by Nigel Hilton
There are all kinds of health issues out there that people need to start speaking up about. When we spread awareness of certain issues, people become more aware of the signs and symptoms to look for, and they begin helping themselves and others to reduce their chances of experiencing the problem, at least in the later stages.
Here, we’re only going to mention a few health issues that people need to speak up about. Of course, there are a whole spectrum of other issues that you should talk about. We need to make taking care of ourselves less of a taboo!
Mental Health
Mental health issues seem to be more common than ever these days, with 10% of young people having a clinically diagnosable mental health problem. Both men and women suffer from things like anxiety, depression, Bipolar, schizophrenia, and more, but they may experience different feelings and willingness to discuss the problem.
Some men with depression or an anxiety disorder hide their emotions and may appear to be angry or aggressive, for example, while many women will express sadness. Mental health can manifest in both physical issues, such as a racing heart, tightening chest, ongoing headaches, and digestive issues, or they can be present in how you choose to live your life; binge drinking, taking drugs, etc.
People with mental health issues need to know that they are not alone, and it’s an important message because these things can happen to anybody at any time. We need to be more adept at spotting these issues so we know when somebody has a serious problem.
Breast Cancer
Breast cancer can happen to both men and women, too. 23% of cases are preventable, and there’s a 78% chance of survival, although 31 deaths every day are due to breast cancer. Movements like Coppafeel encourage people to regularly check the breasts for lumps and teach us how to do it properly, while places like Magview.com develop the equipment to have quality tests done. Symptoms of breast cancer in men are similar to those in women. However, men tend to put off that all important visit to the doctor. An issue like breast cancer needs to be addressed sooner rather than later.
Cervical Cancer
Cervical cancer is most often diagnosed between the ages of 35 and 44 in women. About 15% of cervical cancers are diagnosed in women over age 65. Although it’s rare for women aged 25 and below to be diagnosed, it isn’t unheard of. As soon as you’re old enough (unless you have reason to at a younger age) you should go for your smear test. It’s embarrassing for about 2 seconds until you realize this could literally save your life. Plus, it isn’t uncomfortable at all if you just relax!
Testicular Cancer
Testicular cancer is something thousands upon thousands of men are diagnosed with every year. Over 9000 men will be diagnosed in the United States alone. However, the numbers aren't all bad; 95.3% have survived from 2008-20014. If you do regular checks and catch it early, there’s every chance of survival.
These issues are just a few of the issues prevalent in society today. We can’t be embarrassed to talk about them, as doing so encourages others to check themselves over regularly and to talk when they need to, as well as enables others to spot signs in the people they love. Raising awareness is key!