It’s Men’s Health Awareness Month and that means we’re going to start seeing many men donning their best beards or mustaches to show their support.
Over the years, the role and health concerns for men have drastically changed. For example, men suffer more today from fertility issues and erectile dysfunction. While heart disease is not specific to men, it is another area of concern.
Male menopause – is there such a thing?
A man’s midlife crisis is often joked about but ‘andropause’ is not something to be taken lightly.
During this time, men undergo important physical and hormonal changes. They may experience a weakened sex drive, increased anxiety, depression and moodiness as well as feelings of failure. By the age of forty, these symptoms occur because of decreasing levels of testosterone.
The prostate gland
The prostate gland is one organ that is linked to men's health issues. In Canada, prostate cancer is the number one cancer among men and the fourth most common cancer overall.
Nancy of Nancy’s Nifty Nook, Bradford's original bulk food and supplement store says, “When a man reaches 50 years old, it is important to have yearly PSA (prostate-specific antigen) tests to be proactive and check for prostate cancer. Estrogen is both a male and female hormone, so if it needs to be addressed, it can be tailored individually.”
Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) or enlargement of the prostate affects most men by age 70. Symptoms include the frequent need to urinate, especially at night, and increased urgency but decreased force. This can lead to urinary tract infections and kidney infection or damage.
To help prevent BPH, Nancy recommends avoiding pesticides, stress and high cholesterol. She also advises to limit beer consumption. “Though beer seems to be the worst, try not to drink too much of any alcohol,” says Nancy. “Get lots of exercise. Walking just two to three hours a week can significantly decrease the risk of BPH.”
One important treatment believed to be helpful for BPH is saw palmetto berry.
Studies have shown that it may be safer, faster acting and more effective than drugs. Users reported minimal side effects from using saw palmetto berry whereas traditional drugs may cause erectile dysfunction. Studies show that natural products such as saw palmetto berry can be just as effective as Finasteride and Flomax, but with less side effects.
Always check with your medical doctor for treatment advice.
Today, there are many products to help with male health issues. Nancy always suggests trying natural products, when possible, but says it’s important to check with a health practitioner when taking other medications as natural products can interact negatively with some drugs.
Want more information? Stop by Nancy’s Nifty Nook located at 152 Holland Street E.