More often than not, we’re too macho, too busy, or (shhh!) too scared to man up and face the person who can help us live a longer, more fulfilling life. But when it comes to seemingly minor symptoms, trying to tough it out could set you up for major trouble down the road.
Guys are nearly 25 percent less likely than women to have visited a doctor in the past year. So it’s no surprise they’re at a much greater risk of being hospitalized for serious health threats such as congestive heart failure and the long-term complications of diabetes.
We prefer the “ignorance is bliss” approach to our health.
"Men like to be in control, and if they go to a physician, there’s a chance they may receive information or feedback that is outside of their control," Dr. Daniel Neides, medical director at Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute, told Yahoo Health. “So they ignore symptoms hoping they will go away.”
But in this case, what you don’t know can actually kill you.
Chronic illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease don’t strike like a heart attack or stroke. They usually begin with a whimper—seemingly ordinary symptoms that can be mistaken for less threatening culprits.
Related: What It Feels Like to Have a Vasectomy
Treat your body with the same reverence you show your car.
"[Good health] requires routine maintenance no different than what you’d have done on your car," said Neides. "If you treat your health with that same level of care, your chances of an optimal quality of life increase dramatically."
Men over 40 should meet with their physician at least once per year, and more frequently if they have a chronic disease, said Neides. But getting to the doctor is just the first step. “Doctors aren’t mind readers,” said Neides. “The more information that a patient can provide, the better opportunity the doctor has of uncovering a health issue that might be life altering.”
Here, six symptoms to pipe up about, stat:
Excessive or Loud Snoring
Easily attributed to: Being a dude, being overly tired, being drunk
Could be a sign of: Sleep apnea
If you wake up tired after a full night’s rest or your partner complains about you “sawing logs” at night, you could have sleep apnea. It involves either snoring all night long at a low volume level or intermittent snoring that’s very loud. “When you have sleep apnea, you are decreasing the amount of oxygen in the body,” said Neides. “That can put a lot of stress on vital organs but specifically the heart, which increases the risk of congestive heart failure.”
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