5 Signs of Mens Health

In a society obsessed with mens health, it’s almost impossible to escape health-related horror stories. From news of impending pandemics to symptoms of horrific diseases, health news is often tinged with a touch of fear.

We spend so much time worrying about disease that we rarely ever question the flip side: What does it mean to be healthy? Thankfully, that’s a question that AM can help answer.

Check out the following signs to see if you are a healthy guy.

1. You have firm pink nails

While their probably not the first item you’d expect to see on a man’s checklist of healthy markers, fingernails certainly can reveal a lot about someone’s health. Generally, a healthy individual’s nails will be pink, firm and smooth. Although subtle variations are common — a touch of white here or a few ripples there — any major changes in the nails should ring the alarm.

 

Thick yellow nails that grow slowly may indicate a respiratory disease mens health like chronic bronchitis. Indentations across the nails, called Beau’s lines, might point to diabetes, while spoon-like nails that curve outwards might be a sign of low iron. Although changes in the nails are rarely the first clue to an illness, if your nails don’t appear mens health , it’s best to raise this with your family doctor.

2. Your urine is the color of a manila folder

Ever think of checking your pee to see if you’re healthy? If not, perhaps it’s time you start since your urine may reveal important clues about your health.

Preferably, your urine should be the color of a manila file folder — a pale yellow. You can take that as a sign that you’re a healthy guy.

However, normal urine can vary in shades of yellow depending on how much water you drink. If you drink a lot of fluids your urine will likely be clear (and medically, that’s no problem).

If, however, you’re dehydrated, your urine will have a dark, brownish tinge like ice tea. Beyond simple shades, be keen to notice any other major changes.

A sweet smell, odd odor, a drop of red, or some other color change that seems unrelated to any food, medication or supplement you’ve recently consumed should not be ignored.

3. You ejaculate a tablespoon of semen

A healthy, middle-age man should ejaculate anywhere from 2 to 5 milliliters of semen. While semen load decreases as a man ages, a load less than 2 ml is indicative of hypospermia, a condition that may affect male fertility (this 2 ml cut-off is even supported by the World Health Organization!).

Aside from volume, the color and consistency of a man’s semen can also give clues to his health. Without getting into too much detail, a healthy guy should have white or gray, sticky semen.

Semen that’s tinged with blood or overly runny might be a sign of a mens health problem and should be discussed with a doctor.

4. You have a resting heart rate around 70 beats per minute

Resting heart rate (RHR), or the number of times the heart beats per minute at rest, is a great indicator of your overall fitness level. Although an RHR will vary with age, for the average healthy male, an RHR between 70 and 75 beats per minute (bpm) is a reasonable target. In fact, an RHR between 60 and 100 bpm is generally considered normal for adults.

Heart rates outside of this range can cause serious mens health problems and may indicate an underlying mens health issue. To measure your pulse, simply place two fingers on the thumb side of your wrist. When you feel your pulse, look at your watch and count the number of beats in 15 seconds. Multiply this number by four to get your heart rate per minute.

5. Your skin is elastic

Skin elasticity, or turgor, is commonly used to assess the degree of dehydration. If you’ve been battling bouts of diarrhea or have been praying to the porcelain gods (i.e., vomiting) mens health chances are that you’ve lost quite a bit of fluid.

 

Healthy skin retains elasticity and will return to normal if you try to manipulate it. To test your skin’s elasticity, simply pinch the skin mens health on the back of your hand. Dehydrated skin will remain elevated and will return slowly to its normal position while healthy skin will snap back into place.

Are You a Healthy Guy?

Day in and day out we’re flooded with information of disease, but rarely do we ever hear what it means to be in good health.

Although the above list is by no means complete mens health, paying attention to signs of good mens health might help you spot real problems before they take hold. Be healthy. Be proactive!

Visit your doctor

mens health are notorious for avoiding the doctor and ignoring unusual symptoms. This may help explain why women tend to live longer. Don’t let complacency take a toll on your health.

Schedule yearly checkups with your doctor and keep these appointments. Your doctor can help monitor your weight, blood pressure, and the level of cholesterol in your blood.

Excess weight, high blood pressure, and high blood cholesterol are risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Your doctor can recommend lifestyle changes, medications, or other treatments to help get your weight, blood pressure, and blood cholesterol under control.

Eat natural foods

Packaged and processed foods are often full of sugar, salt, unhealthy fats, artificial additives, and calories. Limit the fake stuff and eat a wide variety of:

• fresh fruits and vegetables
• whole-grain products, such as brown rice and whole-grain breads
• fiber-rich foods, such as beans and leafy greens
• lean cuts of meat and poultry, such as skinless chicken breast and lean ground beef
• fish, such as salmon

When buying groceries, shop the perimeter of the store. This is where you’ll typically find the freshest foods. Spend less time inside the aisles, where processed foods tend to be located.

 

Get moving

Heart disease is the leading cause of death among American mens health. Regular exercise is one of the best ways to prevent heart disease and keep your ticker strong. It can also help you improve and maintain your overall physical and mental well mens health.

Try to get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise, or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic exercise, every week. For example, schedule five 30-minute long sessions of aerobic exercise in your weekly calendar. Aerobic exercise includes activities such as walking, jogging, swimming, basketball, tennis, and other sports.

It’s also important to make time for at least two sessions of muscle-strengthening activities per week. For example, weight lifting, rock climbing, and yoga can help you develop stronger muscles.

Maintain a healthy waist

If your waist measures more than 40 inches around, it could be cause for concern. According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood InstituteTrusted Source, it raises your risk of obesity-related diseases. For example, mens health with large waists are at higher risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.

For most mens health, the best way to shed excess belly fat is to cut calories from your diet and exercise more. Ask your doctor to help you develop a weight-loss plan that’s safe and effective for you.

Get your vitamins

Most people can get the vitamins and minerals needed for optimum mens health by eating a well-balanced diet. It’s important to eat wide variety of vitamin- and mineral-rich foods, such as fresh fruits, veggies, and whole grains. Many of those foods also provide heart-healthy fiber and natural antioxidant compounds that can help lower your risk of certain diseases.

Some people may also benefit from taking a daily multivitamin or other supplements. For example, your doctor may encourage you to supplement your diet with fish oil capsules containing mens health omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D3. Ask your doctor about the potential benefits and risks of adding a multivitamin or other supplements to your daily routine.

 

Break unhealthy habits

Smoking is one of the worst things you can do for your health. Secondhand smoke is also very dangerous. Nearly 7,300 nonsmoking Americans die from lung cancer caused by secondhand smoke every year, reports the Centers for Disease Control and PreventionTrusted Source (CDC).

Smoking and secondhand smoke exposure can also cause other health conditions, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema, and heart disease. They also raise your risk of developing many types of cancer.

Other health-damaging behaviors include excessive alcohol consumption and recreational or habitual drug use. If you consume alcohol, do so in moderation. For example, men should consume no more than two drinks per day, or the equivalent of 24 ounces of beer, 10 ounces of wine, or 3 ounces of spirits.

If you use recreational drugs, it’s important to stop. They’re linked to many mens health conditions. For example, cocaine use can cause heart attacks and strokes. Injected drugs of all sorts can lead to serious infections and skin breakdown at the injection sites.

Some mens health also use anabolic steroids to increase muscle mass. This can lead to serious mens health consequences. Possible outcomes include sterility, heart disease, skin disease, and behavioral problems.

If you smoke, drink too much, or use illicit drugs, your doctor can help you develop a plan to quit. They may recommend medication, therapy, or other treatments or strategies.

Protect your skin

Melanoma is a type of skin cancer. It’s one of the deadliest cancers. According to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), men over the age of 50 are at a heightened risk of developing it. Your risk is also higher if you’re Caucasian.

To lower your risk of developing melanoma, take steps to protect yourself from harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun. When you’re outside:

• spend time in the shade
• cover your body with protective clothing
• cover exposed skin in sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 or higher
• reapply sunscreen every two hours or more frequently if you’re sweating or swimming

It’s also important to avoid tanning beds, which are harmful sources of UV radiation.

Conduct a monthly skin check to look for new or unusual moles, changes to existing moles, or other changes to the color or texture of your skin. Use a mirror to help check places you can’t usually see. Visit a dermatologist about once a year for a full-body skin check.

Get your prostate checked

After skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most common cancer diagnosis among American mens health, reports the American Cancer SocietyTrusted Source.

If you have trouble urinating, develop pain when you urinate, or notice blood in your urine, it may be a sign of prostate problems. Make an appointment with your doctor. They may encourage you to get blood tests or undergo a prostate exam to check for prostate cancer or other conditions.

Check for colorectal cancer

Colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States, reports the National Cancer InstituteTrusted Source. It’s important to begin screening for colorectal cancer starting around age 50. Your doctor can use a colonoscopy to check for cancerous growths in your colon.

They will also check for polyps, a type of noncancerous growth. Certain types of polyps can develop into cancer at a later time. Ask your doctor how often you should have a colonoscopy conducted.