There are several contributing factors, one of the biggest of which is the culture surrounding men’s health.
Men are generally less proactive in seeking help for any health problems. Women tend to be much more aware of their health and are more likely to seek help earlier, meaning their symptoms can be caught sooner rather than later.
However, unfortunately, the majority of men persist in neglecting their health and ignoring signs and symptoms until they become debilitating.
In the First Aid for Lifewe want to emphasize that if diseases are detected early, the prognosis and treatment are always much easier and more positive.
Get regular health checks and visit yours GP immediately if you have concerns. Men’s health needs to be promoted more widely.
This article highlights the main factors contributing to the alarming statistics and offers practical advice to help.
Mental health factors
Sadly, in the UK, 3 in 4 suicides are men and around 1 in 8 men have a common mental health problem such as depression, stress or anxiety.
It has been suggested that colloquial language such as “hang on” or “grow a pair” contributes to the perception that it is “human” to show emotion and ask for help in times of crisis. This leads to men not wanting to share how they feel, with 40% of men believing they would not talk about their mental health with friends or family.
Fortunately, over the last ten years, attitudes towards men’s mental health have changed massively and campaigns such as Movember have made great efforts to change societal views on this issue and encourage more men to get help sooner.
Physical health
Men die earlier than women. Currently, one in five men will die before the age of 65.
Many of these deaths could be prevented with dietary and lifestyle changes. Statistically men are more likely than women. drinking more alcohol, gaining weight, smoking and failing to eat a healthy balanced diet. These factors reduce the quality of men’s health and therefore their health and life expectancy.
In addition, men are generally much more likely to take risks.
Contributing factors
Portliness
67% of men are overweight or obese, but this figure is only 25% for the general population. This disparity seriously contributes to increased morbidity and mortality in men. The increased risks associated with obesity range from type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, certain types of cancer and stroke. Serious health conditions such as asthma, gallstones, liver and kidney disease become more common as body mass index increases.
The NHS estimates that obesity contributes to at least 1 in 13 deaths.
Smoking
22% of men smoke compared to 17% of women. Smoking increases the chances of various cancers and mainly it is the cause of 70% of lung cancer. Strokes, heart attacks, heart disease, lung disease, peripheral vascular disease, and cerebrovascular disease are at increased risk for smokers.
Alcohol consumption
14% of men drink more than five days compared to 9% of women. Alcohol contributes to accidental deaths while intoxicated, but is also responsible for liver problems and other related health conditions.
The combination of alcohol and drugs has also been linked to an increase in suicides.
Diet
Men generally eat fewer fruits and vegetables than their female counterparts, which means they are more prone to the diseases and problems that come with premature aging. Men need 2000 – 2800 calories per day depending on height, weight and activity level. However, it is not just the number of calories consumed that contributes to overall health. It is also the nature of the food consumed.
Here are some healthy eating guidelines for men:
- Choose whole grain options (brown rice, pasta, bread, cereals and oats) where possible, which can prevent disease
- Eat 30 – 38 grams of fiber each day
- Choose unsaturated fat sources
- Eat at least 5 servings of fruit or vegetables each day
The NHS we also advise to reduce meat consumption, especially red meat. Eating too much meat is a known cause of heart disease and colon and prostate cancer in men. It is not necessary to have meat every day. Replace meat meals with plant-based proteins to reduce your risk of disease and get fiber into your diet. Beans, legumes, lentils, mushrooms, nuts, seeds, tofu and tempeh are all good sources of plant-based protein.
For more tips on healthy diets, check out this helpful page
Recommendations to improve men’s health:
The top actions for a healthier life:
- Take care of your mental health – talking about your mental health doesn’t make you any less of a man! Just telling one other person how you feel can make all the difference.
- Do not smoke
- Drink moderately and sensibly
- Be active – physically and mentally
- Watch your weight
And it is vital, men should visit their doctor earlier and go for health checks. Men are often reticent about seeing the doctor, which means diagnoses are often made much later than they would otherwise be. This has important implications for their prognosis.
NHS Health check
The NHS offers free screening for all adults in England aged between 40 and 74. It is designed to check for early signs of: stroke, kidney disease, heart disease, type 2 diabetes and dementia. Aging increases the likelihood of developing these conditions in adults.
ONE GP or local authorities invite all adults over 40 for free NHS Health check every 5 years.
The goal of this checkup is to maintain health and detect early signs. Therefore, it is important that everyone attends this appointment even if they are not feeling perfectly well.
Heart attack
One in nine men will suffer a cardiac arrest before the age of 70. This is a much higher statistic than for women, in whom only one in thirty suffer a cardiac arrest. You can find here everything you need to know about heart health from cardiac arrest and CPRin heart attacks and high blood pressure.
Men have an 11% lifetime risk of sudden cardiac death, however, the risk for women is estimated at just 3%. Many of the risk factors discussed above contribute to this difference.
Currently, less than 10% of people who experience cardiac arrest in the community survive. With rapid emergency treatment, the chances of survival increase by 80%. The best treatment is combined CPR with AED shocks delivered within the first four minutes.
With the average ambulance response time in an urban area being eleven minutes, many casualties depend on the public’s ability to respond CPR and indeed the availability of a defibrillator.
CPR alone can double the chances of survival. When using a defibrillator in addition to quality CPR; one’s chances of survival can jump from about 6% to 74% – an incredible difference.
This is one of the many reasons why first aid skills should be taught to as many of us as possible. Here is a link to ours CPR posters
Control – a personal story
My brother was extremely energetic when he was worried about his patron. He was quickly screened, even when his blood tests were only in the abnormal range. It turned out he had prostate cancer, but because it was caught so early, his treatment was relatively simple and quick, and his prognosis is now excellent.
In contrast, we have a friend who ignored the early symptoms of bowel cancer until they caused significant problems. They ended up needing complex radio and chemotherapy and did a long and complicated operation which resulted in him losing most of his bowel.
They are often the most “embarrassing” symptoms that men choose to ignore, desperately hoping they will resolve on their own. Doctors and nurses will always act in a professional manner and it is much better to ask about these things early and find out if there is anything that warrants further investigation. Often the perceived embarrassment factor is honestly not as bad as they fear.
What can we all do for men’s health?
Ultimately, men need to feel comfortable enough to talk about how they feel, whether that’s physically or mentally.
Please spread the word and encourage the men in your life to talk about health and take care of themselves without shame. We need to ensure that men do not suffer in silence or ignore the warning signs that could lead to early diagnoses and treatment. Men need to be aware of their bodies and feel comfortable asking for help.
