(ThyBlackMan.com) Too often, men don’t take the time to make sure they are okay, physically and mentally, because the hustle and bustle of life just doesn’t allow you to. You have to be the provider, the strong one and the person to ensure safety and security for the folks in your life. What men do is commendable, it is also the thing that can send you to an early grave.
I know firsthand what can happen when a man doesn’t take care of himself. My father died of liver cancer at the age of 55 because he didn’t get the regular checkups he needed. He was too busy working trying to take care of those around him. There are so many things that can happen as a result of not taking care of yourself. Stress that leads to death is the number one consequence in my book.
With that, it is important to know your body. This takes time and means that you have to pay attention to what it is telling you. The physical signs our bodies gives us holds the key to the state of our health. If it has been a while since you’ve seen a doctor (which rings true for too many men) and you’ve experienced some weird things with your body, these are warnings.
Here are just a few that you should never dismiss.
Chronic Fatigue
If you are tired all the time, even after getting adequate sleep, there may be some underlying health issues. Many of the things that could be wrong with you include diabetes, and chronic fatigue syndrome. When you are tired all the time, it leaves you with no energy to do the important things. Go to the doctor so that you can have this issue addressed.
Constant Headaches
These are never fun as they often times leave you feeling discombobulated and unable to do much of anything. If you have constant headaches, there could be a number of things wrong with your body including inflammation, infections, high blood pressure, stress, and tension. In some cases too, it could be intracranial issues that can have fatal outcomes.
Chest Pains
You should never ignore chest pains. Even if you are not having a heart attack or stroke, there could be other things like high blood pressure or high cholesterol at play. These things can wreak havoc on your body and cause complications with organs and other aspects of your various systems. Have aspirin on hand at all times and when a chest pain is intense and consistent, go to the ER!
Persistent Coughing
It may turn out that your ongoing cough is more than just the beginnings of a cold. Persistent coughing can be the tell-tale sign that you have something doing on with your lungs, COPD, or even lung cancer. Whether you are a smoker or not and are always coughing, go to the doctor and get it checked out.
What good is your job or money if you are not healthy enough to enjoy them? Make the time to take care of yourself because in the end, you have only one body. You have only one life.
Staff Writer; Rasheda Abdullah
