

PASSING CHEST PAIN

The symptoms: From time to time your guy will feel pain in his chest – either discomfort or serious pain, spreading to the arms and neck. Chest pain is usually caused by innocent conditions such as stitch, pulled muscle or heartburn. More concerning are gastro-oesophageal reflux, costochondritis, or stress. The most serious, however, are angina or heart attack – where he could end up crawling for the telephone to call an ambulance. He’ll know if he’s having a heart attack: there’ll be heavy squeezing on the chest, with pain radiating to the neck, jaw, arms and back, plus shortness of breath and light-headedness.

What to do: Heartburn is a burning pain or discomfort that you get after eating, and can be treated by taking an antacid. To avoid gastro-oesophageal reflux, he must cut back on booze, spicy food and coffee. Advise him to sleep with his head raised. For any other recurring chest pain, take him to a doctor for an electrocardiogram. If you suspect he’s having a heart attack, “bypass the GP and call an ambulance immediately,” says Julie Ward, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation. A pulled muscle in the chest needs rest. Persistent gastro-oesophageal reflux can be treated with prescription medication. With angina, too, it’s medication first. If that doesn’t work, doctors might recommend a coronary angioplasty (where a balloon and/or tube is inserted in an artery to widen it) or a coronary artery bypass graft (open-heart surgery where a section of blood vessel from elsewhere in your body is used to re-route blood past a blocked artery). Treatment for a heart attack depends on its severity.

LUMPS IN HIS TESTICLES

The symptoms: Once he is done examining his testicles (which he should do at least once a month), he might discover a lump. Swellings can be caused by many things other than cancer. These include epididymal cysts (fluid collecting on the epididymis – the tube behind the testicles), epididymo-orchitis (inflammation of the epididymis and testicles), inguinal hernias (where tissue pokes through into your groin), hydroceles (a build-up of fluid) or varicoceles (swollen veins). A sudden and very painful swelling of a gonad could be due to testicular torsion.

What to do: If he finds a lump, consult a doctor. “His job is to find the lump. My job is to tell him what it is,” says Dr Ratajczak. If the doctor is concerned, he may send him for an ultrasound scan. Testicular cancer normally means removal of the offending gonad, sometimes followed by chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy. “The doctor plans his treatment by taking into account the type of testicular cancer and whether it has spread beyond the testicle,” explains cancer nurse Robert Cornes.

SORE BACK

The symptoms: He’ll get chronic back pain but not from an obvious recent strain from something such as gym activity or falling off his bike, but pain that persists and gets worse over time. Most back pain is caused by minor sprains, strains or injuries or pinched or irritated nerves. Repetitive sports, heavy lifting, slouching at his desk and bad driving posture never help. It can also be caused by stress or by extra body weight straining the back. In extreme cases it could signify a frozen shoulder, a slipped disc or sciatica. “Back pain is classically in the lower back,” explains Dr Ratajczak. “If it’s moving up the spine, he’s losing weight, and the pain doesn’t alleviate when he lies down, that could be something really serious such as bone cancer.”

What to do: With sport and exercise being a major part of his life, he’s highly likely to get back pain. “Sports that use repetitive impact or twisting – eg. running, golf and tennis – are at higher risk,” says Dr Ajai Seth, sport and exercise medicine advisor. “Light exercise such as walking, swimming and yoga helps, as does changing your sleeping position.”

If the pain persists, GPs can refer him to a physio, osteopath, acupuncturist or chiropractor. Sometimes it seems there are as many treatments for back pain in the world as there are backs. Trapped or inflamed nerves can be treated with steroid or anaesthetic injection. Surgery is offered when every remedy has failed.