'Men's health issues' is an umbrella term to describe physical and mental problems that are specific to men or affect men in a different way from women. Common issues include prostate cancer, testicular cancer, impotence, hair loss, male menopause, snoring and colour blindness.

Common male health issues

Men and women share many health problems such as heart disease and cancer but these conditions tend to affect men earlier in life. Some conditions such as testicular cancer and impotence (erectile dysfunction) are specific to men. There are more premature deaths in men than women and men are more likely to die from road traffic accidents, injuries and suicide.

• Prostate health – enlarged prostate, prostatitis and prostate cancer is more common among men aged 50 and over.
• Testicular cancer – causes the scrotum to swell but rarely causes pain. Testicular cancer requires prompt treatment.
• Impotence – also known as erectile dysfunction, the likelihood of suffering this condition increases with age and can be caused by smoking, anxiety, depression, diabetes or MS.
• Male menopause – although strictly not the menopause, the condition is medically known as andropause and is caused by a fall in testosterone.
• Snoring – four in ten men are thought to snore and the condition may be indicative of obstructive sleep apnoea which temporarily blocks the airways when breathing while asleep.
• Hair loss – men can experience hair loss at any point in their lives. Hair loss can be caused by anaemia, under-active thyroid, stress, fungal infection of the scalp or it can just be hereditary.
• Colour blindness – there are several forms of colour blindness and the condition is usually inherited. It is more common among men affecting one in 20, while for women the figure is only one in 200.

Men are notoriously averse to seeing their doctor about health problems but it is important to seek medical help if you believe you have a health issue. The earlier that many of the conditions above are detected, the better your chances of a successful treatment.

*Source: GoToSee.co.uk

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