HEALTHMATTERS HEALTHMATTERS
FEBRUARY 27 - MARCH 5, 2014 THE VOICE | 17
JUNE 15 - 21, 2017 | PAGES 17-20
Black Men’s Health does matter...
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LACK men are well known for many wonderful and amazing things, however having regular health check-ups is not one of them. Many have a view that if it is not broken don’t attempt to fix it, and with that in mind keep going until they come to a halt spectacularly, often with
outcomes that could have been easily avoided. In this Father’s Day Men’s Health special The Voice takes a look at a few of the more common but most neglected areas of men’s health and in so doing provide information which will hopefully be helpful and assist in keeping you healthy, happy and wise.
MEN’SHEALTH
18 | THE VOICE JUNE 15 - 21, 2017
Prostate cancer: know the risks Making the time to talk about prostate cancer this Father’s Day could save someone’s – or even your own – life
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ID YOU KNOW that having a family history of prostate cancer and simply being a black man can increase your risk? One in four black men in the UK will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime, and one in 12 will die from the disease – double the risk faced by white men. You are also two-and-a-half times more likely to get it if your father or brother has had prostate cancer compared to
someone who has no relatives with the disease, so it is important to be aware of your risk. Black men are also more likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer at a younger age than men of other ethnicities, but an alarming 86 per cent are oblivious to the increased danger they face, and the disease is still widely regarded as a taboo subject within many families. It is not clear why black men face a higher than average risk of prostate cancer but it is widely thought that genetics could be an
underlying factor. The PSA blood test is the first step towards diagnosis and black men are encouraged to start speaking to their GP about the test from the age of 45 – five years earlier than other men. Prostate cancer is a disease that many people are not aware of, yet it’s killing one man every hour in the UK. If you have any concerns about prostate cancer, speak to one of the Prostate Cancer UK specialist nurses on 0800 074 8383 (available Monday to Friday 9am-6pm and Wednesday 10am-8pm) or visit strongerknowingmore.org
“Prostate cancer is killing one man every hour in the UK”
KNOCKOUT BLOW: Black celebrities including David Haye have promoted getting checked out
Errol McKellar, Mechanic © Dennis Morris assisted by Bolade Banjo
Prostate cancer and me
SURVIVOR: Errol McKellar’s cancer was caught early
Catching it early can make all the difference.
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Black men over 45 are at a higher risk of prostate cancer. Speak to your GP or visit strongerknowingmore.org
Prostate Cancer UK is a registered charity in England and Wales (1005541) and in Scotland (SC039332). Registered company 02653887.
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ERROL MCKELLAR is a 59-year-old car mechanic who owns a garage in Hackney, London. He was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2010 after his wife prompted him to go and see his GP. He didn’t have any symptoms. “My wife was complaining about my snoring, so I said to her if she made an appointment with the GP for me, then I would go. I went along to the doctors and while I was sitting in the waiting room, something made me go and pick up this leaflet about prostate cancer. “I asked them, ‘how long will it take to do this prostate test?’ and they said, ’10 minutes – and we can do it now.’ And those 10 minutes changed my life.” Errol’s PSA level came back high, and further tests revealed he had prostate cancer. In February 2011, he had an operation to remove his prostate and went on to have three months of radiotherapy – and has now been given the all clear. “Prostate cancer wasn’t a topic I even knew about, until I picked up that leaflet. And what’s
even more ironic, is I found out later down the line, after my diagnosis, that my dad also had prostate cancer but he never said a word. “When I tried to speak to my dad about it, he sort of brushed it off and said ‘oh I had that about five years ago’. “For me, this is something which needs to be spoken about. Because if someone in your family has prostate cancer, unfortunately, that means someone else is likely to get it too. “If we don’t talk about it, someone in your family might not know the importance of why they need to get tested. I feel I have a responsibility to raise awareness to not only my family but other men.” Did you know only that only 14 per cent of black men are aware of their increased risk of prostate cancer? Prostate Cancer UK’s latest campaign, Stronger Knowing More, aims to make sure that all black men know their risk. Find out more about your risks at strongerknowingmore.org
MEN’SHEALTH
JUNE 15 - 21, 2017
THE VOICE | 19
Few miles on the clock? It’s time to get a health MOT A test could prevent everything from heart disease to dementia
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S THE years pass by, the need to look after your body becomes evergreater – and there’s no shame in taking a little bit of extra care to make sure you can enjoy later life free of health problems. If you just want to be sure that everything’s going well, you can attend an NHS Health Check, which will let you know exactly what’s going on...
WHAT EXACTLY IS AN NHS HEALTH CHECK? The NHS Health Check is a free check-up of your overall health. It can tell you whether you are at higher risk of getting certain health problems, such as heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease and stroke. If you are over 65, you will also be told the signs and symptoms of dementia to be aware of. Generally, if you are between 40 and 74, you should have an
NHS Health Check every five years. Any follow-up tests or appointments are also free of charge.
HOW WILL A HEALTH CHECK HELP ME? As well as measuring your risk of developing these health problems, an NHS Health Check gives you advice on how to prevent them. The risk level varies from person to person, but everyone is at risk of developing heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, kidney disease and some types of dementia. Your NHS Health Check can detect potential health problems before they do real damage.
WHAT HAPPENS AT THE NHS HEALTH CHECK? An NHS Health Check takes around 20 to 30 minutes. The health professional – often a nurse or healthcare assistant – will ask you some simple questions about your lifestyle
SAVE SOMEONE’S LIFE S I C K L E C E L L P A TI E N T
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and family history, measure your height and weight, and take your blood pressure and do a blood test – often using a small finger prick test. Based on this, they will be able to give you an idea of your
“They will ask some simple questions about your lifestyle”
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BLOOD DONOR
Register at blood.co.uk
HOW CAN I ARRANGE TO HAVE AN NHS CHECK?
chances of getting heart disease, stroke, kidney disease and diabetes. If you’re over 65, you will also be told the signs and symptoms of dementia to look out for. You will then receive personalised advice to lower your risk. This could include talking about how to improve your
WHILE GOING ABOUT YOURS
diet and the amount of physical activity you do. You may also be told about medicines to lower your blood pressure or cholesterol, or how to lose weight or stop smoking. If you prefer, you can ask to see a man or a woman, but the questions aren’t embarrassing and you won’t have to take your clothes off during the check.
If you’re registered with a GP surgery that offers the NHS Health Check, you should automatically get an invitation. Don’t worry if you haven’t been invited yet – you should be over the next five years. But if you’re still not sure, speak to your GP. Alternatively, your local authority will send you an appointment letter explaining where you have to go for your NHS Health Check. If you’re not sure if you’re eligible for an NHS Health Check
PRECAUTIONS: A simple NHS check could save your life and would like one, or if you are eligible but haven’t had an NHS Health Check in the last five years, ask your GP for an appointment now.
For more information, visit the NHS Choices website: http://www.nhs.uk
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t’s National Blood Week from 19 – 25 June, and people and organisations, including The Voice, are coming together to celebrate how blood donors make a difference every day, saving people whose lives depend on blood. Over the last year, 900,000 people have given up their time by donating blood to help patients in need but 200,000 new blood donors every year are needed to ensure that patients in the future have access to the blood they need, when they need it. There is a particularly urgent need for 40,000 new black donors to improve the lives of thousands of patients with sickle cell disease, the most common and fastest growing genetic condition in the UK. Blood transfusions can help prevent a patient experiencing a crisis as well as to relieve the symptoms of a crisis when a patient is already experiencing pain. To get the best treatment, patients with sickle cell disease need blood which is more closely matched than by blood group alone. This is most likely to come from a donor of the same ethnicity. Together, we can vastly improve the lives the 15,000 people in the UK who live with Sickle Cell Disease and over 300 new babies born
every year with the condition. It is even possible to give blood if you have the sickle cell trait – something which many people don’t realise. When you give blood, you can save someone’s life while going about your own. All you need to do is give blood, and you’ll be right there, helping someone when they need it. Register to give blood by visiting www.blood.co.uk or calling 0300 123 23 23 to find your nearest session. When you register or next donate, take a photo and share online to say #ImThere.
MEN’SHEALTH
20 | THE VOICE JUNE 15 - 21, 2017
Are you becoming a sugar daddy? Diabetes is a very real threat that could affect all of us if we don’t take the steps to prevent it in the first place
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IABETES is a lifelong condition that causes a person’s blood sugar level to become too high. There are two main types of diabetes: type 1 diabetes, where the body’s immune system attacks and destroys the cells that produce insulin, and type 2 diabetes, where the body does not produce enough insulin, or the body’s cells do not react to insulin.
PRE-DIABETES
Many people have blood sugar levels above the normal range, but not high enough to be diagnosed as having diabetes. This is sometimes known as pre-diabetes. If your blood sugar level is above
the normal range, your risk of developing full-blown diabetes is increased. It is very important for diabetes to be diagnosed as early as possible because it will get progressively worse if left untreated.
WHEN TO SEE A DOCTOR
Visit your GP as soon as possible if you experience the main symptoms of diabetes, which include feeling very thirsty, urinating more frequently than usual – particularly at night – feeling very tired, weight loss and loss of muscle bulk, itching around the penis, cuts or wounds healing slowly and blurred vision. Many people have type 2 diabetes for years without realising because the early sympt o m s tend to be general.
CAUSES OF DIABETES
The amount of sugar in the blood is controlled by a hormone called insulin. When food is digested and enters your bloodstream, insulin moves glucose out of the blood
“You may be able to keep your blood glucose at a healthy level” and into cells, where it is broken down to produce energy. However, if you have diabetes, your body is unable to break down glucose into energy.
CAUSES OF DIABETES YOU CANNOT CONTROL
A number of other risk fac-
tors can increase your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. These include being over 40 (or over 25 if you are African-Caribbean or south Asian) or having a close family member who has type 2 diabetes. If you have any of these risk factors, you should maintain a healthy weight to ensure that your risk of diabetes does not increase further.
LIVING WITH DIABETES
If you are diagnosed with diabetes, you will need to eat healthily, exercise regularly and carry out regular blood tests to ensure your blood glucose levels stay balanced. People diagnosed with type 1 diabetes also require regular insulin injections for the rest of their life. As type 2 diabetes is a progressive condition, medication may eventually be required, usually in the form of tablets.
ACTIONS TO TAKE STRAIGHT AWAY
If you think that you are at risk of developing the condition, the
A NEW LIFE: Diabetics need to check their blood sugar levels first step is to look at your diet and lifestyle and make any necessary changes. Three major areas that you will need to look closely at are: eating healthily, losing weight if you’re overweight, and exercising regularly.
You may be able to keep your blood glucose at a safe and healthy level without the need for other types of treatment. For more Information visit the NHS Choices website: www.nhs.uk
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ERECTILE dysfunction (ED) – also known as impotence – is the inability to get and maintain an erection. It is a very common condition, particularly in older men. It is estimated that half of all men between the ages of 40 and 70 will have it to some degree.
Getting a diagnosis Although you may be embarrassed, your GP can usually diagnose erectile dysfunction. This will involve answering questions about your symptoms, as well as a physical examination and some simple tests.
When to see your GP See your GP if you have erectile dysfunction for more than a few weeks. They will assess your general state of health because ED can be the first sign of more serious health conditions.
Can it be treated? Erectile dysfunction is primarily treated by tackling the cause of the problem, whether this is physical or psychological. Your GP may suggest lifestyle changes, such as losing weight, to try to reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease. You may also be given medication such as cholesterol-lowering statins and drugs to reduce your blood pressure. Medication, such as sildenafil (sold as Viagra), can be used to manage it in at least two-thirds of cases. Vacuum pumps that encourage blood to flow to the penis and cause an erection are also successful in 90 per cent of cases. Overall, treatments for ED have improved significantly in recent years. Most men are eventually able to have sex again.
Why does erectile dysfunction happen? Erectile dysfunction can have a range of causes, both physical and psychological, and is commonly associated with high blood pressure, high cholesterol or diabetes. Psychological causes of ED include: anxiety, depression and or relationship problems. Sometimes erectile dysfunction only occurs in certain situations. For example, you may be able to get an erection during masturbation, or you may find that you sometimes wake up with an erection but you are unable to get an erection with your sexual partner.