Men are notorious for ignoring health symptoms and avoiding the doctor's office. Broken pinky? Just use duct tape. But not all medical issues can be fixed so easily. What may be a pesky problem to a man could be erectile dysfunction, sleep apnea, prostate cancer and more. Here are 10 health symptoms your guy – and you – should take seriously...
Even when a man finally admits to feeling crummy, getting him to schedule a doctor’s appointment is like getting a cat to agree to a bath.
“American men make 130 million fewer [doctor] visits each year than women,” says Will Courtenay, Ph.D., California psychotherapist who specializes in treating men.
According to a 2007 Harris Interactive poll, 92% of men surveyed wait at least a few days before seeing a doctor when they have a health concern – just in case the problem gets better on its own; 29% wait "as long as possible."
But your man isn’t invincible.
Delaying check-ups and treatment until he’s seriously ill is a gamble nobody should take, especially because not all ailments have symptoms.
That’s where you come in. Women can help their men spot trouble. Here are 10 danger signs to watch out for:
Danger sign #1: He has a big gut.
If his waist is bigger than his hips, he raises his risk for disease.
“A man should maintain a measurement under 40 inches,” says Walter Gaman, M.D., of Executive Medicine of Texas. “If the waist size exceeds that, the risk for diabetes and heart disease increase.”
A large belly can also contribute to stroke, sleep apnea and osteoarthritis, he says.
Here’s how to check if your man measures up:
1. Measure his waist where the point of his elbow falls when his arms hang at the sides. Have him first breathe out and then take shallow breaths as you measure.
2. Measure his hips at the widest part of his buttocks, as seen from the side. The measuring tape should be snug, but tight.
3. To calculate his waist-to-hip ratio, divide his waist measurement by his hip measurement. Men are considered at risk if the result is 90% or more.
A moderate diet and exercise program can help your guy cut the belly fat and his risk for heart disease and diabetes.
Cutting out sodas (even diet drinks) and alcoholic beverages can be an effortless way to lose 10 pounds over a year, Gaman says.
Plus, get him off the couch and into workout gear.
Daily exercise – aerobic exercise and strength training – is best, says Isaac Eliaz, M.D., director of research at Amitabha Clinic in Northern California. Encourage him to slowly increase the length and intensity of the workouts – but by no more than a 5% increase in weights every couple weeks.
Danger sign #2: He's frequently constipated.
Tell him to save grunting for the weight room. Too much straining from constipation can lead to painful, itchy and downright uncomfortable hemorrhoids.
After age 50, constipation tends to worsen in men and women, says Cynthia Yoshida, a gastroenterologist in Charlottesville, Va. Blame diet changes, decrease in exercise, medications, certain diseases or prolonged bed rest after an accident or illness.
Occasional constipation can be relieved with an over-the-counter remedy. Yoshida recommends MiraLAX, because it doesn’t have side effects that other remedies do, such as bloating, cramps, gas or a sudden urge to go.
Most important, don't let him shrug off chronic constipation as a nuisance. It can signal a tumor in the lower bowel that’s blocking waste from exiting the body.
In fact, any change in bowel habits (constipation or diarrhea) that last two or more weeks should be evaluated. Both can signal colorectal cancer, which is the third-leading cause of cancer-related death in men, Yoshida says.
Other symptoms to watch for: bloody or narrow stools, unexplained weight loss or fatigue, cramping and bloating, Yoshida says.
“Colorectal cancer can be present for several years before symptoms develop,” she says. “So it’s important to see a doctor if you have any of the above symptoms.”
Danger sign #3: He can't "get it up" or keep it there.
A bruised ego isn't the only problem your fellow has to face if he's having trouble getting or maintaining erections.
Erectile dysfunction (ED) can be a side effect of some medications (for example, high blood pressure drugs and diuretics) or smoking, says Dennis Lin, M.D., sex psychologist and attending physician at the Department of Psychiatry at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York.
But it also may mean he’s twice as likely to die of a heart attack, according to a German study of 1,519 men. ED is also linked to high cholesterol, diabetes, kidney disease, chronic alcoholism, multiple sclerosis, vascular disease and neurologic disease, Lin says.
And don’t forget about possible psychological factors: Stress, anxiety, guilt, depression, low self-esteem, and fear of sexual failure cause 10%-20% of ED cases. So when is it time to get a doctor’s help?
“When erection problems prevent you from having a healthy sex life,” Lin says. “There should be a low threshold to see a doctor.”
Danger sign #4: He loves to bake in the sun.
When it comes to men and cancer, you hear a lot about prostates and colons. But skin cancer is the No. 1 diagnosed cancer in men and women.
“Skin cancer rates are skyrocketing – it’s the most rapidly increasing cancer in the U.S.,” Courtenay says. “And the death rate from melanoma – the deadliest form – is twice as high for men as it is for women.”
The majority of skin cancers occur in Caucasian men over age 50, says D.J. Verret, M.D., a head and neck surgeon in Dallas.
Other risk factors include:
Being older than 40
Fair skin, red hair or blue eyes
An inability to tan
Increased UR exposure (outdoor activities or work)
Sunbathing or use of tanning beds
A history of radiation therapy
Personal or family history of skin cancer
An impaired immune system
Protect your man – plus yourself and the kids – by applying broad-spectrum sunscreen (which blocks both ultraviolet A and B rays) every 2-3 hours.
Select an SPF (sun protection factor) of at least 30, she says, and look for these active ingredients on the label: zinc, titanium and avobenzone.
Skin cancer can develop any place that’s exposed to UV radiation, so don’t overlook his ears, nose, lips, scalp, forehead, neck and shoulders. Check out more sun slip-ups.
Stash a facial moisturizer with sunscreen in your man’s toiletry bag, and tuck a sunscreen stick in his workout bag and glove box for last-minute applications.
Danger sign #5: Antacids are his best friend.
Unfortunately, indigestion, or acid reflux, is a frequent unwanted guest at game-night parties with pepperoni pizza, spicy chili, onion rings and beer.
Occasional heartburn is nothing to worry about, but chronic acid reflux – two or more times a week, especially at night – suggests he has gastro-esophogeal reflux disease (GERD), Eliaz says.
Left untreated, GERD can lead to inflammation, bleeding and ulcers of the esophagus and even esophageal cancer.
Most cases of heartburn are easily treated.
“Changes in eating habits and daily routines can [reduce] the number of future episodes,” Eliaz says.
Start by avoiding these:
Trans fats
Processed meats
Sugars
Highly processed foods
Carbonated beverages
Acidic fruits and juices
Alcohol
Peppermint
Chocolate
Nuts
Caffeinated food and beverages
Oily foods
Raising the head of the bed 4-6 inches – not with pillows but by putting blocks under its legs – also may help ease discomfort, Eliaz says. Plus, nag him to lose weight, stop smoking and eat smaller meals. For more remedies, check out 15 Dos and Don’ts of Heartburn.
If those steps don’t help, over-the-counter proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) often can relieve frequent heartburn, says Michael Rahmin, M.D., a gastroenterologist in Ridgewood, N.J. He suggests Zegerid OTC – the most recent PPI to receive FDA approval. It offers 24-hour relief with one dose a day as part of a 14-day treatment.
If the burn still persists, your man needs to see a doctor. If the esophageal lining is constantly aggravated by leaking stomach acids, inflammation can occur and develop into a precancerous disease called Barrett’s esophagus, Eliaz says. One in 50 of those with Barrett’s develops esophageal cancer.
Danger sign #6: He's always thirsty.
An unquenchable thirst is a symptom of diabetes, an incurable metabolic disease that raises blood sugar levels. So are frequent urination, extreme hunger, fatigue, unexplained weight loss or gain, nausea, blurred vision, sores that are slow to heal, frequent infections, ED, and tingling in the hands and feet, Eliaz says.
Diabetes is the sixth leading cause of death in men, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Risk factors include:
Being older than 45 years of age
Having a parent or sibling with diabetes
Being overweight
High blood pressure
High cholesterol
History of vascular disease
Habitual physical inactivity
A simple yearly blood test at his doctor’s office can measure glucose levels and diagnose diabetes, Gaman says.
If he’s having symptoms, he may need a more advanced blood test called a hemoglobin A1C that tracks glucose levels over a longer period.
Danger sign #7: He snores.
If a chainsaw or Mack truck can’t compete with your sweetheart’s nightly noises, don’t run for cover in another room. Get help: Chronic snoring can be serious.
Severe snoring accompanied by breathing lapses are signs of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS), Verret says. If untreated, it increases the risk of high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, heart attack, stroke and sudden death.
A poor night's sleep can also contribute to daytime drowsiness, which boosts his risk of accidents. Unintentional injuries are the third-leading cause of death in men, according to the CDC.
If you're lucky enough to sleep through the snoring, watch for other sleep apnea signs, such as feeling tired during the day, thrashing arms and legs while sleeping, decreased libido, mood swings and sometimes depression, Verret says.
Changing sleep positions, losing weight (as little as 10 pounds) and avoiding alcohol, sedatives and large meals before bedtime may help stop the noise.
If they don't, schedule a doctor's visit and consider other treatments, such as surgery, the continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) – a device that blows air into the nose while he’s asleep – or a dental appliance to pull the jaw and tongue forward at night, Verret says.
It could save his life – or at the least your relationship.
Danger sign #8: He's short of breath, wheezes or coughs up mucus.
Shortness of breath, wheezing and a persistent cough can stem from several health conditions, such as asthma, obesity and heart disease. But it also signals chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the fifth leading cause of death in men, according to the CDC.
“COPD is almost always caused by smoking,” says Edward T. Bope, M.D., family medicine residency director at Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus, Ohio.
Second-hand smoke, chemical fumes, air pollution and dust can also cause the disease.
Its symptoms shouldn’t be ignored because COPD gets worse as time goes by, Bope says.
Danger sign #9: He feels pain while peeing.
In women, “it hurts when I pee” usually means an annoying bladder infection. In men, it signals an enlarged prostate gland or prostate cancer.
“If they live long enough, most men are going to have to deal with the symptoms of an enlarged prostate,” says Janet Farrar Worthington, co-author of The Prostate: A Guide for Men and the Women Who Love Them (Grand Central Publishing).
Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), a non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate, may be caused by hormone changes in aging men, Eliaz says.
“Fifty percent of men in their 60s and as many as 90% in their 70s have it,” he says.
But painful urination is a sign of a more serious problem: prostate cancer, which 1 in 6 men will develop, according to the Prostate Cancer Foundation.
Your man’s risk increases if he's over age 50, overweight, doesn't exercise or African-American and has one or more first-degree relative (father, brother, son) with a history of prostate cancer. A new study published yesterday also linked not drinking enough coffee to increased prostate cancer risk.
Another risk factor: a vasectomy, Eliaz says. Some studies have shown a link between the surgical birth control method and prostate cancer, but the increase in risk is relatively small, according to the National Cancer Institute.
The earliest stages of prostate cancer often have no symptoms, so routine screening for prostate specific antigen levels is important. Plus, get your man to a doctor immediately if he has any sign of prostate trouble.
Common symptoms of prostate cancer and BPH include trouble urinating, a weak urine stream, blood in urine or semen, pelvic pain or discomfort and frequent urinary tract infections.
Danger sign #10: He's depressed or has thoughts of suicide.
We all deal with work stress, money worries and other anxieties, but not all men can cope well. Suicide ranks eighth among the CDC's top 10 causes of death in men.
Here are some signs that your mate may be suicidal, Lin says:
Suddenly visits friends or family (one last time)
Sudden, significant decline or improvement in mood
Gets affairs in order, including making a will
Buys items that could be used to carry out suicide, such as a gun, rope or medications
Talks about suicide
Writes a note threatening suicide
“Depression is a serious medical illness like diabetes or asthma,” Lin says. “If he feels depressed, have him see a doctor right away. Waiting for too long can be deadly.”
Counseling, medication and other therapies could save his life.
Shanna Thompson Zareski contributed to this article.
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