June has been designated as National Men’s Health Month. The entire month has been set aside to
increase (knowledge) awareness of preventable health problems and to encourage early detection and
treatment. According to the CDC (Center for Disease Control) heart disease is the number one cause of death
in men; cancer is running a close second. Knowing about these diseases and making some simple lifestyle
changes can significantly lower your risk of developing these conditions, and can save your life.
Heart disease is a term used to describe a collection of diseases that affect your heart. Some of the diseases
that affect your heart include those that affect your blood vessels such as high blood pressure and coronary
artery disease; those that affect your heart rhythm (arrhythmias); heart infections; and those heart defects you
are born with.
Certain lifestyle factors can put people at a higher risk for developing heart disease. Anyone can take steps to
lower their risk of heart disease and heart attack by addressing these risk factors. Lowering your risk is
especially needed by those who already have heart disease.
Risk Factors:
What you can do to lower risk:
Elevated cholesterol levels
High blood pressure
Diabetes Mellitus
Tobacco, alcohol or drug use
Physical inactivity
Obesity
Heredity
Diet
Eat a healthy, well-balanced diet.
Exercise regularly.
Keep blood sugars under control.
Stop using tobacco and drugs, and use alcohol moderately
Maintain a healthy weight.
Eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables.
Eat foods low in saturated fats and cholesterol and high
in fiber.
Limiting salt and sodium can lower your blood pressure.
The American Cancer Society (ACS) has identified the cancers that most frequently affect men as lung,
prostate and colon.
Lung Cancer:
Prostate Cancer:
Risk Factors:
Smoking
Occupational exposure to asbestos, vinyl chloride.
Risk Factors:
Symptoms of lung cancer:
A new cough that does not go away, or gets worse over
time.
Coughing up blood.
Shortness of breath
Pain
What you can do to lower your risk:
Quit smoking
Avoid occupational exposure to carcinogens.
Colon Cancer:
Risk Factors:
Age usually over age 50.
Personal history of another type of cancer or chronic
inflammatory disease such as colitis.
Family history of colon cancer.
Lifestyle factors:
Diabetes
Overweight
Sedentary lifestyle
Excessive alcohol use.
What you can do to lower your risk:
Correct the lifestyle factors that you can correct.
Talk to your doctor about having a colonoscopy after
age 50.
Age - occurs mainly in
older men 65 yrs or older.
African American.
Frequent urge to urinate.
Family history of prostate cancer.
Symptoms of prostate cancer:
Trouble passing urine.
Frequent urge to pass urine, especially at night.
Weak or interrupted urine stream
Pain or burning when passing urine
Blood in urine.
Nagging pain in the back or hips.
What you can do to lower your risk:
Talk to your doctor about testing for prostate cancer.
Digital rectal exam begin at age 50.
PSA (prostate specific antigen) blood test
References:
http://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/prevention.htm
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/heartdisease/DS01120
http://understandingrisk.cancer.gov/a_prostate/00.cfm
http://understandingrisk.cancer.gov/a_lung/02.cfm
http://www.webmd.com/lung-cancer/guide/lung-cancersymptoms-types
For more information on the above or other health topics please contact your Parish Nurse at: 412-341-1733.