MEN'S HEALTH If you’re a man reading this, chances are going to the doctor features somewhere towards the bottom of your to-do list. It’s not that you don’t care about your health, it’s just that if it’s not broke, don’t fix it, right? Wrong. When it comes to your health, key symptoms of serious diseases aren’t always immediately apparent and regular check-ups can help identify things you’ve missed. But, just in case you’re still hesitant to book a GP appointment, we’ve compiled a list of things that could be harming your health and how to fix them. 1 2 3 Do you smoke? Quit smoking. Cigarettes can seriously affect your chances of contracting cardiovascular disease so step one would be to quit. This can be hard, but it is possible. Your GP can help you come up with a plan to give you the best chance of success. 4 5 6 Do you snore loudly? Does your partner have to poke you in the middle of the night to make sure you’re still alive because it sounds like you’ve stopped breathing? You may have sleep apnoea. It’s worth seeing your GP to see what remedies are available to you to help both you and your long-suffering partner! Are you overweight? Be honest. Being overweight can lead to a whole host of health problems such as sleep apnoea, diabetes, high blood pressure, and degenerated joints, to name a few. This one is an easier fix than you think; try making your portion sizes gradually smaller and get active! Start with short walks and work up from there. Like a drink? So do most of us. The key here, though, is moderation. Try to have a couple of alcohol-free days a week and limit your alcoholic intake to two drinks a day. Don’t have a regular doctor? Get a GP! You need one who knows you and your history. A doctor who really knows you can notice when something isn’t quite right, even when you might feel fine. They can check your blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar and generally make sure nothing too serious breaks down. Do you dismiss or ignore little symptoms because they’re not all that serious? Don’t! You might think you’re short of breath because you’re just too old, lazy, unfit or overweight, but you could have heart disease. If you develop shortness of breath, chest pain, fatigue, loss of consciousness, a racing or irregular heartbeat or an abrupt loss of exercise capacity, get those things checked promptly. Putting your head in the sand and ignoring small problems can lead to big, sometimes incurable trouble down the track. H E A L T H C H E C K Dr Ben Hunt, Cardiologist 40 Pindara Magazine 2016
Pindara Private Hospital Magazine - Issue Seven
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