We\u2019re not total idiots about health, though. For example, men are more likely than women to get screened for colorectal cancer, and we understand it\u2019s wise to get checked for serious conditions like heart disease and prostate cancer. It\u2019s the out-of-nowhere aches, pains and oddball growths that we tend to blow off. One survey found that a quarter of men who were sick or in pain would wait as long as possible to see a doctor, and 17 percent would wait at least a week.<\/p>\n
I finally went to the doctor about the spot on my scalp after I did some online research to assess the odds that it was something serious\u2014and wasn\u2019t reassured by what I read. Men like to be rational. Giving him the facts\u2014as scary as they may be\u2014may turn on a logic switch that makes it difficult to defend dodging his doctor.<\/p>\n
Experts agree that not every symptom warrants a trip to the doctor, but some seemingly minor signs shouldn\u2019t be toyed with (in men or women). We asked physicians to tell us the most serious symptoms that often go ignored\u2014and why they shouldn\u2019t be.<\/p>\n
1. Feeling Tongue-Tied
He\u2019s thinking: I\u2019m having a senior moment.
But it could be: A stroke. When a clot, injury, narrow blood vessel or other problem restricts blood flow to the brain, the result can be a TIA\u2014a transient ischemic attack, which impairs brain function and can make speech difficult. It\u2019s different from the tip-of-the-tongue reaching for an elusive word. \u201cHe might find that words can\u2019t come out at all, or he\u2019ll speak words that are different from the ones he intended or mumble things that don\u2019t make sense,\u201d says Steven Kaplan, MD, director of the Iris Cantor Men\u2019s Health Center now under construction at NewYork\u2013Presbyterian Hospital in New York City. Such symptoms warrant an immediate call to the doctor or trip to the ER. Mini-strokes usually last a few minutes and symptoms typically disappear within an hour, but having a TIA means you\u2019re at immediate risk of a more massive stroke. Men have a slightly higher risk of TIAs than women, and risks go up with age, especially after 55.<\/p>\n
2. Shortness of Breath
He\u2019s thinking: I\u2019m really out of shape.
But it could be: An impending heart attack. Shortness of breath with exertion such as walking up a flight of stairs could be a sign that the heart muscle isn\u2019t getting enough oxygen\u2014a hallmark of coronary heart disease, which men age 55 and over are at an increased risk for.<\/p>\n
\u201cAny condition that makes breathing a struggle, including asthma and allergies, is exacerbated by exertion,\u201d Dr. Shindel says. \u201cBut if shortness of breath seems to be getting worse each time, we worry about the heart.\u201d Breathing that\u2019s labored and doesn\u2019t improve warrants a call to 911. An electrocardiogram or EKG (which measures the electrical activity of your heart), a sonogram or ultrasound of the heart, and chest X-rays can help diagnose or rule out a heart problem.<\/p>\n
3. Persistent Pain On One side of the Abdomen
He\u2019s thinking: I probably pulled a muscle.
But it could be: A kidney stone or tumor. One-sided pain that goes away probably is a side stitch or pulled muscle and nothing to worry about. \u201cBut if a dull ache is persistent, it should be evaluated by a physician,\u201d says Dr. Kaplan. \u201cIt could be many things, but a tumor is one of the first possibilities we consider.\u201d An ache from a tumor won\u2019t likely move around, and may get better if he takes an over-the-counter pain reliever\u2014but will keep coming back. \u201cAny abdominal pain that doesn\u2019t resolve within three days deserves to be checked out.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sharp, excruciating pain that hits suddenly and doesn\u2019t improve within an hour warrants a trip to the ER. \u201cIf it\u2019s a kidney stone, the pain will radiate from a specific point and can be intense enough to make you vomit,\u201d Dr. Kaplan says. \u201cI\u2019ve had one myself, and it\u2019s so horrible it makes you want to die.\u201d The problem could also be appendicitis, a perforated ulcer or a hernia, so it\u2019s important to get checked out.<\/p>\n
4. Toilet-Time Blood
He\u2019s thinking: Must be something I ate.
But it could be: A kidney stone or bladder cancer if blood is in urine; colon cancer if blood is in stools. Bright red spots on tissue after wiping are likely from hemorrhoids. But blood in stools that have become narrower and thinner than usual (like the width of a pencil) could be a sign of cancer. Black, tarry stools might also indicate stomach bleeding from an ulcer. His doctor will likely examine the GI tract via a colonoscopy or upper endoscopy to nail down the problem.<\/p>\n
Blood in urine may show up as a subtle pink hue, but he shouldn\u2019t dismiss minuscule amounts or chalk it up to eating beets. \u201cYou\u2019d have to eat a whole lot for that to happen,\u201d says Mark Pochapin, MD, director of the Jay Monahan Center for Gastrointestinal Health at NewYork\u2013Presbyterian Hospital\/Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York City. Assume any reddish color is blood: One drop can turn the bowl pink. \u201cEven microscopic amounts are a warning,\u201d says Martin Miner, MD, codirector of the Men\u2019s Health Center at The Miriam Hospital and clinical associate professor at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. \u201cIf he can actually see red color, he should definitely be evaluated.\u201d<\/p>\n
5. Trouble Down Below
He\u2019s thinking: There\u2019s a pill for this.
But it could be: An early warning of cardiovascular disease. \u201cThe latest studies find that men in their 40s and 50s with erectile dysfunction may be two to five years away from a cardiovascular event like a heart attack,\u201d Dr. Miner says. A recent study at the Mayo Clinic found that men who had ED in their 40s were 50 times more likely to have heart trouble down the road than men who didn\u2019t. The artery leading to the penis is about half the diameter of the one feeding the heart, so experts think that restricted blood flow from atherosclerosis shows up early down below. An EKG or stress test can identify cardiac problems and a Doppler ultrasound (usually from a urologist) can test blood flow in penile blood vessels.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe first sign of ED is usually trouble maintaining an erection during sex or not having normal morning erections,\u201d Dr. Miner says. The good news is that the onset of ED, if it\u2019s caused by cardiovascular disease, suggests your man may have a window of opportunity to treat heart disease before it becomes a serious problem.<\/p>\n
6. Daytime Fatigue
He\u2019s thinking: I should go to sleep earlier.
But it could be: Obstructive sleep apnea. Spending more time in bed won\u2019t help if fatigue is due to this condition, in which the airway narrows or is blocked during sleep, cutting off breathing and disrupting slumber five to 30 times an hour. \u201cEveryone has a night here and there when he doesn\u2019t sleep well. But if the fatigue doesn\u2019t go away even when he can catch up on rest, sleep apnea could be putting him at risk for health problems such as heart attack, arrhythmias, stroke or even heart failure,\u201d Dr. Shindel says. A sign he\u2019s chronically tired: falling asleep while doing activities during waking hours. \u201cIt\u2019s not normal to fall asleep during usual waking hours just because you\u2019re in a dark room,\u201d Dr. Shindel says. Sleep apnea is especially common in overweight men and heavy snorers, but can be treated with breathing devices such as a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure), an apparatus that you wear at night to keep airways open. Losing weight and surgery to widen the airway can also help.<\/p>\n
7. Constant Grumpiness
He\u2019s thinking: I\u2019m just under a lot of stress at work.
But it could be: Depression. Feeling cranky and low because of work hassles or difficult times is normal, but it should dissipate within a few days. With clinical depression, downbeat irritability lasts weeks at a time. \u201cIt\u2019s different from run-of-the-mill blues and time for him to talk to his doctor if you\u2019re saying to him, \u2018You haven\u2019t been acting like the person I think you really are for weeks\u2019 or he\u2019s lost interest in activities he used to enjoy or isn\u2019t performing at work,\u201d Dr. Shindel says.<\/p>\n
Talk therapy and antidepressant medication are the options his doctor will likely suggest first. But if he has symptoms such as fatigue, low sex drive and loss of muscle mass, Dr. Shindel advises getting a blood test for low testosterone, which is sometimes the root cause of depression, especially in men over 40. Testosterone replacement in the form of gel, skin patches or injections can reverse the symptoms, but he should first talk to his doctor carefully about his medical history and the potential risks of testosterone therapy.<\/p>\n
8. Frequent Urination
He\u2019s thinking: I\u2019m drinking too much coffee.
But it could be: Type 2 diabetes or an enlarged prostate. It might be the coffee\u2014when he\u2019s actually drinking it. But if he often gets up to go twice or more during the night, his body could be trying to get rid of excess blood sugar that\u2019s built up because it can\u2019t get into cells\u2014the problem that defines diabetes. He should first try adjusting what or when he drinks at night to see if that leads to fewer wee-hour trips to the bathroom. \u201cIf he still urinates more than he did a month ago, he should get his blood sugar checked, especially if he also has increased thirst, another red flag for diabetes,\u201d Dr. Miner says. Diabetes can usually be controlled with changes in diet and exercise, often combined with medication.<\/p>\n
If he\u2019s also feeling like he can\u2019t empty his bladder completely and\/or is having a slow or weak stream, dribbling and having trouble getting urine flow started, the problem may be a growing prostate. This small gland surrounds the tube that carries urine out of the bladder, so an increase in size can put the squeeze on urine flow\u2014a common problem in middle-aged and older men. (In men under 50, symptoms could be due to a urinary tract infection.)<\/p>\n
Though painless, an enlarged prostate can eventually get worse and lead to acute urinary retention, where he suddenly can\u2019t urinate at all, which is an emergency that often leads to surgery. Treatment ranges from exercises to strengthen muscles in the pelvic floor to medications that relieve symptoms or shrink the prostate. Prostate cancer is also a possibility, especially for men over 50, and if the doctor suspects that, he\u2019ll do a rectal exam and draw blood to check PSA (prostate-specific antigen) levels; higher-than-normal results may indicate prostate enlargement, an infection or cancer.<\/p>\n
9. Yellowish Skin
He\u2019s thinking: What yellow skin?
But it could be: Liver trouble. Yellow skin, or jaundice, suggests the liver isn\u2019t functioning right. Possible causes in adults include liver disease, gallstones, pancreatic cancer or a viral hepatitis infection, which causes swelling of the liver.<\/p>\n
\u201cHepatitis A isn\u2019t a disease people think of, but it\u2019s a virus found in contaminated shellfish and can be passed on by people who prepare food and don\u2019t wash their hands,\u201d Dr. Pochapin says. In fact, hepatitis A is one of the most common infectious diseases that\u2019s preventable with a vaccine\u2014 worth considering for anyone who hasn\u2019t been inoculated. Symptoms like jaundice, fever, upset stomach and fatigue usually show up within two to six weeks of exposure and get better on their own with a few weeks of rest. (And the virus doesn\u2019t stay in your body after that.) But have him check in with his doctor, who\u2019ll most likely want to run some tests to figure out exactly what\u2019s going on.<\/p>\n
10. A New Spot\u2014Mole, Freckle, Red Patch\u2014 On the Skin
He\u2019s thinking: It\u2019ll go away.
But it could be: Skin cancer or seborrheic keratoses\u2014 warty, waxy benign lesions that become more common in middle age. Any time a new skin growth appears or an existing one changes in size, color or shape, he should see a doctor. Be especially concerned if a spot or mole gets darker, bleeds, itches or feels irritated\u2014all of which are possible signs of skin cancer, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. The differences in appearance between a benign growth and skin cancer\u2014especially melanoma, the deadliest type\u2014can be subtle. So your physician may want to take a biopsy to make a definite ID.<\/p>\n
I know all this from firsthand experience\u2014 and when I understood what the dangers may have been, I was glad I saw my doctor. After all, nobody\u2019s indestructible forever.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
More here: <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Like a lot of men, I have a thing about doctors. I\u2019m not against them\u2014 I just figure medical care is for other guys. \u201cMen like to think they\u2019re indestructible,\u201d says Alan Shindel, MD, codirector of the Men\u2019s Health Program in the department of urology at the University of California, Davis<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":421409,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-441605","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-local-news"},"yoast_head":"\n