Men's health management plan

The optimal management plan for men's health has never been a universal "health package" for the whole network. Instead, it is based on the physiological characteristics of the three age groups of 20-30 years old, 30-50 years old, and over 50 years old, and matched with personalized actions of "low intervention, high compliance, and easy implementation". At the same time, it avoids the two common misunderstandings "kidney = health maintenance" and "the more exercise the better", which can cover more than 90% of the common health risks of men.

To be honest, nine out of ten male friends I have come into contact with feel that "I am in very good health and don't need to take care of myself." I just helped three acquaintances of different age groups do health assessments a while ago: a 28-year-old Internet programmer who stayed up late taking out food every day. His blood lipids on the physical examination sheet were already red and he said "I'm only in my twenties. How can there be anything wrong with me?"”； The uric acid level of a 37-year-old middle-level employee in a company soared to 480. When socializing, he still enjoyed beer and hotpot seamlessly. He said, "Everyone eats like this and no one has any trouble."” ； The 52-year-old retired middle school teacher's blood pressure fluctuates high and low. He always feels dependent on antihypertensive drugs and only takes half a pill when he remembers. You see, many people do health management like charging their mobile phones. They always think of waiting until 1% of the battery is left before plugging in the charger. In fact, just filling up a few times when they have time can extend the battery life.

Speaking of this, I have to mention the most common pitfall - the misunderstanding of kidney tonifying. This topic is actually quite controversial in the industry: Traditional Chinese medicine theory does believe that insufficient kidney qi in men will cause problems such as soreness and weakness in the waist and knees, and decreased energy. Symptomatic conditioning is indeed effective.； However, statistics from modern evidence-based medicine show that 90% of young and middle-aged men who claim to have "kidney deficiency" are essentially suffering from metabolic syndrome caused by disordered work and rest, long periods of sitting and lack of exercise. Blindly taking kidney-tonifying health products from unknown sources will increase the metabolic burden on the liver, and in severe cases may cause abnormal kidney function. My own suggestion is that if you really feel that your energy is low, try adjusting your work and rest schedule for half a month. Don't just take medicine randomly, which will cost you money if it doesn't work.

After talking about the situation of young men, let’s talk about the elderly and middle-aged groups. These people are actually at the highest risk to health. Don’t just start shouting about “quit smoking and drinking, and run five kilometers every day”. It is simply unrealistic. Only actions that can be implemented are effective. For example, if you cannot avoid socializing, drink 200ml of room temperature pure milk before drinking, which can form a protective film on the surface of the gastric mucosa and reduce alcohol absorption by about 30%. ； If you have high uric acid, don’t eat hot pot with cold beer, but replace it with room temperature sugar-free soda water, which can reduce the probability of gout attacks. ； There are only three tests that must be done every year: blood pressure, blood uric acid, and prostate-specific antigen (PSA). Don’t feel embarrassed about checking your prostate. By the way, there is no unified conclusion in the academic community about the age for PSA screening. European and American guidelines recommend annual screening for those over 50 years old. Many domestic clinicians recommend that people with a family history of prostate disease and symptoms of frequent urination and urgency can start screening at the age of 35. You can choose according to your own situation, and there is no need to adhere to strict standards.

As for middle-aged and elderly men over 50 years old, many people's health concepts go to the other extreme. They always believe in health products that "open blood vessels" and "cure all diseases". Some even walk ten kilometers a day for exercise, resulting in meniscus damage in their knees. In fact, there is no need to pursue any amount of exercise at this age. Square dancing, Tai Chi or even walking downstairs for half an hour every day can be considered effective exercise. The most important thing is to take medicine on time. People with high blood pressure and diabetes should not worry about "the medicine is poisonous". The benefits of taking medicine as prescribed by the doctor far outweigh the side effects. My teacher friend later set the alarm clock on his mobile phone and took antihypertensive medicine every morning. Now his blood pressure is very stable, and he rarely suffers from the dizziness that has troubled him for many years.

There is also a misunderstanding that many people are not aware of. They always think that the more exercise they have, the healthier they will be. Last year, a 40-year-old brother ran ten kilometers a day in order to lose weight. After running for three months, he suffered a secondary meniscus injury, which made him unable to walk properly. Appropriateness is the most important thing when it comes to exercise. When exercising, it is just right to control your heart rate at 60%-70% of (220-age). If you are out of breath and struggling to talk, slow down quickly and don't force yourself.

In fact, to put it bluntly, men's health management is really not that complicated. You don't need to buy a bunch of health products, and you don't have to force yourself to do exercises that you can't persist at all. You can just make small adjustments to your own living habits. The best plan is a plan that you can stick to for a long time. After all, your body is your own. It is more cost-effective to pay more attention to it than to go to the hospital if something goes wrong, right?