This week, we’re going to have a few posts in honor of 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
Annual physical exams are not an opportunity to prove your masculinity. 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 whose who love you, go get your check up. Let’s talk men’s health issues.
Life Expectancy and Men
Did you know that men die an average of five years earlier than women? 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 to us 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 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. Between 70 and 89 percent of heart attacks/cardiac events in America happen to men.
Half of the men that 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 Americans have either high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or smoke.
Cancer
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. Don’t forget 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 are accidents. Accidents are one of the top causes of death in people 44 and under. Prevention includes wearing your 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 percent 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 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, not taking medication exactly as prescribed.
Men’s Health Week and Personalized Cause
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 the awareness blog.
Personalized Cause® is an awareness accessory company that is known for custom awareness ribbons. If you’ve never visited our site, you may not know what custom awareness ribbons are. Our custom awareness ribbons give customers the ability to have a name, date, message or phrase engraved. This allows you to communicate to others why you wear the awareness ribbon.
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 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 for Men’s Health Week
Light blue ribbons raise awareness for Men’s Health. https://www.personalizedcause.com/personalized-awareness-ribbons/light-blue-awareness-pin-personalized?rq=mens%20health“>Click here order a light blue custom awareness ribbon.
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