According to the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP), a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, “Many men need to pay more attention to their health.” Compared with women, men are more likely to:
• Smoke
• Drink too much alcohol
• Make unhealthy or risky choices
• Put off regular checkups and medical care
Also, compared with women, the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), men have a higher risk of:
• Heart disease
• Cancer
• Injuries
• Stroke
• Suicide
• HIV/AIDS
Having diabetes can add other challenges for men, including erectile dysfunction, low testosterone levels, overactive bladder, incontinence, and urinary tract infections (UTIs).
While these challenges can seem overwhelming or discouraging, there is good news! You can take charge and take steps to improve your health to lower the risk of having health problems. Here’s how to get started!
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Schedule a visit with your health care provider
When was the last time you saw your primary care provider for a general checkup or wellness visit? If you can’t remember, it’s probably time to get that visit scheduled, even if you are feeling well. Remember that some diseases and health conditions (including type 2 diabetes and heart disease) don’t always have symptoms, at least at first. Plus, regular checkups give you a chance to ask questions and bring up anything that’s on your mind. As a refresher, here’s what may happen at your yearly checkup:
- A review of your medical history, family’s medical history, medications, and allergies.
- Measurement of vital signs, including height, weight, blood pressure, pulse, temperature, and oxygen saturation level.
- A physical exam. Your provider should check your pulse, listen to your heart and lungs, check your eyes, ears, and mouth, feel your lymph nodes, and look for swelling. If you have diabetes, your provider should examine your feet and check the pulses in your feet, as well.
- A prostate exam, a testicular exam, and a hernia exam.
- Discussion of screening tests that you may need, such as a colonoscopy, lung CT scan if you smoke, infectious disease screening (e.g., HIV, hepatitis C), and tests to check for heart disease (e.g., stress test, echocardiogram).
- Ordering of blood tests to check for diabetes (if you don’t have diabetes) and to check cholesterol and triglycerides, kidney function, thyroid hormone levels, testosterone levels, and possibly a PSA (prostate-specific antigen) test.
- Discussion of any immunizations that you may need, such as a flu, shingles, COVID-19, or pneumonia vaccine.
Your provider may ask you about your mental health (e.g., symptoms of depression), sexual function, diet and level of physical activity, alcohol and tobacco use, and the use of seat belts and smoke detectors. They may remind you to schedule your annual dilated eye exam and dental exam, as well.
Finally, your provider may refer you to other health care providers, based on findings from your physical exam, your medical history, and questions and concerns that you have. Don’t be shy about asking for referrals if your provider does not mention them. These types of referrals can be helpful:
- A diabetes educator or a diabetes program to learn more about managing your diabetes
- A dietitian to learn more about healthy eating and losing weight
- A program for stopping smoking
- A therapist or counselor to help manage stress, depression, or anxiety
- An endocrinologist (doctor who specializes in diabetes) for managing your diabetes medications
Other health issues
Having diabetes can put you at risk for other health-related issues, including erectile dysfunction, heart disease, and sleep apnea. Learn more about these issues and what you can do to prevent or manage them.
Erectile dysfunction
Erectile dysfunction (ED) is when a man can’t get or keep an erection firm enough for sex. Men with diabetes are three times more likely to have ED. Also, men with diabetes are more likely to have heart disease and ED can indicate blood vessel problems, says the CDC. One of the causes of ED is high blood sugar levels or high blood pressure that damage nerves and blood vessels needed for an erection. Other causes can be certain medications, sleep disorders, use of tobacco or alcohol, and treatment for prostate cancer.
If you have or think you have ED, ask your provider treatment options and which ones would be best for you. More than 95% of men with ED can be treated successfully.
Heart disease
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S. for both men and women, and if you have diabetes you’re twice as likely to have heart disease or a stroke compared with someone without diabetes.
High blood sugar, high blood pressure, high LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, and high triglycerides (blood fats) are the culprits when it comes to heart disease. For the most part, these factors don’t cause symptoms, so it’s important to have regular medical appointments with your primary care provider or endocrinologist. You may need tests to check your heart health — these include an electrocardiogram (ECG) or a stress test.
Lifestyle factors play a big role in helping you to prevent heart disease. Eating healthier foods, losing some weight if you need to, being physically active, managing stress, limiting alcohol, and stopping smoking are some of the ways to lower your risk.
Sleep apnea
Men are more likely to have sleep apnea than women, and the risk for sleep apnea is higher in people who have type 2 diabetes compared with people who don’t have diabetes. “Sleep apnea is a condition in which your breathing stops and restarts many times while you sleep,” according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. A lot of factors raise the risk of sleep apnea including age, family history, obesity, diabetes, heart failure, smoking, and drinking alcohol.
Symptoms of sleep apnea include:
- Breathing that starts and stops during sleep
- Frequent loud snoring
- Gasping for air during sleep
You might also have daytime sleepiness, headaches, dry mouth, erectile dysfunction, and waking up frequently during the night to urinate. If you have these symptoms, let your provider know. You may need a sleep study to help diagnose which type of sleep apnea you have. Treatments are available, including use of a CPAP machine, oral devices, and in some cases, surgery. Lifestyle changes can help, too. It’s important to treat sleep apnea to lessen the chances of high blood pressure, stroke, heart failure, and heart attack.
If you are having difficulty managing your diabetes, don’t hesitate to tell your primary care provider. They can discuss your diabetes treatment plan and let you know about other options for managing diabetes. And, as mentioned above, they can refer you to a diabetes educator who can teach and guide you on managing your diabetes.
Want to learn more about men’s health issues? Read “Preventing Prostate Cancer” and “Testosterone for Type 2 Diabetes?”
