Men's Health in Beaver Dam WI

Many people would assume that an article about Men's Health would focus on testosterone and the prostate gland in Beaver Dam WI. Don't get me wrong, those are very important topics, but they are not the TOP disorders for men.The top disorders affecting men's health are heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. All three are deadly disorders, but not necessarily a death sentence. Your risk for these disorders is based on your lifestyle choices… you have control over these disorders. All three are able to be treated in roughly the same way. So first I will cover the different disorders and then I'll explain the treatment.

Three Top Disorders for men in Beaver Dam WI

Heart disease includes a wide range of disorders such as heart arrhythmia (abnormal heart beat), heart attack and even high blood pressure. The most common symptoms of heart disease include shortness of breath, chest pains, and extreme fatigue. The purpose of the heart is to pump blood throughout the body to deliver important nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, and even oxygen to other organs and muscles. Did you know the heart itself is a muscle? This is why exercise is so important. If you don't exercise, your heart loses its strength just like any other muscle. That creates more stress on the heart as it continues to pump blood throughout the entire body. Another stressor to the heart is weight gain. As we gain weight, we gain more blood vessels throughout the body that the heart has to pump nutrients through. This is one reason why someone who is overweight may have an enlarged heart. Their heart has to pump even harder to sustain blood flow through more miles of blood vessels.

Strokes tend to correlate with heart disease, but instead of a problem in the heart, it is a problem in the arteries leading to the brain. When the arteries are healthy, they are slippery on the inside. However, when the arteries become inflamed, fat will cling to the walls of the artery and clog it. This doesn't mean that fat is bad. The true culprit is inflammation caused by stress, either physical, emotional, or nutritional. Symptoms of a stroke include trouble walking, slurred speech, or paralysis of the face, an arm, or a leg. If you experience any of these symptoms, call 911 immediately. The sooner you can get help, the better recovery you may have.

Diabetes is on the rise in the United States. There are two types of diabetes. People who have type 1 diabetes are born with the inability to produce insulin to regulate blood sugar levels. These people are typically on diabetic medication for life. The other type is type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes typically results from eating a poor diet that is lacking vegetables, unsaturated fats such as olive oil, and healthy grains such as oats and rice. The good news is Type 2 diabetes is reversible, but you do have to put in a lot of work to change your eating habits. These habits are often formed as children, and while they can be difficult to change, it is well worth the effort!

Symptoms of Type 2 diabetes include increased thirst and hunger, increased frequency of urination, numbness or tingling in the fingers and toes, and fatigue or weakness. If you are experiencing these symptoms, go see your medical doctor. Most likely they will check your glucose levels when you are fasting. If these numbers are high, they may check what is called your Hemoglobin A1c or HA1c. This tests the blood sugar levels for a 3 month period so they can tell whether you are diabetic or pre-diabetic. Pre-diabetic means your body is starting to struggle in managing your blood sugar levels, but is currently able to keep up with the demand. Although you don't know for how much longer. Pre-diabetes is much easier to treat with simple dietary changes than diabetes is, so don't wait too long to see your medical doctor if you start experiencing symptoms.

All 3 of these disorders can seem pretty scary, but as I mentioned before, you can decrease your risk drastically by living a healthy lifestyle. That doesn't mean you can't enjoy the finer things in life like a piece of cake at a birthday party or a Friday fish fry at your favorite restaurant. Just learn to balance those experiences with healthy food choices as well. Maybe you only go once a month for a fish fry or you make sure to get a side of vegetables to go with your fish. Exercise also helps to lower your risk. According to the Heart Foundation, walking for an average of 30 minutes or more a day can lower the risk of heart disease, stroke by 35% percent and Type 2 diabetes by 40% (1).