Mainly the gender and sexual issues affects men’s mental health. This is primarily aimed at professionals and students who work with persons in psychological distress. Men are more likely to be joined formally under the act of mental health.

Here are the most common psychological illnesses that affect men:

Depression:

Several studies proved that depression occurs in men as often as compared to women, but women can be diagnosed and treated twice than men. Occasionally covert or hidden depression is a factor behind some problems, but sometimes they are thought of as being typically male problems, like alcohol addiction and illegal drugs usage. It can also be exhibited in behavior such as unexplained physical symptoms, social withdrawal, and relationship problems.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD):

Men are more likely to experience behavioral disorders, such as ADHD. Mostly ADHD affects the people during their childhood and continue as they grow. But some children grow without experiencing any psychological illnesses.

Suicide:

Severe reasons can encourage men to commit suicide. They may include family problems, tension and financial status. Men are reluctance to express their feelings and talk about their problems, and the fact is men are hesitating to consult their personal doctor, especially if they are suffering from psychological illness. Social changes around them such as employment, education and family relationships are also noted.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD):

PTSD can be developed in anyone; this may increase with severity of trauma. People who are high risk of PTSD include: fire fighters, combat veterans and violence victims- groups, also those include more number of men.

Personality Disorders:

Traditionally these have been associated with controversy and stigma. Every personality disorder is more likely to occur in men when compared to women, such as antisocial personality disorder. Men who have personality disorder are mostly represented in the population of prison.

Anxiety and Mood Disorders:

Some of the psychological illnesses are come under this category. People with mood disorders or affective disorders include conditions, which are caused by extreme and persistent mood swings, such as excessive sadness or happiness. Examples include bipolar disorder, depression, dysthymia, seasonal affective disorder, etc. Anxiety disorder is characterized by abnormal and excessive anxiety and fear. Several types of psychological illnesses come under this category, such as normal anxiety disorder panic and phobias.

Here is the brief overview about risk factors of pancreatic cancer:

Age: The risk of getting pancreatic cancer may increase as people get older. Mainly it affects the people who are in middle age and old age and rarely affects younger people. Out of 4 people 3 are more than 65 years old, whose body is prone to develop pancreatic cancer.

Diet: Diet that contains huge amount of processed meat or red meat may increase the risk of getting pancreatic cancer. These processed meats include sausages, burger patties, ham, and bacon. Regularly eating a diet, which is high in sugar and fat and low in vegetables and fresh fruits may also increase the risk. Drinking large amount of alcohol can also increase the risk.

Tobacco and smoking: Cigarette and tobacco smoke includes a large number of cancer causing chemicals such as carcinogens. Tobacco is one of the major risk factor for getting this cancer.

Religious Background: Chances of developing this cancer are more common in Jews than the other people. This may be due to a specific inherited mutation in breast cancer gene (BRCA2) that runs in Jewish families.

Gender: This cancer most commonly occurs in men than women because men are more likely to smoke than women.

Chronic Pancreatitis: People, who have a condition like inflammation of the pancreas, swelling and tenderness over a long period of time, are more likely to develop this cancer. Having chronic pancreatitis may increase the risk of developing cancer in pancreas; this is due to a rare inherited condition known as hereditary pancreatitis.

Peptic ulcer surgery: People who have had a partial gastrectomy may have an increased risk of getting pancreatic cancer.

Diabetes: This is a disease also known as diabetes mellitus or sugar diabetes. Diabetes makes your body unable to produce required amount of insulin, which is a hormone that normally produced by the pancreas. This hormone helps the body in converting starches and sugar into the energy.

Body weight: From several studies, it is proven that being physically inactive and being overweight can also increase risk of developing this cancer.

Genetic syndrome: Inherited mutations of gene are abnormal copies of particular genes, which may be passed from parents to children. 10% of pancreatic cancers can be cause by this abnormal gene.

Occupational exposure: Over exposure at work to certain dyes, chemicals, and pesticides which are used in metal refining can increase the risk of this cancer.

Whatever may be the cause of hair loss such as hereditary, or diseases, or medications, or stress, or other hair torture things like tight braiding, turbans, etc, there is a possibility for slowing down the process of hair loss.

Types of Hair Loss

Hair loss can be broadly classified into two types, which include permanent and temporary loss of hair.

Permanent Hair Loss Types:

• Male-Pattern Baldness: This is also known as androgenetic alopecia. In general, this occurs in men during their teen ages, or during early twenties. In this, hair loss can be seen on the top of the head and thinning of hair at the temples.
• Cicatricial (scarring) alopecia: This is a rare case of permanent hair loss, which is caused due to inflammation scars. It is generally associated with itching, and sometimes even pain.

Temporary Hair Loss Types:

• Alopecia areata: In this, the loss of hair take place in the small round patches. In general, these patches occur in scalp area. But, sometimes these can even occur on eyebrows, eye lashes and beard. The lost hair will grow back in due course.
• Telogen effluvium: This is kind of temporary hair loss, which is generally caused due medical condition or due to stress resulting in the interruption of natural hair growth cycle. Handful of hair is lost during combing or washing hair.
• Anagen effluvium: This is temporary hairloss caused due to radiation therapy and chemotherapy drugs used for treating cancer.

Causes of Hair Loss

There are many factors that will cause hairloss. One of the vital causes of hair loss is genetics. If a person’s mother or father is having is having baldness, then there are maximum chances for that person to have hair loss. Male pattern disorder is hereditary.

Certain diseases like diabetes, lupus, thyroid disease, anemia and hormonal changes can also result into baldness. Infections like ringworm and fungal infection can also make the hair shed. Medical treatments like chemotherapy and radio therapy will also result in hairloss.

Another important condition that can result in loss of hair is poor nutrition. Inadequate proteins and iron in diet will result in shedding of hair.

Regular hair dying, bleaching, and hair straightening will also result to this condition. The chemical used in these hair styling methods damages the hair.

Stress, which is commonly faced by almost everyone, is also one of the vital causes of hair loss.

Diagnosis

When a person approaches a dermatologist for hair loss, firstly he or she will have complete physical examination, and also know about the person’s medical and family history. After that he may go for test for diagnosing hair loss. These tests include:

• Pull Test: In this test, a group of 40 to 60 hairs are gently pulled and number of hairs that came out is counted under microscope. This pulling is done in three different areas of the scalp.
• Pluck Test: In this, hair is pulled out from roots. And this root is been examined under microscope to check whether any infection is the cause of hairloss.
• Scalp Biopsy: In this test, hair samples from the border area of bald patches are taken and examined. This test is generally used in the case of alopecia.

Medications for Hair Loss Treatments

There are both prescription and non prescription medications available in market that can be used for hair loss treatment.

• Minoxidil (Rogaine): This is an approved over the counter non-prescription medication. This medicine is used for treating androgenetic alopecia and alopecia areata. This comes in the form of a liquid, which is to be rubbed on the scalp daily twice for hair growth and for reducing hair loss.
• Finasteride (Propecia): This is a prescription medication that is used for treating male-pattern baldness. This comes in the form of a pill, which is to be taken daily once. It helps in slowing down the procedure and in growing of new hair.
• Corticosteroids: This is another hair loss treatment method, which is used for treating alopecia areata. This comes in the form of injection, which is given into the scalp once in a month.
• Anthralin (Dritho-Scalp): This comes in the form of an ointment, which is to be applied on the scalp, and washed off on daily basis. This is actually used for treating psoriasis, but can also help in growing new hair for alopecia areata cases.

Surgical Treatment

There are two hair loss surgical treatments available. But, you need to remember that these methods are painful and costly procedures.

• Hair Transplantation Surgery: It is mainly helps treating male-pattern baldness by growing new hair. This surgery generally involves in moving of hair follicles from the one area, which is generally from back and sides of scalp and implanted in bald area. This procedure takes several sittings.
• Scalp Reduction Surgery: This surgery involves reducing of bald area on scalp. As the age increases, the skin on the scalp becomes stretchable and flexible. The bald area on the scalp is surgically removed and in this area is closed with scalp containing hair. In general, this surgery is done along with hair transplantation surgery.

Wigs

When no other treatment technique is helping a person from hair loss, wigs can be best alternative. Actually, wigs do not involve in reducing or treating hair loss procedure, but this will help in covering the hair loss.

Natural Hair Loss Solutions

The following steps will help in reducing the hair loss procedure:

• Taking a balanced diet will be of great help in reducing hair loss
• Get good night sleep in order to have proper rest required for the body and also for overcoming stress.
• Follow relaxation techniques.
• Regularly have scalp massage, as this will increase blood circulation, which in turn helps in hair growth. Using essential oils like lavender oil for this scalp massage can be even better for hair growth
• Apart from these natural techniques like homeopathy, herbs, etc can be used for hair loss.

We all know that prevention is always better than cure. So, handle your hair gently and take proper care for your hair to prevent hair fall.

This improvement in men’s health was made possible by the better nutrition, improvement in levels of public health and sanitation, and invention of new vaccines and antibiotics.

Now a day we see many obese people around us. Unfortunately, in this present day modern world many people are not concentrating on their health and fitness. This can result into many disorders. By just following good living habits, and having regular health check-ups prevent a person from heart diseases and cancers.

Simple good living habits for better men’s health includes taking healthy nutritious diet, regular exercising, maintaining ideal weight, and staying away from alcohol, cigarettes and other drugs.

Healthy Nutritious Diet For Better Men’s Health

Healthy nutritious diet is very much needed for better men’s health. The main cause of many diseases, particularly heart diseases is obesity. Obesity is mainly caused by eating junk food. Healthy diet not only prevents a person from being becoming obese but also helps in improving the health.

Food guide pyramid will be very helpful in making the food choices that are to be included in diet. For having a balanced diet a person should include more food items from bottom layer of the pyramid and lesser food items from top layer of the food pyramid.

Regular Exercise

Along with healthy nutritious diet, exercise is also very important for maintaining better men’s health. Physical exercise helps a man in maintaining his overall health, weight, and also reduces his levels of risk for heart diseases.

It is recommended to all men to do moderate exercise for at least 30 minutes every day. Apart from better men’s health, this will improve the mood levels; helps in reducing the depression and stress levels; to have good night sleep; increases the body flexibility; and also helps in building a muscular body.

Ideal Weight

As we all know that obesity is cause for many heart diseases and many other diseases. Therefore, it is very important to maintain ideal weight for better men’s health. Ideal weight is related to height. Body Mass Index table will show whether a person fall under the ideal weight range or not.

When a person crosses the ideal weight range and fall under the obesity range, he is increasing his risk for diabetes, high blood pressure, heart diseases, and some cancers. Increasing the physical activity levels through regular exercise and eating a healthy diet will reduce the extra fats in body and helps in maintaining the ideal weight.

Avoid Alcohol, Smoking, and Other Drugs

Avoiding alcohol consumption, cigarette smoking, and other drugs will critical in maintaining better men’s health. It of no use if a person exercising regularly and eating healthy diet, but got addicted to alcohol, smoking or other drugs. He is gradually increasing his risk levels to many dangerous diseases.

Apart from the increased levels of risk for diseases, person is also increasing the risk for motor accidents. Most of the motor accidents happen with drunk and drive conditions.

Cigarette smoke contains more than 400 hazardous gases, which are the main causes of lung cancer, and many other diseases. Drugs increases the heart beat rate, and also increases the risk of stroke.

So, it is always good to stay away from these things for maintaining a better men’s health.

In most of the cases, it is slow growing, but there even cases of advance stages, where the cancer has spread to other body parts such as bones and lymph nodes.

Before knowing about prostate cancer, first of all let us see what prostate gland is actually and what does it do. This will help in better understanding of the cancer. Prostate gland is walnut sized gland, which is located under the urinary bladder and in front of rectum.

Prostate gland secretes mildly alkaline fluid, which is milky in color. This fluid constitutes of nearly 1/3rd of semen. This fluid helps in extending the sperm lifespan, and also helps in neutralizing the acidity of vaginal area.

Symptoms of Prostate Cancer

Symptoms of prostate cancer are not shown by everyone. In most of the cases, the symptoms are usually identified during the regular health check up. However, patients’ complaint about the following symptoms, which includes:

• Frequent urge for urination
• Nocturia, frequent urination during night
• Experiencing pain, and burning sensation during urination
• Experiencing difficult in starting of urine
• Difficultly in maintaining study stream of urine
• Experiencing problems in sexual intercourse
• Erectile dysfunction
• Hematuria – Blood in urine
• Blood in semen
• Experiencing regular pain and stiffness in lower back, upper thighs, or hips

When it is the case of advanced prostate cancer, where the cancer has spread to other parts then symptoms such as pain in bones, particularly in bones located in pelvis, spine, and in ribs are shown.

Causes

Actual causes of prostate cancer are still unknown. But, more commonly, the age factor, race, and family history are standing as the main risk factors that are causing this cancer.

• Age: The risk factor for the cause of this cancer increases as the age increases. It is very uncommon to find symptoms of this cancer in 45 years aged man. In general, the symptoms can be diagnosed at an age of 70.
• Family History: This is another main cause of prostate cancer. The risk factor doubles, if a person’s father or brother is suffering from this cancer.
• Race: American African men are at higher risk of getting affected than the Caucasian or Hispanic male population of America.
• Consumption of red meat and processed meat
• Lower Vitamin D levels in blood
• Taking higher doses of multivitamins
• Higher alcohol consumption.
• Elevated testosterone levels in blood
• Obesity
• Cigarette smoking

Prostate Cancer Diagnosis

The only diagnostic test available for prostate cancer is prostate biopsy. In general, prostate biopsy is advised only when the PSA levels in the blood are high. Biopsy is generally done on out-patient basis. Local anesthesia is given and a small piece of prostate is removed by inserting a biopsy gun.

A microscopic examination is done on this piece with respect to the Gleason score to confirm cancer. Apart from this, prostate imaging techniques Ultrasound, and MRI is also used for detection.

Prostate Cancer Treatment

Generally, progression of prostate cancer is very slow. Thus, no treatment method is necessary in most of the cases. It is best for the initial stage prostate cancer patients to go active surveillance. This involves having regular blood test, or biopsies to monitor the progression of cancer. This helps in avoiding the side effects of the treatments such as erectile dysfunction, and involuntary urine leakage.

However, there are even cases of advanced prostate cancer. For these cases, treatment for prostate cancer is decided depending upon the Gleason score, and PSA levels. The available treatment methods for advanced prostate cancer include prostatectomy surgery, radiotherapies, chemotherapy, and hormonal therapy.

Prostate Cancer Surgery

Prostatectomy is the surgical method of treatment for prostate cancer. In this method, prostate gland, and surrounding tissues are removed by making a surgical incision. Types of prostatectomy surgeries done include

• Radical retropubic prostatectomy, in which incision is made in abdomen for removing prostate gland
• Radical perineal prostatectomy, in which incision is made in perineum for removing prostate gland
• Nerve-sparing prostatectomy, in which the very edges of the prostate gland are cut. While doing this surgery at most care is taken to spare the erectile nerve that run all over the gland.

Radiotherapy:
Radiotherapy involves in killing of cancer cells in prostate gland and its surrounding tissues with the help of radiation. Various radiotherapies include

• External Beam Radiotherapy: This is the most common radiotherapy used in prostate cancer treatment. In this X-Rays are targeted on the areas containing cancer cells.
• Proton Therapy: In this treatment method, proton beam is used for killing the cancer cells. Advantage of using proton beam over the external beam radiotherapy is that in this method just the prostate cancer cells are targeted and killing, but not the surrounding tissues.
• Prostate brachytherapy: In this method, with the help of small needles tiny radioactive iodine, or palladium palates are inserted directly in the prostate glands. These palates are placed exactly where the cancer cells are existing. These palates will be emitting radiation, which gradually kills the cancer cells in few months.

Chemotherapy:
This method involves in using of various chemotherapy drugs for controlling, or killing of prostate cancer cells.

Hormonal Therapy:

Another name for this therapy is androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT). In this method, testosterone, which is the fuel for prostate gland cells, is stopped from being released, or prevented from being acting on prostate cells. This helps in stopping the progression of prostate cancer.

Apart from these methods, a person can also go for primary hormone therapy, or cryotherapy, or High-intensity focused ultrasound for treating prostate cancer.

Self Help Tips

As we all know that prevention is better than cure. Here are some self help techniques that will help in preventing the risk factors of prostate cancer.

• Exercise regularly, and take healthy diet in order to maintain a healthy weight.
• Minimizing the red meat, and processed meat intake.
• Consume more fish as this increased the omega-3 fatty acids intake
• Avoiding overdosed intake of multivitamin intake
• Avoid alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking
• Eating broccoli and cauliflower.
• Avoiding stress at home and work.