Five Fatal Conditions That Will Make a Man Call the Doctor
Photo by Marcelo Leal on Unsplash
It is always important to know what risks affect a man’s health because of their genetics, lifestyle choices and even environment. But imagine fatal conditions or disorders that can strike without warning and with almost no evidence of even being in your body. It might be common knowledge that a heart attack can strike at any time, mostly resulting in sudden death.
Gerald Wydro, M.D., chair of emergency medicine at Aria Health in Philadelphia says that heart issues do not rank as the most common cause of sudden death among men. In other words, unfortunately, you could have more to worry about than sudden heart failure. In honor of Men’s Health Awareness Month, here are five diseases that can result in sudden death and what to do to survive them.
A Brain Aneurysm
According to the American Stroke Association, about 3 to 4 million Americans have an abnormal bulge in the wall of a brain blood vessel. Many times, the budge lies silent and dormant in your brain and causes little to no symptoms. But it’s when the bulge ruptures – a brain aneurysm – that it might be too late. About one third of aneurysms rupture, according to a study in the journal Stroke; meaning about 40% of the time a person has a brain aneurysm, it is fatal.
How to Survive a Brain Aneurysm
Dr. Wydro explains that it is very important to know the difference of serious pain and a common headache. If you suddenly start to experience a droopy eyelid, double vision or a single dilated pupil, it could be a sign of a Brain Aneurysm and not just a migraine. These symptoms of a Brain Aneurysm are caused by the pressing of the bulge in your brain on the nerve. If you feel different than you would with a migraine or a headache, seek medical attention right away.
Aortic Dissection
This condition is very serious because it literally means you have a hole or tear in the wall of a major artery of your heart. Doctors can’t even say why or what happens that causes the rip but it commonly means blood is flowing in places where it shouldn’t be, proving fatal. According to the National Institute of Health, aortic dissection occurs in about two in every 10,000 people, mostly men aged 40 to 70 years old.
How to Survive an Aortic Dissection
The first step is knowing if you are at risk of developing this condition. Of course, if a family member has had this condition or if you have a connective tissue disorder already present in your body, your chances of developing this condition are very high. Dr. Wydro explains that this disease and other connective tissue disorders, result in fragile blood vessels that rip very easily so people who do have these afflictions should seek medical help for any unexplained chest or back pain. According to the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions, hospital admissions for aortic dissections spike in the peak of flu season, probably because of an inflammatory reaction to the virus which triggers a tear in susceptible people. So make sure to stay vigilant and get a flu shot.
Pulmonary Embolism
It is not common for people with these blood clots in their lungs to have no symptoms of their presence at all. But for a majority of Americans per year, the clots block blood flow making blood pressure in the lungs sky rocket. Your heart gets kicked so hard into over-drive that it results in a pulmonary embolism. According to Yahoo Health, sudden death due to a pulmonary embolism occurs 25% of the time.
How to Survive a Pulmonary Embolism
Dr. Wydro suggests to watch out for signs of blood clots in places like your legs and arms. Treating the clots with blood-thinners can prevent them from traveling to your lungs. Some red flags include pain and swelling in one arm or leg that does not subside. If you believe you have these symptoms, contact a medical professional right away.
Faulty Heart Wiring
From your heart being structured differently than a normal heart to issues that can affect the control and pattern of the heartbeat, Dr. Wydro says rare but serious conditions can scramble the signals that direct your heart to work normally. There could be no early signs of an issue until your heart starts pumping irregularly, or not at all which by then it’s be too late.
How to Survive Faulty Heart Wiring
Genetics play a major role in developing these heart conditions. If a family member has a heart condition that affects the rhythm and pattern of the heart, you need to be thoroughly examined. Many specialists can suggest medications and pacemakers among other treatments to get you back on track. Dr. Wydro explains that the typical heart-healthy lifestyle can reduce the risk of sudden death. So, be sure to incorporate a healthy diet into your lifestyle, limit your alcohol intake, quit smoking and exercise at least 3 times a week.
Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
This long, frightening medical term is a heart disorder that causes the walls of your heart muscle to thicken and lose their power to pump your blood. About 1 in 500 have this disorder and approximately 1 percent of young, unaware people suddenly die due to rapid heartbeat each year, according to Yahoo Health. Yahoo also states that Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy is the most common cause of sudden cardiac death in people younger than 30 years old. Of course, there are other common causes of this condition, but Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy is by far the most common. It is very common in sports – if you hear that an athlete suddenly died on the field, this condition is most commonly the cause.
How to Survive Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
Most cases of this disorder are genetic so find out if anyone in your family had the same condition. Dr. Jill Tardiff from the University Of Arizona College Of Medicine explains, “Many deaths that appear accidental – drowning, single-car wrecks, falls off a horse or motorcycle – actually occur when people with undetected cardiomyopathy go into sudden cardiac arrest.” Some warning signs of the disorder are unusual shortness of breath, fainting and a fluttering heartbeat. Doctors can help you manage this condition with medications, defibrillators and surgery. Some people that are aware they have this condition could help to increase their survival by getting a defibrillator for their home, (view this article here for more) just in case it was to happen unexpectedly. It is important that you take precautionary measures to help your survival rate.
In honor of Men’s Health Awareness month, it is important to know and understand all risks that might affect you. It is also important for both men and women to get themselves regularly checked out by their physicians. However, since men have a tendency to skip or not even make a doctor’s appointment, bringing awareness to these very serious and fatal conditions that can strike at literally any minute should be more than enough to get them dialing on their own.
Source: https://www.yahoo.com
What are some other ways, besides instilling fear, do you use to get your loved ones to go to their physicians? How are you contributing to Men’s Health Awareness Month?
