3 Embarrassing Men's Health Issues You Need To See Your Doctor About
Your wife keeps nagging you to see the doctor about that embarrassing health condition you refuse to even talk about. You can't possibly be experiencing erectile dysfunction, urinary incontinence, or infertility ” could you?
If you're still hesitating, a little information can go a long way toward putting you at ease, so you can deal with it directly.
Here are the 3 embarrassing men's health issues you need to see your doctor about.
1. Erectile Dysfunction
Discussing sex with your doctor can be embarrassing, but not half as embarrassing as constantly struggling to maintain an erection.
If erection issues happen more than 25% of the time, a physician visit is in order, because more than likely you have erectile dysfunction, says the National Library of Medicine.
And if you feel like you're the only one, you're not alone. Many men suffer from erectile dysfunction.
Source: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
Erectile dysfunction happens when there's damage to nerves in the penis, or blood flow to the penis is limited due to health problems, reports the Urology Care Foundation.
Several factors increase the risk for erectile dysfunction:
- Age (over 50)
- Diabetes
- Hypertension
- High cholesterol
- Smoking
- Heart disease
- Alcohol or drug abuse
- Obesity
- Lack of exercise
Once a doctor has identified what's causing your erectile dysfunction, he can identify which treatment options may work best.
The Endocrine Society cites these treatment options for erectile dysfunction:
- Medication to increase penis blood flow or testosterone levels
- Devices to help sustain an erection
- Surgery to correct blood flow problems
- Psychological counseling or sex therapy to address emotional causes
2. Male Incontinence
Loss of bladder control is not only embarrassing, it's inconvenient. And if it happens frequently, pay attention.
If you frequently get up at night to pee, feel an urgent need to pee, or feel like your bladder is not empty once you have peed, the Endocrine Society says it may be a sign of a larger health problem: benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), or an enlarged prostate.
As men age, the prostate gland gets bigger. This gland carries sperm during ejaculation and controls urine flow. As it grows, it adds pressure to the urethra, the tube that carries urine out of the body. This causes male incontinence.
Source: National Library of Medicine
Age is not the only factor that can cause an enlarged prostate. Here are some other factors, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases:
- A family history of an enlarged prostate
- Obesity
- Heart disease
- Type 2 diabetes
- Lack of physical exercise
- Erectile dysfunction
If left untreated, an enlarged prostate can worsen over time, and the Urology Care Foundation states that it can lead to:
- Bladder infection
- Bladder damage
- Blood in the urine
- Kidney damage
3. Male Infertility
When trying to conceive, sperm production is often taken for granted. It's assumed the supply is infinite and healthy.
Source: Urology Care Foundation
But when one year goes by and the pregnancy you thought would happen overnight is still not a reality, the Endocrine Society recommends seeing a specialist.
Source: National Library of Medicine
Feelings of shame and inadequacy can often emerge alongside male infertility. But infertility is a disease, not an issue with your manhood.
Source: Endocrine Society
To determine what's at the root of your male infertility, your specialist will dive deep into your medical history, conduct a physical exam, and do a semen analysis on the quality and count of your sperm, explains the Urology Care Foundation.
Source:Urology Care Foundation
When the cause of your male infertility is finally determined, it may be treated with medication, surgery, or technologies that assist with reproduction, such as in vitro fertilization, says the National Library of Medicine.
And the statistics are in your favor: 2/3 of couples who go through fertility treatments are able to eventually have children.
If you're ready to move past the embarrassment and get help for your male health issue, schedule an appointment with an EIRMC urologist.