4 Health Conditions Men Should Be Aware of as They Age
As men age, they are more prone to heart disease and strokes, which in turn puts them at a higher risk of developing dementia. Men’s bones also deteriorate more quickly than women’s due to reduced estrogen levels. Since they spend relatively more time in the sun (which can lead to skin cancer), they are at a higher risk of getting squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma. Here are some more of the health conditions that men should be aware of as they age.
Alzheimer’s Disease
This is a disease that affects the brain and is caused by the sticky bits that form deposits which clog up the neurons in your brain. There is no cure for this, but it can be treated by administering medicines and nutritional supplements. The disease mainly strikes after the age of 65 and about 60% of those diagnosed are men.
Heart Disease
There are several causes of heart disease, but high blood pressure is far and away from the most common problem, with about 75% to 80% of all cases being male. Common symptoms include chest pain, pain in the neck or jaw, or constriction in the throat for no apparent reason. There are various ways to reduce the risk, but if this is brought on by high blood pressure and cholesterol levels, you are more likely to have a heart attack than if you don’t. The good news is that the chances of having a heart attack decrease with age, so it stands to reason that older men may be at lower risk than their younger counterparts.
Cancer
In the western world, males are more likely to develop cancer than females. Men have about a one in two chance of getting cancer, whereas the odds for women are a little more than half that. The most common types of cancers for men are prostate, lung, colorectal, and bladder. Fortunately, if caught early enough, most cancers can be treated successfully.
Back Pain and Headaches
The World Health Organization estimates that between 15% and 30% of the world’s population have regular headaches, with 50% of them being women. Headaches affect men more than women and cause a huge amount of pain, so much so that some men are forced to take time off work due to headaches.
Several health conditions affect men more than women and some of them are life-threatening. It’s important to get regular checkups from a doctor, like Majid Sabour MD PC _Gents Doctor, and to know the signs of these diseases. If any of the health conditions above apply to you, know what’s going on with your body.