Men Beware

Men Beware

There are some health issues that men can ignore only at their peril

BY DR VINAY LABROO

General health is a topic that most men usually ignore. In today’s fast paced life, they don’t take time out for themselves and often become careless about their health. Mentioned below few signals that are the body shows which no one should ignore.

Excessive  thirst:  The  repeated feeling of being thirsty is a typical symptom of Type 2 Diabetes. According to a recent data approximately 33 million men are suffering from diabetes in India. And out of that a good percentage has undiagnosed diabetes. So, if you observe that you are constantly feeling thirsty along with other symptoms like blurred vision, frequent urge to go to washroom, sudden weight loss and slow healing of any injury or cuts or wounds, visit a doctor for a blood sugar test. Also, if you are above 45 and have a family history of diabetes or if you are overweight, getting your blood sugar tested once is a year is very important.

Feeling  tired and restless all the time: Increased work pressure often, makes one feel tired. But, if this problem extends for long time even after having a good night sleep, it is an indication of some underline disease like heart disease, diabetes or depression.

Persistent Constipation: Constipation is a very common problem faced equally by both men and women everywhere. But if this problem doesn’t get cleared after few days, consulting a doctor is very important. Continued constipation can be signal of Colon cancer if accompanied by dark colored urine or rectal bleeding.

Pain while urinating: Generally, this symptom is associated with urine infection but it can also be a sign of enlarged prostate or prostate cancer. Other symptoms highlighting the possibility of this problem are swollen prostate leading to frequent urge to urinate, trouble in urinating or emptying your bladder or unusual smell from urine.

Snoring: Snoring isn’t just a sign of lack of rest but also, of Sleep Apnea which is found more in men as compared to women. Those men who snore regularly should visit a specialist.

Feeling   out   of   breath   while climbing stairs: This is a classic signal of any cardiovascular (heart) disease. Heart diseases accounts for maximum number of deaths in men. So, if you feel breathless after doing any normal physical activity, make sure to get your blood pressure and cholesterol levels checked. Besides, few other symptoms like chest pain, light headedness, cold sweat are few other signals that no one especially men should never ignore.

Indigestion or heartburn: Irregularindigestion or the problem of acidity is normal. But if a man has the problem of chronic indigestion on a regular basis, it can lead to esophageal ulcers or esophageal cancer.

(The author is Additional Director, Internal Medicine, Jaypee Hospital,Noida)