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Men are becoming more open about their mental health. However, people often underreport men’s mental health, with men not reaching out for the support they need, according to Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month.
In celebration of this month, DUBAWA delves into the multi-layered realm of men’s health. We aim to illuminate the diverse issues that demand attention and action.
Prostate Health
The prostate gland isn’t big, but its location guarantees problems if something goes awry. It is located just below the bladder and in front of the rectum. It also wraps around the upper part of the urethra, the tube that carries urine from the bladder out of the body. That means prostate problems can affect urination and sexual function.
- Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH): a health issue that becomes more common with age. It’s also called an enlarged prostate. An enlarged prostate can cause symptoms that may bother you, such as blocking the flow of urine out of the bladder. It also can cause bladder, urinary tract, or kidney problems.
- Prostatitis: This is a frequently painful condition involving inflammation of the prostate and sometimes the areas around it. Prostatitis is the most common urinary tract problem for men younger than 50 and the third most common urinary tract problem for men older than 50.
- Prostate Cancer: Prostate cancer is common, second only to skin cancer, as the most common cancer affecting men. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), for every 100 people with prostates, 13 will develop prostate cancer at some point in their lives. Prostate cancer develops in the prostate gland, a part of the reproductive system in men. Types of prostate cancer include Small cell carcinomas, Transitional cell carcinomas, Neuroendocrine tumours, and Sarcomas.
Testicular Health
Testicles, or testes, are part of the reproductive system in men that makes sperm and hormones. They are located outside your body.
- Testicular cancer: Testicular cancer is the most common cancer affecting people assigned male at birth aged 15 to 35. The most common sign to look out for is a painless lump in your testicle. Testicular cancer that’s diagnosed and treated early has an excellent cure rate. Testicular cancer forms when malignant (cancer) cells develop in the tissues of one or (less commonly) both testicles.
- Spermatocele: A spermatocele is a common growth that develops above or behind your testicle. They’re benign (not cancerous). A spermatocele is a fluid-filled growth that develops from your epididymis. Your epididymis is a tube that runs behind and over the top of each testicle. Its main job is to store and transport sperm.
- Epididymitis: Epididymitis is inflammation of your epididymis, a coiled tube at the back of your testicle that stores and carries sperm. This swelling can cause intense testicular pain. It can occur at any age, though it happens most often in people between 14 and 35. Symptoms can include pain in the scrotum, swelling, redness, and blood in the semen.
Erectile dysfunction
Erectile dysfunction can become more prevalent with age. However, symptoms can be treated with medication, therapy, and other methods. Erectile dysfunction (ED) is the inability to get or keep an erection firm enough to have sexual intercourse. It’s sometimes called “impotence,” but this word is now used less often.
There are many possible causes of ED, and they can include both emotional and physical conditions. Common physical causes include cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension or high blood pressure, high cholesterol, hypothyroidism, obesity, low testosterone levels, or other hormone imbalances.
Male sexual arousal is a complex process that involves the brain, hormones, emotions, nerves, muscles, and blood vessels. Erectile dysfunction can result from a problem with any of these. Likewise, stress and mental health concerns can cause or worsen erectile dysfunction.
Andropause
“Male menopause” is the more common term for andropause. It describes an age-related reduction of testosterone in males. Signs include fatigue, insomnia, mood changes, and more. It can also affect fertility.
Male menopause involves a drop in testosterone production in males assigned at birth (MAAB) who are aged 50 or older. It’s often affiliated with hypogonadism. Both conditions involve lowered testosterone levels and similar symptoms.
Symptoms may include low energy, depression or sadness, decreased motivation, difficulty concentrating, and infertility. It’s normal to experience a decline in your testosterone levels as you get older. For many men, the symptoms are manageable, even without treatment. If your symptoms are causing you hardship, speak to your doctor. They can provide recommendations to help you manage or treat your symptoms.
Male infertility
Male infertility lowers the chances of a man’s female partner getting pregnant. There are many causes of infertility in men and women. In over a third of infertility cases, the problem is with men.
Male fertility depends on your body being able to make and deliver normal sperm. The sperm go into the female partner’s vagina and travel through her cervix into her uterus to her fallopian tubes.
Making mature, healthy sperm that can travel depends on many things. Problems can stop cells from growing into sperm, keep the sperm from reaching the egg, and even the temperature of the scrotum may affect fertility. These are the main causes of male infertility: sperm disorder, retrograde ejaculation, hormones, medication, etc.
Smoking, drinking alcohol, and taking certain drugs can lower sperm numbers. Other causes of low sperm numbers include long-term sicknesses such as kidney failure, childhood infections such as mumps, and chromosome or hormone problems such as low testosterone.
Male Osteoporosis
As many as 2 million American men already have osteoporosis, the bone thinning that makes bones brittle and porous and likely to fracture. Twelve million men are at risk and may have early signs of bone loss and low bone density, called osteopenia.
Osteoporosis is a condition that causes bones to become weak and lose their strength, making them break more easily than normal bones.
Osteoporosis is often called a ‘silent’ condition, as people don’t notice any symptoms until they fracture a bone.
When symptoms do occur, they’re generally the result of a fracture. These symptoms may include lower height, pain, and postural changes. Throughout our lives, bone density is affected by factors such as our genetics, physical activity, diet, hormones such as testosterone, lifestyle choices, and the use of certain medications.
Cardiovascular Diseases
Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the umbrella term for life-threatening conditions affecting the heart and blood vessels. They increase the risk of heart attack and stroke, two leading causes of death among men.
- Heart Attack
A heart attack (myocardial infarction) is a medical emergency where your heart muscle begins to die because it isn’t getting enough blood flow. A blockage in the arteries that supply blood to your heart usually causes this. If a healthcare provider doesn’t restore blood flow quickly, a heart attack can cause permanent heart damage and death.
Without blood flow, the affected heart muscle will begin to die. If you don’t get blood flow back quickly, a heart attack can cause permanent heart damage and/or death.
- Stroke
A stroke is a life-threatening condition that happens when part of your brain does not have enough blood flow. This happens mostly because of a blocked artery or bleeding in your brain. Without a steady supply of blood, the brain cells in that area start to die from a lack of oxygen.
Certain medical conditions increase the risk of stroke, including high blood pressure (hypertension), high cholesterol (hyperlipidemia), Type 2 diabetes, and people who have a history of stroke, heart attack, or irregular heart rhythms like atrial fibrillation.
Alcohol-related issues
Men consume alcohol more often and in much greater amounts than women, which comes with increased health risks, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Drinking beer, booze, and wine can up your chances of developing colon cancer, oesophagal cancer, liver cancer, oral cancer, prostate cancer, and throat cancer.
Alcohol use can contribute to mental health issues such as depression, and cause decreased sexual and reproductive health like erectile dysfunction and infertility.
Mental Health
Research has shown that men often struggle to differentiate depression from stress. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), males die by suicide at twice the rate of females. And high-income countries have the highest suicide rates among males.
Society’s expectations and traditional gender roles play a role in why men are less likely to discuss or seek help for their mental health problems.
While there is not a different sort of ‘male depression,’ some symptoms are more common in men than women. These include irritability, sudden anger, increased loss of control, risk-taking, and aggression.
Men may also be more likely to use alcohol and drugs to cope with their depression rather than talking about it. They may also use escapist behaviour, such as throwing themselves into their work.
Males with depression may exhibit higher levels of anger, aggression, and irritability or showcase their distress in other “culturally acceptable” ways. Women with depression may display signs of low mood instead.
Conclusion
A 2023 Cleveland Clinic survey found men often lack when scheduling health screenings, eating a healthy diet, and talking with medical professionals about stress. By covering these diverse topics, we can help raise awareness about important health issues and provide valuable information to support men’s health and well-being.
Addressing these health issues often involves regular check-ups, lifestyle modifications, and proactive symptom management. All these encourage open communication about health and promote preventive measures.