Introduction to Men’s Health Types

Reproductive and sexual health, metabolism and chronic disease prevention and control, physical function health, mental and emotional health, no matter which one is more important, any problem will bring down the overall quality of life.

Hey, don't think this is dry knowledge from books. Last week I met a 28-year-old Internet programmer in the outpatient clinic. He came in wearing a mask and lowered his head. When he opened his mouth, he was about to prescribe a "special medicine to replenish the kidneys." He said that he had not been in good sexual intercourse in the past six months and must have suffered from kidney failure. As a result, a full set of examinations showed that the level of testosterone in the sex hormone was completely normal, and there were no organic problems such as prostatitis. After careful questioning, I found out that he had been working on projects for three months in a row, sleeping less than 5 hours a day, and quarreling with the product manager every day. Speaking of which, we have to mention reproductive and sexual health, which everyone is most concerned about and most likely to be ignored. The clinical judgment criteria of Western medicine are actually very clear: firstly, whether there are organic diseases in the reproductive system (such as prostatitis, testicular lesions, erectile dysfunction, etc.); secondly, whether the sex hormone levels are within the normal range; thirdly, whether the sperm quality and reproductive ability related to fertility are up to standard. What’s interesting is that there is a big cognitive gap between Chinese and Western medicine in this field. The syndrome differentiation system of traditional Chinese medicine links reproductive health with the sufficiency of kidney qi and the ability of liver qi to clear up. There are many functional complaints that cannot be diagnosed as organic problems, and the feedback from traditional Chinese medicine treatment is also good. There is no right or wrong in these two types of programs. Organic problems should be investigated by Western medicine first. Functional treatment can be chosen according to your own preferences. There is no need to compete.

Don’t think that only visible “hidden things” are problems. Metabolism and chronic disease prevention and control are the biggest pitfalls for young and middle-aged men. In the past two years, I met a 35-year-old building materials salesman. He is 1.75 meters tall and weighs almost 200 pounds. His beer belly is bigger than that of a pregnant woman who is 6 months pregnant. His triglycerides and blood uric acid are two or three times above the standard line during his annual physical examination. He himself I always say, "It's normal for men to have a lot of social activities. You can handle it when you are young." But last winter, I had a big drink with a client. I had a heart attack in the middle of the night and was sent to the emergency room. I had to put in two stents to save my life. Now, let alone drinking, I can't even walk more than two steps without gasping for a long time. There are now different schools of thought on intervention in this area: Most physicians in public tertiary hospitals advocate that once the indicators exceed the standard to a certain extent, you must take medicine when it is time to take medicine to avoid sudden risks. ； Practitioners in the field of natural medicine and sports rehabilitation prefer to adjust their diet, work and exercise habits first. Many mild metabolic abnormalities can be brought back to normal without taking medicine. In fact, both views are reasonable. The specific one to choose depends on the severity of individual indicators and execution ability. There is no standard answer.

Many people's understanding of health is that "you are healthy if you are not hospitalized and have no serious illness." However, in fact, the decline of physical function is a subtle process, which is what we call the third category: healthy physical function. A while ago, I conducted a health assessment for some 40-year-old business executives. Eight out of ten people could not squat at the lowest level. They had to hold on to the railings to breathe for ten minutes when climbing to the third floor. Their shoulders and necks were as hard as stone slabs, and it was difficult to turn their heads. I asked them, "I am like this even in old age." I adjusted the plan for three of them, setting aside two hours a week for strength training and walking two more stops to get off work every day. After three months, the feedback from several people was that "not only the shoulder pain is gone, but the quality of sleep has also improved a lot." Of course, many people think that "fitting out can hurt your knees and waist, so it's better to rest at home." This is a matter of opinion. As long as the movements are standard and step-by-step, strength training can maintain men's muscle mass more effectively than resting. After all, muscle mass is the "health capital" that is most easily lost with age.

There is another type of health problem that is a shackles placed on men by the entire social environment, that is, mental and emotional health. We often say that "men don't shed tears lightly" and "men have to shoulder the responsibility." This leads to many men holding back their emotions even if they have problems. In the end, they either turn into somatic symptoms - headaches and stomachaches. After checking all the departments, they can't find the problem, or they spread their emotions on their family members, and they feel aggrieved because of the chaos in the house. I once had a client who was a middle-level employee of a state-owned enterprise. He suffered from insomnia for half a year and lost his temper with his wife and children when he came home. He couldn't control himself. He always thought, "How can I, a grown man, have psychological problems?" He endured this for almost a year. Finally, during the physical examination at the work unit, the doctor recommended that he undergo a psychological evaluation, and it was discovered that he was suffering from moderate anxiety. Nowadays, there are many intervention programs for emotional problems. Mild ones can be alleviated by exercise, mindfulness, and talking to friends. For moderate or higher ones, psychological counseling or necessary drug intervention can also be very effective. There is really no need to hold on.

In fact, these four types of health problems are never completely separated. As we often say in clinical practice, men's health is like a barrel, and the shortest board determines the water level: long-term poor metabolism and high blood lipids will affect blood vessel function, which in turn will impair sexual function.； Long-term anxiety and poor sleep will also affect metabolic levels, with chain reactions everywhere. Of course, it doesn’t mean that everyone should be anxious about these four categories every day and run to the hospital when nothing happens. Stay up late and drink less. If you feel uncomfortable, don’t bear it. See a doctor when you should. After all, only when you are healthy can you live a good life with your family, right?