Movember and Men’s Health — Why it Matters.

By Dr Shubs Upadhyay

You may have noticed men growing, with varied results, a moustache over the last month. Movember is a fun way to demonstrate hair-growing prowess whilst raising awareness for Men’s health.

At Ada, it is our Product Manager Joe (below) who has played the facial hair lottery and won :)

But why do we need to raise awareness for Men’s Health? What issues is the Movember Campaign trying to highlight?

Let’s break it down a little.

• Mental Health — In the UK, men are three times more likely to commit suicide than women. I’ll talk later about what steps to take when you’re feeling low.
• Physical Health — The stresses of life and work also take their toll on our bodies. It’s important to make sure we are exercising and eating right.
• Man Bits — Testicular cancer is the most common form of cancer in young men. Read on to find out how to examine yourself and I’ll also give you the lowdown on your Prostate too.

Mental Health

It’s not a cliche to suggest that men find it hard to talk about their feelings. In my clinics, I see this regularly. Having low points is a part of life, and affects us all at some point. Most of the time we’re able to move on and things improve. Sometimes however, things worsen, and there isn’t always a ‘trigger’ to deal with. Depression is really common in men, so you’re not alone if you feel this way.

Why is it that men are more likely to commit suicide? Often, men tend to ‘bottle things up’ and isolate themselves. Society expects a man to be ‘brave’ and it’s seen as a weakness to ‘open up’. However, when these feelings are internalised, they can build up and manifest as pain, tiredness, sleep issues, anxiety, anger, panic attacks and sexual or relationship issues. Some men resort to alcohol or substance misuse, which can worsen things significantly. All of these can act to deepen the spiral that leads to suicide.

The good news is that there are things you can do to help when you’re feeling low.

• Reach Out to friends and family. They may not always provide solutions but sometimes just being able to say what’s on your mind is enough to start the process of feeling better. It works the other way round too — if you sense a mate is feeling low, the best thing you can do is give them your time and really listen. Don’t tell them what they ‘need to do’ — just listen.
• Get Active. This can really boost your body’s ‘feel good’ hormones — go for a run, play a team sport — it might just help get you out of that rut.
• Change it up. Sometimes a change of routine or scenery can help. If you can, take a break. Get away from work and your phone. Switch off.
• Self Help — there are lots of self help resources and apps. There’s really good evidence that they genuinely help. Check out these resources: Mind, Get Self-help
• Get Help — If you’ve tried the above and still can’t shift things, or are feeling worse, then you should seek medical advice. Sometimes people need a bit more than the above — Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (which is much more than just talking about your feelings) and medication are examples of options — your Doctor will be able to help decide which are best for you.

What if I’m feeling really bad?

We need to take depression and suicide really seriously. When things get really bad it is not uncommon to have thoughts of harming or killing yourself. If you do, it is really important you let somebody know. Remember that you are not alone — there are always people who want to help you.

Some people have fleeting thoughts that they are able to suppress, or have a good network of support around them to reach out to when these thoughts get out of control. Others do not. If you have suicidal thoughts that get more frequent and stronger and you feel you will actually act on them, you should seek urgent medical advice — calling the ambulance or your doctor. If you cannot, consider getting a friend to take you to the Emergency department. It’s also good to let someone you trust know what’s happening.

It’s important to remind our friends who might be feeling low that we are there for them — sometimes that’s all someone needs to stop the spiralling thoughts that lead to suicide.

Physical Health

We can’t all be as ripped as Hugh Jackman in the Wolverine. But we can take simple steps to keep our bodies well. The risks of Cardiovascular disease and Diabetes rise with our waistlines, so here’s what you can do to help:

• Stay active. If exercise was a pill, its health benefits would have been hailed as a wonder-drug by the big pharmaceutical companies. The effects on reduction of risk of diseases and benefits to your mental and physical health are huge. Whatever you do, commit and do it regularly. Exercising in Winter can be hard — try doing a team sport or running with a friend to keep you motivated when it’s cold and rainy. You can also exercise indoors, and this doesn’t have to be at a expensive gym. There are simple things like using the stairs, getting off one or two stops early to briskly walk the rest of your commute — standing more at work — making your day more challenging.
• Eat smart. Switch to wholemeal bread or rice. Snack on fruit and nuts. Say no to sugary drinks. Try and vary the fruits and vegetables that you have. Treats are fine, Christmas is round the corner after all — but keep them as a treat and don’t let them creep back in!
• Drink sensibly. It is the season to be jolly and mulled wine and champagne are free flowing. Drinking in moderation is fine, but it’s binge and problem drinking that can lead to issues with your liver, sexual performance and much more.

Man-Bits

It can be scary reading about Testicular and Prostate Cancer. So what do you need to know?

• Testicular Cancer is the most common cancer in young men. The first sign is usually a painless lump in your testicles. Doctors recommend regularly feeling your testicles when you’re in the shower, and if you do notice any changes see a doctor to assess this further.
• Prostate Cancer — most frequently occurs in men over 50 years old. We know that it is slightly more common in men of African or Caribbean origin. Symptoms to look out for are changes in your urine flow, incontinence of your urine and in some cases, erectile issues. If you are worried about any of these symptoms, it is worth seeing your Doctor to see if you need an examination or further testing.

It’s important that we are made aware of great campaigns like Movember. Men get a bad rap for leaving things too late — but if you’re armed with the right information about what to do and when to be worried then hopefully you can take the steps you need to stay well. Of course, if you’re still not sure you can check out the Ada app to help you decide what to do next.

Finally, it’s important to know that we shouldn’t just think about this stuff for one month of the year. Movember should serve to remind us that we should engage with our health all year round.