The 9 health symptoms men should NEVER ignore, from problems in the bedroom to heavy drinking and needing the loo in the night...
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There are 'every day' or little known
symptoms of male health problems
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And problems getting an erection are an
early sign of heart disease
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Lack of smell can signal low levels of
male hormones, affecting fertility
From blood in the urine to 'man boobs', there are a host of signs
that things aren't quite right in the male body.
And sometimes seemingly everyday symptoms can be a sign of a more
serious disease.
For example, heavy drinking may be a sign of depression, while problems
performing in the bedroom are an early indicator of heart disease.
1) ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION
Could be: Heart disease
Doctors are increasingly warning that erectile dysfunction can often be
an early warning sign of heart disease.
'The body needs a good blood supply for an erection - and erectile
problems are actually a very clear barometer of cardiovascular health,’ said
Raj Persad, a urologist at Bristol Royal Infirmary.
Heart disease occurs when the arteries leading to the organ become
clogged with fatty deposits, meaning they are thick and furred.
But this effect is seen even more quickly in the vessels carrying
blood to the penis.
‘That’s because the penile arteries are smaller than coronary ones, so
become furred up faster,’ Dr Persad said.
Cardiologist Graham Jackson, of the Sexual Advice Association, told
MailOnline that a man with erection problems will usually develop a heart
problem within three to five years.
‘A man in his 40s with erectile dysfunction has a 50-fold greater risk
of having a heart attack over the next ten years.
'It’s actually a predictor of death rather than simply heart
disease.
‘There isn’t a risk factor higher on this planet.’
Meanwhile, Australian research showed that even in apparently healthy
men, slight or moderate erection problems could signal trouble ahead.
The condition increased the risk of heart attacks, heart failure and
arterial disease in men aged 45 and over with no previous history of heart
conditions.
Experts say men experiencing any degree of erectile dysfunction should
seek medical help.
2) DEVELOPING ‘MOOBS’
Could be: Hormone imbalance, liver disease
In most cases, if a man develops what appears to be breasts, it is not
breast tissue - but fatty tissue which has grown because he is overweight.
‘They need to lose weight and drink less beer,’ said Professor Ashley
Grossman, an endocrinologist from the University of Oxford.
However, sometimes men do form breast tissue, and in this case the
condition is known medically as gynaecomastia.
‘Gynaecomastia translates as female breasts,’ Professor Grossman said.
‘It’s usually means female breast tissue in a man.’
The condition is caused by an imbalance between the hormones
testosterone and oestrogen, he explained.
+8
Men sometimes develop
breasts as they are overweight. But it may be a sign of a hormonal imbalance
(file photo)
Oestrogen causes breast tissue to grow, but normally men usually have
much higher levels of testosterone, which stops the oestrogen from triggering
this.
But if the balance of hormones changes, this can cause a man’s breasts
to grow.
‘This can happen as boys go through puberty, as their hormones might be
a bit imbalanced,' said Professor Grossman.
‘It can cause a bit of distress as the boy is usually chubby, he doesn’t
want to take his top off during swimming.
‘It normally settles down on its own. We reassure him he’s not turning
into a girl, and to tell him to lose weight.’
Oestrogen drugs are available, but they do not work well, he added.
As a last resort, there is a simple plastic surgery operation that can
be done to remove the breast tissue, but after it is explained the condition
will go away on its own, most people do not opt for it.
In grown men, ‘moobs’ are a sign the testicles are not working properly.
Professor Grossman explained: ‘The pituitary gland stimulates the
testicles to produce, but it can’t produce any more so it ends up making more
oestrogen.’
It can also be a sign of liver disease, he added, as when the organ
becomes damaged, the balance of hormones in the body changes and can cause
gynaecomastia.
Men worried they are developing breasts should go to a doctor, who can
feel them and see if they ar simply fatty tissue, or breast tissue.
‘The most useful test is to measure the hormone levels in the blood to
see if they are imbalanced,’ Professor Grossman concluded.
3) NEEDING THE LOO IN THE NIGHT
Could be: Prostate cancer, enlarged prostate
If you are rushing to the toilet in the night, it could be a sign of an
enlarged prostate or prostate cancer, according to Prostate Cancer UK.
The prostate is a gland the size and shape of a walnut whose main role
is to make semen, the liquid that carries sperm.
It lies underneath the bladder, and so if there is any change in the
size of the gland, it can affect a man’s urination habits as it presses on the
urethra, the tube through which urine flows.
The charity warns men to look out for symptoms like include needing to
go to the loo more often than usual including needing to rush to the toilet and
leaking before arriving.
Having difficulty peeing, straining or taking a long time to finish
urinating or having a weak flow when urinating or feeling as though the bladder
is not fully empty could also be signs.
Men with these symptoms should contact their GP, who can carry out
tests to assess if the man has a benign prostatic enlargement, a non-cancerous
growth of the gland.
The doctor could also assess whether there is a chance he has prostate
cancer, which can be detected through a blood test, a physical exam and a
biopsy.
For many men with prostate cancer, treatment is not immediately
necessary, unless they have an aggressive form of the disease, or the cancer
has spread to other areas of the body.
Treatments include having surgery to remove the prostate, radiotherapy
and hormone therapy.
4) NO SENSE OF SMELL OR A CHANGE IN LIBIDO
Could be: Problems with fertility
‘If a man notices a change in his libido, that could be an endocrine
[hormonal] problem,’ said Mr Michael Dooley, a consultant gynaecologist at the
Poundbury Clinic at King Edward VII’s Hospital.
It could be indicative of hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism, a condition
where, in men, the testicles do not produce enough male hormones.
This leads to a lack of sex drive, and fertility problems, he explained.
‘A lack of smell is another sign that the testicles aren’t working
properly,’ he added.
Lack of smell, or anosmia as its known medically, is associated with
Kallman’s syndrome, a similar genetic disorder in which the lack of male
hormones leads to delayed puberty.
‘Nobody knows why- but lack of smell is one of the key signs,’ Mr Dooley
continued.
In both illnesses, the pituitary gland does not produce a hormone called
gonadotropin-releasing hormone, he said.
‘If your body doesn’t make it, the testicles will not make sperm,
leading to fertility problems.
‘If a man is infertile, you give him gonadotrophic injections.’
He advised men with either of these symptoms to go to their GP, who
could refer them on to an endocrinologist or a fertility expert to investigate
the problem.
5) LUMP IN TESTICLE
Could be: Testicular cancer
Lumps and swellings in the testicles are a relatively common symptom in
boys and men.
The majority of lumps and swellings are caused by benign (non-cancerous)
conditions that may not need treatment.
However, a lump could be a sign of testicular cancer, which affects
nearly 2,000 men each year in the UK and is the most common cancer in men aged
20 to 35.
Men who notice a lump or abnormality in their testicles should always
see their GP, doctors advise.
This is because treatment for testicular cancer is much more effective
if the cancer is diagnosed early.
Indeed, it is the cancer with the highest survival rate.
6) BLOOD IN THE URINE
Could be: Bladder cancer
Blood in the urine is the most common sign of bladder cancer, and is
usually painless.
However half of those with the disease will die from it, figures
show.
Most cases of bladder cancer appear to be caused by exposure to harmful
substances, which lead to abnormal changes in the bladder's cells over many
years.
Tobacco smoke is a common cause and it's estimated that half of all
cases of bladder cancer are caused by smoking.
Chemicals previously used in manufacturing – now banned - are also known
to cause the disease.
+8
Lower back or
abdominal pain can be a sign of bladder cancer (file photo)
Other symptoms to look out for include: needing to go to the loo
frequently, urine infections that keep coming back, tiredness, lower back or
abdominal pain and weight loss for no obvious reason.
Men with any of these symptoms should go to the doctor immediately.
Although it is likely they are due to a problem that is not cancer, such
as haemorrhoids or a urinary infection, a doctor will be able to investigate.
7) DRINKING HEAVILY
Could be: Depression
In men, depression does not always display itself in the way we might
think.
Classical symptoms include tearfulness, waking up early in the morning
and other sleep disturbances, and experiencing loss of pleasure.
But men are more likely to have a ‘front’ and their depression may not
manifest itself in these ways, says Dr John Chisholm, a former GP and chair of
the Men’s Health Forum.
He told MailOnline: ‘Excessive drinking is something we flag up as a
sign that things aren’t well.
‘In the UK there are a lot of people who are drinking in excess of the
recommended daily limits. It puts their physical health at risk but it can also
be a symptom of depression.
‘It can precipitate behaviour that is to be avoided, for example the
association of drinking with domestic violence.’
He pointed to a Danish study which found that men who are depressed
don’t emit the classical signals.
Instead, as well as alcohol abuse, anger management, violence, an
inability to maintain relationships, or a withdrawal from established
relationship can signal depression.
This is something that professionals may not realise, he added.
‘I don’t want to criticise doctors and nurses, but not all
healthcare professionals will be aware of the symptoms men display when they
are depressed and suicidal,’ he said.
This is
important, Dr Chisholm says, as men are already 20 per cent less likely to go
to the doctor in the first place.
‘Men find
personal things more difficult to talk about their feelings.
He added:
‘Part of masculinity, of male culture, is to grin and bear it, suppress your
feelings. That’s how boys have been brought up; they are taught to put on a
veneer of coping.’
Part of masculinity, of male
culture, is to grin and bear it, suppress your feelings. That’s how boys have
been brought up; they are taught to put on a veneer of coping
Dr John Chisholm, a former GP and
chair of the Men’s Health Forum
This
‘bottling up’ of feelings means mental health problems can be masked.
It has
serious consequences, said Dr Chisholm.
Three
quarters of suicides occur in men, a surprising figure given that more women
are diagnosed with depression and anxiety than men.
‘The sort
of methods men use to kill themselves are more violent and likely to succeed,’
he added.
‘We have
to break the cultural stereotypes and teach men that they should be in touch
with their emotions. And if those emotions get out of control, it’s not a sign
of weakness to seek help.
‘If men
are in a family setting or in a relationship with a partner or a spouse or in a
network of friends, if those partners or friends are more aware of these
things, they can encourage a man under stress or strain seek medical help for
that.’
8) PAIN IN THE BIG TOE
Could be: Gout
+8
Gout is
three to four times more likely in men than women - and one of the most common
symptoms is a painful big toe
Gout is
three to four times more likely in men than women.
And it is
even more common in older men, with 1 in 7 older men affected, compared to 1 in
16 older women.
The most
common symptom of gout is sudden and severe pain in one or more joints,
typically the big toe.
A type of
arthritis, gout occurs when crystals of sodium urate form inside and around
joints.
It
happens due to a build-up of uric acid, a waste product made in the body every
day, in the blood.
If you
produce too much uric acid or excrete too little when you urinate, the uric
acid builds up and causes tiny crystals of sodium urate to form in and around
joints.
These
hard, needle-shaped crystals build up slowly over several years without the
person knowing.
Eventually,
some may spill over and inflame the soft lining of the joint, causing pain and
inflammation.
Some
crystals pack together to form hard, slowly expanding lumps of crystals which
damage joint cartilage and nearby bone, eventually leading to irreversible
joint damage.
The
joints then become intensely painful and stiff when used.
Symptoms
usually occur after the age of 30 in men.
9) LUMPS AROUND THE NIPPLE
Could be: Male breast cancer
It’s not
only women that get breast cancer, around 350 men a year in the UK are also
diagnosed with the disease, according to Breast Cancer Care.
Many
people don’t know that men can get breast cancer because they don’t think of
men as having breasts.
In fact,
men have smaller amounts of breast tissue around their nipple, where can, on
rare occasions, tumours can develop.
Lumps,
often painless, close to the nipple are the most common symptom, although they
can also occur away from the nipple.
A tender
or inverted nipple, or discharge, which is often blood-stained, are other signs
of the disease, as well as swelling in the chest or ulcers forming in the
area.
Most men
who get breast cancer are over 60, although younger men can be affected.
The
sooner breast cancer is diagnosed and treated, the better the outcome, so it’s
important to get any symptoms checked out as quickly as possible.
