November is Men's Health Awareness Month

November is men’s health awareness month. 

In contrast to the constant emphasis on career success and the persistent accentuation of financial responsibilities, men’s health has long been a muted and neglected topic. 

We can fathom society’s concern over men’s physical and mental health conditions through the fragmented warnings on cigarette packages and the occasional outcry over the higher crime involvement in the male demographics. In accordance with the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, men constitute 78.7% of homicide sufferers and men face a higher possibility of being murdered compared to females in 193 out of 202 countries worldwide.  Yet society has long set the required characteristics for men as a category - confident, strong, responsible, stable, competitive, and most of all, weakness-free. But the human body begs to differ. 

Facts on men’s health problems

Statistically speaking, men have a shorter life expectancy than women. For instance, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the average life expectancy at birth for males in the U.S. declined in 2020 to 75.1 years, whereas, for females, it was 80.5 years.  Meanwhile suicide incidents and incarceration cases are disproportionately skewed towards the male population. Sadly, society has not been focused on taking collective measures to prevent the development of debilitating illnesses in men. A disheartening fact is that by the time lots of men visit their doctors, it is already too late and they have already developed severe problems surrounding their health. 

Common men’s health problems

Men suffer from respiratory defects, liver diseases, accidental injuries, diabetes, heart problems and other commonly known illnesses that pester the human species. Nonetheless, men are more exposed to the following issues due to their genetic dispositions together with social pressure associated with the notion of masculinity. 

Smoking and Drinking -

The men-to-women ratio in terms of drinking can be quite high and when it comes to smoking, the statistics are even more unbalanced. Biologically, studies have shown that men’s neural pathways are more susceptible to nicotine addiction; socially, in more male-driven societies, men are oftentimes pressured into engaging in excessive drinking or smoking to show that they can smoothly navigate in business or social settings. This contributes to a higher rate of fatty liver, lung cancer, high blood pressure and other related diseases in the male population in these societies.

Cancer - 

Men are huge sufferers of testicular cancer and prostate cancer, with the former more common in the younger demographics and the latter more prominent in men in their 40s and 50s. 

Suicide - 

Unfortunately, the global suicide rate in the male population displays a disconcerting high number, a swapping 0.016%, doubling that of the female population.

Why are men more prone to suicide?

Even though in recent decades there have been recognizable efforts in society to destigmatize mental illnesses, lots of families, workplaces and conventional institutions still regard mental illnesses as a type of professional deficiency. 

The scientific community highlights that the development of mental illnesses can be genetic or environmental and the impact of certain mental illnesses such as severe anxiety disorders, depression and certain personality disorders can be decapitating. Faced with potential laughs, mockery, anticipated career instability and possible social ostracization, many men feel cornered and turn to the only cradle of escapism - death. 

The “Movember” movement

The Movember Foundation is a charity dedicated to financing activities and events committed to raising awareness on men’s health.Driven by the staggering negligence that society has demonstrated towards the health of our loved ones, the Movember Foundation was founded in 2003 and it aims to curb men’s premature deaths and to revolutionize the way we approach men’s health issues. Since the start of the foundation, the movement has spread across to over 20 countries and the organization has mobilized more than $800 million in capital to fund their causes.

“Movember” is a creative word play on the word “moustache” and the word “November”. This means that some men will choose to grow moustaches as a symbolic gesture to remind us that men’s health is an issue deserving widespread attention. Our site, designated to improve the global health level by selling more organic and health-conscious products, takes an unwavering stance to support the worldwide enhancement of men’s health conditions.

Tips for men’s care

While any social changes take time to incubate and nourish, the best one can do now is to take individual actions to nurture healthy habits in his daily life. Upgrading the quality of your daily meals, switching to healthier snacking habits, allocating more time in your day to attain quality sleep, forming a constructive workout routine, and increasing time allocated to developing your hobbies can all create a positive impact on your physical and mental health. And why not start this month?

Improving sleeping quality is essential to maintaining a positive outlook on life and infusing your room with fresh and purified air is almost a guaranteed way for you to enjoy higher quality sleep. The Auziere Nomad Air Purifier on OrgHive can help you achieve better dreams.

In addition, investing in comfortable bedware is also crucial to inducing a good night’s sleep. Check out OrgHive for bedware made of natural and top-quality materials by Dormu.

At the same time, replace junk snacks with healthy snacks from OrgHive to ease those cravings for sporadic treats throughout the day. Enjoy our healthy snacks from Cocoparadise.

Also, do not forget to take a relaxed attitude to look at life as challenges come along! When stressful situations are dawning upon us, it is easy for our mental health to suffer. In times like this, it is important to take the most effective measures and change our mentality to restore our inner calmness. Certain products can give us a more tranquil and soothing feeling than others. For instance, Only Good Natural Wash infused with extracts from elderflower from New Zealand radiates the healing energy from nature you might be looking for.

Last but not least, spend more time with your friends and families to feel well-supported!

Author: Rachel Qianyu Zhang

Image source: unsplash.com