Guys, stop being stubborn and go to the doctor
A recent survey by the American Academy of Family Physicians found what women already know: 38 percent of men go to the doctor only when they’re extremely sick or when symptoms don’t dissipate on their own. (The study didn’t mention guys who go when their significant others make them!) But waiting for health issues to get better could lead to serious complications—or worse: a late diagnosis.
Stop waiting around, guys! If you experience any of the following five symptoms, do not pass go, do not collect $200; head straight to your doctor’s office.
- Blood in your urine. If it you can see it with your naked eye, there’s a problem. Bloody urine is a main symptom of an enlarged prostate or prostate cancer. It could also be a sign of stones or cancer in your bladder or kidney; inflammation or infection of the bladder, kidney or urethra; or a kidney injury.
- Chest pain. Yes, chest pain is most associated with a heart attack, but it could be caused by another heart problem, like angina. Asthma, pneumonia, pulmonary embolisms, acid reflux and stomach ulcers could also show up as chest pain.
- Dizziness. That light-headed, room-spinning sensation can happen if there’s a sudden drop in blood pressure or from dehydration. If you have allergies, flu or hypoglycemia, you might also get dizzy. It also can indicate a serious health risk like heart disease, shock or stroke.
- Erectile dysfunction. Sure, it happens to everybody at one time or another, but roughly 70 percent of cases of erectile dysfunction are caused by another medical condition, including diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease or multiple sclerosis.
- Excessive thirst. Find yourself reaching for the water bottle a lot more than usual? Excessive thirst can be an indication you have a health condition such as diabetes, internal bleeding, severe infection, or a failure of the heart, liver or kidneys.
