Men's health science popularization campaign

Men's health has never been the "kidney replenishing = everything" uploaded on the Internet, nor is there a set of health formulas suitable for everyone. All "universal plans" that are independent of individual age, living habits, and basic health status are basically IQ taxes.

Don’t believe it, in the process of linking grassroots free clinics and clinical clinics, 90% of the male friends I met have fallen into the pit of cognitive bias. A while ago, I met a 32-year-old Internet programmer. He suffered from back pain after working overtime for half a month and couldn't straighten up. He searched for symptoms for a long time and bought three bottles of Liuwei Dihuang Pills. After taking it for two months, his back pain did not go away. Instead, he had diarrhea every day. Finally, he went to the massage department for a checkup. It was psoas myofasciitis caused by sitting for a long time. It had nothing to do with the kidneys. He pressed the button three times and adjusted the table height. Many people's understanding of men's health is like blaming all problems on mobile phones as bad batteries. It is obviously lumbar muscle strain caused by sitting for a long time and poor sleep caused by stress. They insist on relying on "kidney deficiency" and blindly buy a bunch of supplements and stuff them into their stomachs. In the end, the problem is not solved and other problems arise.

Men of different age groups have very different health priorities. There is no need to read from the same health chart. For young men in their early 20s, the most common problems are not "loss", but acne, high uric acid, and anxiety. Many people drink cold beer and eat barbecue every day. Their feet are so swollen due to gout attacks that they can't wear shoes. They still think that they are young and have strong energy. In the 30s, there are older and younger stages. Cervical and lumbar degeneration, dyslipidemia, and sleep apnea are more common. I have several buddies in their 30s and 30s who snore so loudly that they can wake up the children in the next room. They can fall asleep just sitting there during meetings during the day. They always feel that they are too tired and just need to take supplements. After doing sleep monitoring, they found out that they already have problems with nighttime hypoxia. If it continues, high blood pressure and arrhythmia will come to the door.

As for the health issue of middle-aged men that everyone is most concerned about, there has always been considerable controversy in the academic community. For example, what is often referred to as "male menopause" is called late-onset hypogonadism (LOH) in Western medicine. The mainstream view is that testosterone levels slowly decline after the age of 50. If it is accompanied by obvious hot flashes, fatigue, depression, and sexual function decline, and blood tests test that testosterone is indeed lower than the reference value, only low-dose testosterone supplementation is recommended. ； However, recent studies have pointed out that a considerable number of middle-aged men’s uncomfortable symptoms have nothing to do with testosterone, but are caused by long-term stress, lack of sleep, and insufficient exercise. Extra testosterone supplementation will inhibit their own secretion and even increase the risk of prostate disease. The views in the traditional Chinese medicine community are not entirely unified. Many people believe that the symptoms of menopause are due to kidney essence deficiency and the need to replenish the kidneys. However, there are also schools of thought that middle-aged men often suffer from liver stagnation and spleen deficiency. They are stressed, sulky, and have irregular diets. No matter how much kidney-tonifying medicine is taken, it will be useless. Soothing the liver, regulating qi, and regulating the spleen and stomach will have faster effects.

There has also been debate on the Internet for several years about "should PSA (prostate specific antigen) be checked routinely?" and there is no standard answer. Previous European and American guidelines recommended that men over 50 years old should check PSA every year to screen for prostate cancer. However, in recent years, more and more studies have suggested that excessive screening will lead to the detection of many low-risk prostate cancers, and subsequent punctures and treatments will affect urination and sexual function, which is not worth the gain. The current consensus in China is also very flexible: those over 45 years old with a family history of prostate cancer can have regular screenings, and those over 50 years old without a family history can just make a decision based on their urinary symptoms and doctor’s evaluation. There is no need to force it every year for the sake of “preventing cancer”. I accompanied my 52-year-old uncle for a physical examination last month. He has no family history and no urinary abnormalities. The doctor directly said that there is no need to check for PSA. It is much more useful to eat more fresh tomatoes than to spend a lot of money on lycopene supplements.

To be honest, I have met too many male compatriots who have to deal with some discomfort or find medicine on their own. I always feel that it is "losing face" to go to the hospital to treat these problems. In fact, how can it be so particular? If you suddenly have frequent urination and urgent urination recently, first think about whether you drank too much cold beer and sat for more than ten hours without moving. Adjust your living habits for a week. If it doesn't improve, go for a urine routine and urinary system B-ultrasound. Don't label yourself as "prostate failure" or "kidney deficiency". The greater psychological burden will make it more likely to cause problems. I did too much leg training in the past and felt weak and lack of energy for a week in a row. I also thought about buying men's testosterone supplements. After asking a friend from the endocrinology department, I found out that hormone fluctuations were caused by insufficient rest. They recovered after sleeping for an extra week. If I really bought supplements randomly, it might affect my own hormone secretion.

In the final analysis, men's health is essentially a matter of "living well". Don't believe those magical "strengthening" and "tonifying kidney" propaganda. Stay up less late, smoke less, stand up for two minutes after sitting for a long time, and go to a regular hospital to see a doctor when you feel uncomfortable. This is more reliable than any folk prescription.