There is an old saying that men age like fine wine, but this isn’t necessarily true in every aspect. Sure, they have more experience, more class and even more appeal but as soon as they get past that 30 years’ threshold their health starts to deteriorate. For those who lead a healthy lifestyle, these changes are not that that noticeable, but are present nevertheless. Here are five most common health issues that most men face after they turn 40.
1. Heart Problems
Cardiovascular diseases include illnesses such as: heart attack, valve disease, congenital heart disease or heart failure. In 2008 alone, heart attack caused 616.000 deaths in the USA alone, which means that it is one of the most common non-violent causes of death. According to the American Heart Association, one in three adults is likely to develop at least some form of cardio-vascular disease in their lifetime. Furthermore, every year, more than 320,000 men older than 45 get diagnosed with stable angina.
2. Lung Cancer
Another horrible illness that men all around the world face is a lung cancer. In most cases lung cancer is caused by tobacco and like many other vices, it is a slow killer. According to Illinois Department of Public Health, over 90 percent of all smokers start smoking at the age of 18. Now, depending on the age group, the percentage of lung cancer mortality jumps drastically by the time you are in your mid-forties. Namely, mortality age 20-34 is 0.1 percent, 35-44 is 1.3 percent while for those who are in the age group of 45-54 it jumps to a staggering 7.9 percent.
3. Erectile Dysfunction
Not all problems men face after 40 are life threatening, but this doesn’t make them any easier to bare. For example, erectile dysfunction may not be dangerous, but it can have a serious impact to both your lifestyle quality and your self-esteem. Men over 40 have an almost fifty-fifty chance to experience problems with getting or even keeping an erection. The causes are usually common things such as diabetes, high blood pressure, depression, obesity or even surgical damage to blood vessels. Luckily, erectile dysfunction caused by most of these things is quite treatable.
4. Hair Loss
While data show that most men lose their hair from 20-35 years of age, it is not at all impossible to start losing hair even after you are 40 years old. If you start losing hair early, by the age of 40 it will become much more noticeable. Luckily, in the 21st century you can treat your hair loss pharmaceutically with either oral medication or a special hair lotion.
5. Dental Problems
Finally, dental problems are also something that men after 40 are much more likely to experience. Due to a presence of plaque, bacteria flourishes and causes a wide array of inconveniences. If left untreated it can ever result in teeth loss. Luckily, when discovered in the early stages, the gingivitis treatment is extremely efficient and completely harmless. All it takes is for a professional dentist to clean the plaque and give you some advice on dental health.
ConclusionWhile all the afore-mentioned issues are something anyone can encounter, men after 40 are more at risk because of the transformation their body undergoes. The key with dealing with these problems is not to panic, but to look for a professional aid or at least guidance. Naturally, leading a healthier (preventive) lifestyle can’t hurt either. Overall, things are never as bad as they may appear at first.
