By WIN Contributor: Dr. Nicholas Slowinski, Chiropractor
YO BRO’S and BRO-ETTES, with “Mo-vember” nearing an end, I want discuss why men, young and old, are sporting their fantastic lip warmers more commonly. Many people may not know what the cause is about… well it turns out, there are a few major health risks that men everywhere need to be on the look out for and those “dusters” we’re growing are a great way to raise awareness. This is a bit of a lengthy BUT IMPORTANT POST! Let’s dive in!
First of all, I want to talk about the health concern that even the most young and healthy gentlemen are at risk for. I’m talking about testicular cancer!
It is an unfortunate fact that testicular cancer is the most common cancer in young men. Generally, those who are most at risk, or those who have had undescended testes at birth, have a family history, like a father or brother who has had testicular cancer, or if you’ve had testicular cancer before.
So how do you know if something is wrong?
Well the best way is to KNOW YOUR ANATOMY! That’s right, give them a feel every now and again and see if something doesn’t feel right.
For a comical relief of a serious subject click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUtIlwLa_KY
Below is a link from the Movember campaigns website on how to appropriately do a self-exam!
Now listen guys, DON’T BE THAT GUY, if you find something, go to your doctor and get it checked out!
DON’T BE SELFISH, share this document with your buddy’s, your father, your brother(s), your son, your co-workers, etc…
https://cdn.movember.com/uploads/files/Your%20Health/TesticularSelfExamination.pdf
Fortunately, testicular cancer is a highly treatable cancer and can be often cured, if diagnosed and treated early. Advanced testicular cancer can also be cured with treatment including:
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Orchiectomy (surgical removal of the affected testis), done under general anesthetic
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Chemotherapy or radiotherapy, often prescribed after surgery to treat any remaining cancer cells that may have spread to other parts of the body, such as lymph nodes
The second big health risk for men I want to touch on is PROSTATE CANCER… the second leading cause of cancer in men world wide.
LISTEN BRO, your risk of developing prostate cancer increases with age, but that doesn’t mean it’s a disease that only affects old men. Men who are of African or Caribbean descent, and men who have a family history (a brother or father with prostate cancer), are 2.5x more likely to get prostate cancer
If you’re 50, you should be talking to your doctor about PSA testing for your prostate. If you’re of African or Caribbean descent, you need to start that conversation at 45. And if you have a brother or father with prostate cancer in their history, do it at 45.
You should also go see your doctor if you have any of the below things going on and get the aforementioned test.
Signs and symptoms
· A need to urinate frequently, especially at night
· Difficulty starting urination or holding back urine
· Weak or interrupted flow of urine
· Painful or burning urination
· Difficulty in having an erection
· Painful ejaculation
· Blood in urine or semen
· Frequent pain or stiffness in the lower back, hips, or upper thighs
If you’re one of the many men who are diagnosed with prostate cancer after speaking with your doctor, I highly recommend speaking with your doctor in further detail regarding your treatment options. Don’t just Google things all ‘willy nilly”, but be informed. Visit the following page; https://ca.movember.com/mens-health/prostate-cancer it’s a good place to start!
REMEMBER: if detected early the survival rate beyond 5 years is 98%, but that number drops off to 26% if detected late.
Finally, I want to touch on what has become an alarming cause of death in men, of all ages. Suicide and mental health. This is a heavy subject. Amongst us bros and bro-ettes, many of us have either been through personal struggles with mental health, or we know someone battling mental health concerns, or someone who has died from suicide.
Mental health is not a sprained ankle, people can’t just walk it off and make it go away. Don’t believe me? Well according to the “facts”, on a global scale, every minute a man dies by suicide. And if that’s not wild enough to comprehend, know this… in Canada alone, 75% of all suicides are MEN…so what do we do about it.
Simply put, we need to be BETTER BROS… I’m not saying you need to give every bro a big hug (although it would probably help), but across the board men need to do the following…
· TALK MORE
· ASK MORE
· LISTEN MORE
· ENCOURAGE ACTION
· CHECK IN
For more in detail reasons for these, or if you need resources for any of the above, check https://ca.movember.com/mens-health/mental-health.
I should also mention there are a few podcasts available on the website that are worth a listen. I should add, if you do listen to a few, and you happen to “catch some feelings”, be sure to CRY LIKE A MAN…Kleenex or toilet paper works great for tears.
I hope this article was helpful to at least one bro out there. Wishing all of you good health and a happy start to the holiday season!
-Dr. Nick