Lake Nowadays, everyone's understanding of men's health has long gone beyond the stereotype that "no disease and normal sexual function equals health." The general definition is a complete health state covering the three dimensions of physiology, psychology, and social adaptation. It does not mean that no organic disease is detected, which means it is healthy.
Last month, I treated a 32-year-old Internet programmer. When he came, he came with a stack of physical examination reports that said "no abnormality was found." He said that he always felt unmotivated, and the frequency of sleeping with his lover had dropped by half. He couldn't speak more than three sentences at home without getting into arguments. He was afraid to even speak in meetings at the company. He had been holding on for three months and thought it was a kidney failure. I found out the problem, checked his hormones and reproductive system indicators and they were all normal. After we finally talked, I found out that he had maintained a 996 rhythm for more than half a year. He also followed the work group messages even on weekends and slept less than 5 hours a day. The yellow light was on for a typical health status, but it was not considered "sick" according to the old standards.
There are still many people on the Internet who do not agree with this definition. They think that "a man is healthy if he can handle things and make money." They even say that taking into account psychological and social adaptation is "looking for trouble." This statement is not completely unreasonable. After all, in many people's inherent understanding, men should be the "backbone of stress resistance." However, in fact, according to the adult men's health survey data released by the National Center for Disease Control and Prevention last year, nearly 30% of men aged 18-44 have varying degrees of anxiety and depression. More than 80% of them choose to deal with it on their own and do not seek medical treatment until insomnia, endocrine disorders or even more serious physical problems occur. To put it bluntly, the old health concepts turn many small problems into big troubles.
Some people also think that men’s health refers specifically to reproductive health or sexual function, which is also a big deviation. A while ago, I went to a community to do health education. A 47-year-old uncle pulled me over and asked me. He said that he had no problems in that regard, except that his blood pressure was high, his belly was big, and he usually breathed while climbing stairs, so he didn't need to worry about health problems. I joked to him at the time that it was like buying a car. The engine is not broken but the brakes are not working and the tires are flat. Do you dare to drive it on the highway? Chronic diseases such as high blood pressure, high blood lipids, and high uric acid have no obvious symptoms in the early stages. There are also declining sperm quality, hair loss, and lumbar and cervical spine problems that many young people ignore. In fact, they are all part of physical health. By the time they really feel uncomfortable, they often have to spend several times the energy to treat them.
In addition to the physical and mental aspects, it is also important to be able to smoothly integrate into the surrounding environment. I once met a 28-year-old young man who was in excellent health and had no emotional problems. He was so afraid of society that he even avoided eating with his colleagues. He could not speak three sentences when sitting with the elders in the family. He had been looking for a job for almost a year and could not find a suitable one. In this situation, it is not right to say that he is completely healthy. After all, people are social animals. If they cannot adapt to social, work and family environments, the quality of life will still be compromised.
Many people also feel that broadening the definition of men's health now is creating health anxiety. People who are good at first feel that they have problems everywhere after reading this. In fact, this is not the case at all. The essence of broadening the dimension is to move the threshold of disease prevention forward. It does not allow you to wonder whether you are sick, but reminds you not to just bear it, pay more attention to your condition, and don't wait until you are actually lying on the hospital bed to think of taking care of your body.
In fact, to put it bluntly, men’s health does not have so many complicated rules and regulations. It means that if you don’t feel tired when you go to work, don’t get upset when you go home to get along with your family, don’t feel embarrassed when going out to interact with people, have few minor problems and are in good condition, then you can be considered healthy.
