3 health issues to watch out for in your 40s

Being in your 40s isn’t the same as being in your 20s or 30s healthwise. Things tend to slow down. It’s time to watch out for the health issues as the consequences only get worse as grow older.

If you havent been very

1. The big ailments: To encounter serious issues such as heart disease, Type-II diabetes, cancer, lung disease or stroke you have to be either very unlucky, have a genetic trait, or have really failed to look after yourself until now. However, your risk of these conditions does increase with age.

The key risk factors for the serious health issues are:

being overweight or obese
bad diet
drinking too much
smoking
not exercise regularly

If one or two of these apply to you then it’s time to shape up. Admit the issues you have and seek ways to turn things around, either with a trainer or family support.

2. Prostate cancer: This is the most common cancer in men in the UK, with over 42,000 men diagnosed yearly. The condition claims over 10,500 men annually.

Your prostate is a walnut shaped gland under your bladder, which helps produce semen. However, it can be tough sometimes. The major risks for prostate cancer are:

age – older men are more likely to have it
family history – you’re more likely to get it if a male relative had it
ethnicity – men of color are more likely to develop prostate cancer earlier than other groups of men, including in their 40s.

Unfortunately, treatment is tough as signs usually don’t show until symptoms have spread. However, it’s rare to have prostate cancer before your 50s. Second, most prostate problems are not cancer-related but just infections that can be resolved quickly.

The best cause of treatment is early detection through regular check ups, especially if you know you’re predisposed to it.

3. Erectile Dysfunction: This ailment plagues 11% of men in the 40-50 age group. The causes of erectile dysfunction are not quite known, but loosely fall into physiological and psychological causes. Most erectile problems in yours 40s and 50s are likely to be due to stress, anxiety or other psychological issues. The best solution is to see your doctor, as well as discuss this with your partner and potentially a professional sex therapist.

Watch out for these ailments as you approach your older years and make sure that you’re no stranger to your doctor.