It is natural for anyone to worry about their health. Anyone can succumb to a virus or bacterial infection during an average day, but these types of illnesses become more common as you age.
In fact, your overall health will start to become more in flux as you get older. This is because your immune system starts to slow down as you get older. Therefore, your body is less able to fight off any foreign bodies that cause you to become sick. However, not all illnesses can be prevented by your immune system. Some of the health issues that affect men can come from a natural deterioration of the body that occurs as you get older. As such, here are some common health issues that men need to look out for as they get older.
Heart Disease
A huge factor in the deterioration of your heart muscles is stress. Stress is a leading cause of high blood pressure, which is responsible for breaking down artery walls and damaging your cardiovascular system. As you can imagine, people are more likely to go through stressful situations as they get older. Also, your veins and arteries begin to naturally harden as you get older. This hardening makes it harder for blood to pass through unimpeded, which can lead to heart disease-related illnesses like arrhythmia and heart attacks.
You can prevent these issues by ensuring that you keep your blood pressure low; you can do this by:
- Exercising regularly
- Eating a balanced diet
- Avoid drinking alcohol
- Avoid smoking
- Reducing stress levels
All in all, you should aim to lie a healthy lifestyle to avoid heart disease as you get older.
Prostate Problems
Your risk of developing cancer steadily increases as you get older. This is because you are more likely to encounter a cell mutation in your body the more cell mutations you experience. Obviously, your body will undergo more cell changes the longer that you live. As such, you are more likely to encounter a cell mutation the longer you live. That is why most experts predict that people between the ages of forty-five and forty-nine are the most likely to contract cancer. This number rises again in people who live to the age of seventy-five.
For men, the highest risk of getting cancer comes from the prostate. The prostate is a gland in the groin that activates during the production of sperm. Since this gland is always in use, it is more likely to be subjected to an unwanted cell mutation. You can reduce your odds of getting prostate cancer by getting checked regularly by your doctor. Also, frequent urination is a major sign of prostate problems. If you find yourself using the bathroom more often, then it may be wise to visit your doctor for a check-up. Most cancers are more treatable when they are caught early, so you are more likely to survive prostate cancer if you get checked regularly.
Cataracts
Cataracts are a cloudy film that develops over the eye when the proteins in this organ begin to break down. This cloudy film can cause vision impairment and is quite uncomfortable for anyone unused to being visually impaired. Some of the leading causes of cataracts include ageing and not looking after your eyes properly. That is why it is important to always wear prescription glasses if you need them. If glasses are too uncomfortable for you, then you may want to try out Dailies Total 1 contacts from Lenstore. Unnecessary damage to the eyes also increases your chance of developing cataracts. That is why you should always wear the correct protective gear when working with dust or radiation.
Depression
Not all illnesses are physical, which is why a lot of older men fail to notice the common symptoms of depression. Depression is a mental disorder that can be caused by a lack of serotonin in the brain or environmental factors. Symptoms include a low mood, a lack of energy, irritability, and irregular sleep patterns.
Depression is an illness that can be treated by your doctor with medication. However, there are also cognitive therapies out there that can help you talk through your problems. Becoming more social and getting more exercise can also help you when feeling depressed. You will also notice that eating too much unhealthy food will negatively affect your mood. Try and eat well and you may notice your depression symptoms start to fade.
Conclusion
Just because a man is more likely to encounter these health issues as they get older, that does not mean that they are guaranteed to have one of these illnesses in this lifetime. Take care of yourself and try to be more aware of the symptoms of these illnesses to better understand how you can avoid them.