Commonly known as motor neuron disease or Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), ALS is a disease that causes neuron degeneration. According to the Centers for Disease and Control (CDC), about 5,000 people each year are diagnosed with this condition. ALS is more common in men than women and affects individuals who are mostly between the age of 40 to 60 years. ALS is caused by a gene mutation that results in weak and stiff muscles, difficulty in chewing and swallowing and slurred speech. While there is no cure for ALS, drugs such as Riluzole and Nuedexta can be used to not only relieve symptoms but also to prolong the life expectancy of ALS sufferers.
Parkinson is a disorder of the brain that affects movement. Symptoms include tremors, rigidity, slowness in movement and impaired balance. According to the Journal Of Neurology 2004 by Wooten, Parkinson’s disease occurs more frequently in men than women and the symptoms usually begin showing at the age of between 50 to 60 years. As the disease progresses, the disorder can lead to sleep problems, fatigue, memory lapses, difficulty in walking and talking.
3. Liver Cirrhosis
This disease is mostly caused by excessive consumption of alcohol and hepatitis C. While symptoms include fatigue, weakness, itchy skin, confusion and brown or orange coloured urine, they do not appear until the advance stage of the disease making it difficult to detect early.
Parkinson is a disorder of the brain that affects movement. Symptoms include tremors, rigidity, slowness in movement and impaired balance. According to the Journal Of Neurology 2004 by Wooten, Parkinson’s disease occurs more frequently in men than women and the symptoms usually begin showing at the age of between 50 to 60 years. As the disease progresses, the disorder can lead to sleep problems, fatigue, memory lapses, difficulty in walking and talking.
3. Liver Cirrhosis
This disease is mostly caused by excessive consumption of alcohol and hepatitis C. While symptoms include fatigue, weakness, itchy skin, confusion and brown or orange coloured urine, they do not appear until the advance stage of the disease making it difficult to detect early.
4. Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in the world. According to the Cancer Fact Sheet 2013, 1 in 2 men will have cancer in their lifetime. The top 3 cancers that affect more men than women include lung and bronchus, prostate cancer and liver cancer
The majority of cancer cases are caused by lifestyle and environmental factors while others are due to genetic factors. Though there is no cure for cancer, early detection and treatments such as chemotherapy can prolong the life of a cancer patient and allow the patient to enjoy the same quality of life as other people.
5. Commonly known as ruptures, Inguinal Hernia occurs 10 times more frequently in men than in women. Symptoms include a tender lump in the groin that enlarges when you either sneeze, strain or cough. However the symptoms disappears when you lie down.
Other symptoms include a sharp pain in the groin which increases when bending or lifting heavy objects. Inguinal Hernia is treated by surgically removing it under general anesthetic.
6. Epilepsy is a neurological disorder caused by the disruption of electrical impulses. When there is an altered chemical state in the body, the electrical impulses became scrambled, resulting in a convulsion or seizure.
Males are more prone to epilepsy than female with most of them occurring between the age of 15 to 25 years. People with learning disabilities are more prone to epilepsy as well.
Treatment depends on diagnosis, and the most common medications used to treat epilepsy are ethosuximide, acetalozolamide, phenytoin, vigabatrin, clobazam and lamotrigine.
7. Osteoarthritis is a disease that is caused by deterioration of elasticity in joints cartilage. When the cartilage is weakened, it causes stiffness and pain in the joints.
People who suffer from osteoarthritis may also experience warming and a ‘creaking’ sound in the affected joints.
The most common treatment for osteoarthritis is over the counter chondroitin and glucosamine food supplements, fish oil and omega 3 capsules. In addition, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen and Aleve can be used to treat osteoarthritis.
8. 9. Varicoce
This is a disease that causes infertility in men. Varicocele is caused by a defective or damaged varicose vein valve. It mostly occurs in the left testicle where the vein is enlarge and blood flow is disrupted, leading to lower sperm production or sperm quality.
Pain, heaviness and enlarged vein in the testicles are some of the signs and symptoms of the disease.
10. Emphysema
Image source: SIU School of Medicine
Commonly known as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), Emphysema is a disease that is mainly caused by smoking. Seen as a lifestyle for men, smoking has resulted in an increase in number of men with these disease. However, today’s modern women are also catching up, albeit not in a good way.
COPD is caused by inflamed and damaged airways resulting in symptoms such as coughs, breathlessness, chest infections, frequent removal of sputum and tiredness.
11. Gout
According to CDC, gout is the most common form of inflammatory arthritis in adult men. It is also 10 times more common in men than women, with most gout attacks occurring around the age of 40 years old. Gout is caused by excessive production and/or less excretion of uric acid, causing the acid crystals to accumulate in fluids and tissues within the body.
12. Prostatitis
This is a disease that affects the genital and urinary stem of both young and middle-aged men. It’s a very common disease that is experienced by most of the men during their lifetime.
Symptoms such as pain during ejaculation or urination can be signs of prostatitis. While the disease can be caused by bacterial or non bacterial infection, both types of prostatitis have the same symptoms.
13. Bladder Tumors are caused by over production of the number of cells that line the bladder. Formation of the tumours are three times more common in men than women at the age of 50. Symptoms include frequent urination, bloody urine, lack of appetite and abdominal pain.
