Bumps

Many men are still brought up to believe to believe that they must be strong and tough, and behave as if they are indestructible. This makes it hard for them to look after their health which would enhance their lives. In fact, it encourages risk-taking behaviours such as smoking, excessive drinking and dangerous driving. Having to be “macho” also makes it harder to ask for help from a doctor

Men have some in-built biological problems. The male sex hormone testosterone may raise the level of low-density lipoproteins (LDL), the “bad” type of cholesterol that increases the risk of heart disease. Also, when men put on weight, fat tends to build up around the waist, the worst possible place in terms of developing the furred-up arteries that cause heart problems. Lots of men do not visit the doctor because they shrug off their symptoms either as bravado or just because it does not seem significant.

Long-term conditions in men are badly managed by health professionals and men’s health does not always feature in local NHS health plans Few work places adopt men’s health initiatives and little health information is available in formats that men find accessible.Young men in particular can be a notoriously hard group to reach. We should always remember that giving out messages via simple easily understood information could enhance and ultimately save lives.

Generally women are better than men at talking and acting on health issues. Men tend not to talk about health,” Managing stress is very different by sex,”Women often seek support to talk out the emotional experience.Whether its friends, family, or a support group, women like to tell their stories. “Men tend not to talk about health,” “Eight years ago a survey found that men like to talk about sport, women, cars. Even politics is more popular than health issues. Men often seek an escape activity to get relief from stress, to create a relaxing diversion, to get away.

Health services could start increasing the awareness of the male population about the importance of looking after their health by embarking on more male targeted health campaigns. Providing male friendly walk in centres with consultations carried out in an atmosphere which does not intimidate. If this were to happen I believe men’s attitudes would begin to change which would also lead to early diagnosis which will ultimately save more lives.