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Men’s Health Week
This week we honor Men’s Health Week and other health related observances.
The reason I chose to do a couple of Men’s Health Week posts is because there is a prominent issue in our culture that encourages men to tough out pain. Or overcome problems by “manning up.” Often times, this prevents men from getting the medical attention they need until it’s too late.
Men’s Health Week and Annual Physical Exams
To begin, annual physical exams are not an opportunity to prove your masculinity. Further, your doctor cares that you get the care you need. If you are masking symptoms or pretending you’re fine, your doctor cannot take proper care of you. And, for all the guys out there who consider annual exams unnecessary, you are dead wrong. So, please, for the sake of your family and those who love you, go get your check up. Let’s talk men’s health issues.
Life Expectancy and Men’s Health Week
Did you know that men die an average of five years earlier than women? In addition, the average life expectancy for men in the United States is 78.8 years old. That doesn’t sound too bad when you think about it, until you look at life expectancies for men in other countries. In 2015, the life expectancy for men in the United States ranked 43 out of all nations. When you consider the amount of technology, health care and resources we have available in the United States, we should be doing much better. We fall behind a lot of European nations with equivalent access.
Heart Disease
In the United States, 10 causes account for 75 percent of all deaths. Heart disease is in first place year after year. Men die from it more than women do. One out of every four deaths is caused by heart disease. Heart disease affects all demographics of our country, without racial or ethnic preference. Half of the men who die from those heart attacks had no previous symptoms. Risk factors for heart disease include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, family history, being overweight or obese, excessive alcohol consumption, and poor diet. Half of all Americans have either high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or smoke.
Men are more likely to have a heart attack than women:
- Prevalence: In the U.S., 4.3% of non-Hispanic white men and non-Hispanic black men have had a heart attack, compared to 2.1% of non-Hispanic white women and 2.2% of non-Hispanic black women.
- Incidence: About 555,000 men and 365,000 women have heart attacks each year.
- Risk: A 50-year-old American man has a one-in-two chance of developing heart disease in the rest of his life.
Cancer and Men’s Health Week
The second leading cause of death is cancer. Lung cancer accounts for more deaths than any other type of cancer. For men, the top three cancers that cause death are lung cancer, prostate cancer, and colon and rectal cancer. It has been estimated by The World Cancer Research Fund that as many as one third of cancer cases in the U.S. are due to obesity or being overweight. Other factors include lack of exercise and a sedentary lifestyle, as well as poor nutrition. And, while you’re thinking about cancer, don’t forget to put sunscreen on the back of your neck. That’s one of the most common places for men to get skin cancer.
Respiratory Disease
The third leading cause of death is called Chronic Lower Respiratory Disease, or CLRD. CLRD is an umbrella term for a handful of respiratory diseases that cause breathing issues, or block airways. Most commonly, death from CLRD is caused by COPD, which stands for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. CLRD also includes bronchitis, emphysema, and asthma. 80 percent of COPD deaths can be directly caused by smoking. That means 80 percent of deaths from COPD are preventable.
Unintentional Injuries
The fourth leading cause of death in the United States is accidents. Accidents are one of the top causes of death in people 44 and under. Prevention includes wearing a seatbelt, not drinking and driving, not texting while driving, and just overall better road safety. Don’t tail slow drivers in front of you, don’t swerve through traffic, don’t speed, let merging cars over, etc.
Stroke
The fifth leading cause of death is stroke, also called cerebrovascular disease. Close to 75% of strokes occur in people over the age of 65. Strokes are similar to heart disease in terms of risk factors and prevention. High blood pressure, high cholesterol, and smoking are the top risk factors, just like in heart disease. The other risk factors are being overweight or obese, not getting enough exercise, excessive alcohol consumption, and smoking. Some different risk factors include diabetes, dehydration, and not taking medication exactly as prescribed.
Personalized Cause® and Men’s Health Week
Personalized Cause® raises awareness for as many causes as possible with our awareness blog. We’re in the awareness business, which is why we started this awareness blog.
Personalized Cause® is an awareness accessory company that is known for custom awareness ribbon pins. If you’ve never visited our site, you may not know what custom awareness ribbon pins are. Our custom awareness ribbons give customers the ability to have a name, date, message or phrase engraved on the face of the pin. This allows others to know why you wear the awareness ribbon that is pinned to your lapel.
Many of our customers personalize their awareness ribbons with a name because they are raising awareness in honor of someone they love. Customers often choose to personalize their enamel awareness ribbons with the name of an illness from which they suffer. By wearing the custom awareness ribbon, they become their own advocate while raising awareness for their cause. No matter what your reason, or how you choose to personalize your ribbon pin, they are a beautiful and unique way to show support, love, or raise awareness.
Light blue ribbons raise awareness for Men’s Health Week.
Light Blue Ribbons for Men’s Health Week
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