9 Symptoms Men Shouldn’t Ignore

Men make less routine medical appointments than women, according to research published in the scientific journal International Journal of Clinical Practice🇧🇷 In addition, according to the Instituto Lado a Lado pela Vida, 62% of men in Brazil only go to the doctor after symptoms become unbearable🇧🇷

This custom can be very harmful to health. After all, many Serious illnesses begin silentlywith a greater chance of cure and treatment through consultations and routine exams.

With that in mind, MinhaVida, with the help of specialists, listed Nine Symptoms Men Shouldn’t Ignore, seeking medical help quickly to detect the causes and start the appropriate treatment. Check below:

1. Chest pain

Cardiovascular diseases and conditions are the most common in men, including heart attack of the myocardium. O main symptom is chest painwith irradiation to the chest, as explained by Hélio Castello, interventional cardiologist at the Angiocardio Group.

A heart attack happens when blood flow stops reaching the myocardium, causing the heart muscle to be damaged or die. Chest pain can also spread to the left arm and accompany sweating, nausea and pallor.

2. Shortness of breath

THE shortness of breathe it is also a symptom present in heart attacks and other cardiac problems, such as cardiomegaly (big heart). However, it can also be a sign of lung disease, including lung cancer.

In this case, the symptom may be accompanied by coughing, wheezing, presence of blood in the sputum and chest pain. In its early stages, this type of cancer is asymptomatic. and therefore it is more difficult to be diagnosed. Periodic imaging tests can detect the tumor early.

3. Abdominal pain

THE abdominal pain is one of the main symptoms of liver cancer, especially hepatocarcinoma (primary tumor of the liver, that is, which originates in the organ). This is the most common type of primary malignant tumor, occurring in 80% of liver cancer cases. In this case, abdominal pain may be accompanied by other symptoms, such as abdominal distension, malaise, jaundice (yellow skin and eyes) and ascites (watery belly).

Read more: Abdominal pain: 7 signs that deserve attention

4. Difficulty urinating

THE difficulty urinating is one of the main symptoms of prostate cancer, however this sign is noticed in a more evolved stage of the disease🇧🇷 “It is also common for some patients with more advanced prostate cancer to feel pain in the perineum, which is the region between the testicle and the anus, the presence of blood in the urine, bone pain and urine retention”, lists Fernando Leão, urologist and robotic surgeon at Hospital Albert Einstein.

However, it is important to point out that the prostate cancer is asymptomatic in its early stages🇧🇷 The chances of cure are greater if diagnosed early, when the tumor is still located only in the prostate. Therefore, periodic examination, such as rectal examination and blood protein dosage, is essential for men over 50 years old.

5. Enlargement of the testicles

Testicular cancer accounts for 5% of all cancer cases among men and has low mortality rate when diagnosed and treated at an early stage🇧🇷 Although rare, it is a tumor with a higher incidence in men of reproductive age (between 15 and 50 years) and, therefore, it is worrying.

The symptoms start to be noticed in more advanced stages of the cancer and one of the main signs is the enlargement or deformity of the testicles🇧🇷 “Usually, it is a painless disease. This increase does not come with associated pain, nor any other alteration in the urinary part”, warns Leão.

6. Loss of erection

Losing your erection during intercourse or not being able to get a full erection is not a problem when it happens once. After all, emotional issues, such as a more stressful day or a certain concern, can affect your sex life. However, if this is a recurring problem, it can be characterized as erectile dysfunction and the cause needs to be investigated.

“Any alteration in the quality of the erection, whether an incomplete erection or one that dissolves during sexual intercourse, is a reason for the patient to seek a specialist”, emphasizes Leão. “The cause can be hormonal, physiological, psycho-emotional or vascular. Therefore, it has to be assessed correctly and treated according to the source of the problem, ”he adds.

Know more: Seven erectile dysfunction treatments that improve your sex life

7. Loss of strength

Cerebral Vascular Accident (CVA) is also one of the conditions that most affect men. Characterized by clogging of the vessels that supply blood to the brain, the disease causes paralysis of the affected region. In men, the Stroke is mainly manifested by the sudden decrease or loss of strength on the face, arm or leg on one side of the body.

“Stroke symptoms are very variable and depend on the area affected and the size of the brain lesion”, explains cardiologist Hélio. “There may be a complete loss of strength, with difficulty speaking or reasoning, and there may even be severe cases with sudden death”, he adds.

8. Cough

Cough is a common symptom of several respiratory illnesses, such as flu, colds, COVID-19 and pneumonia. Although, whether it is constant or accompanied by other symptomssuch as shortness of breath, swelling in the feet, ankles and abdomen, weight gain and irregular pulse, can be a sign of heart failure.

Men between the ages of 30 and 40 are most likely to develop the disease, characterized by the heart’s difficulty in pumping enough blood to the rest of the body. In Brazil, the most common cause of heart failure is coronary artery disease (CAD)in which there is a narrowing of the coronary vessels, responsible for bringing oxygen to the heart muscle.

9. Excessive snoring

Loud and constant snoring is worrying and should be investigated, as it may be sleep apnea. The condition is a potentially serious sleep disorder in which the person repeatedly stops breathing for a few seconds during the night. This can be due to obstruction of the airway (obstructive sleep apnea) or heart disease such as heart failure and stroke (central sleep apnea).

According to the Ministry of Health, about 30% of the adult Brazilian population suffers from sleep apnea. According to the National Sleep Foundationthe disease affects more men than women (the ratio is 8:1, respectively).