Ah, the good old brute force as a synonym of health…
If it were so, there wouldn’t be any medicine: only gyms and protein bars.

In Brazil, prostate cancer kills, in average, 42 men per day. Are you just strong or are you good at math too? It’s almost two per hour! And, at the end of 24 hours, how many die because of prejudice against an exam that doesn’t hurt and doesn’t last long, but only increases the chances of cure?

Besides the rectal touch, the blood test – the famous PSA (prostate specific antigen) – is also a well-known method for the early detection of this type of cancer. These tests are generally recommended in cases of signs and symptoms of the disease, or periodically for risk cases.

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Obstructive Symptoms

• Urinary jet decrease
• Urine dribbling and two-stroke urination
• Feeling of incomplete bladder emptying
• Urgência e incontinência miccional
• Aumento da frequência, sobretudo à noite

In advanced stages, the disease can invade neighboring organs such as the bladder, ureters or rectum and sometimes the lymph nodes of the pelvis and abdomen, generating pelvic pain, scrotal and leg swelling, blood in the urine and lower back pain.

Risk Cases

• Family History (parents, siblings, uncles and aunts)
• Morbid Obesity
• Black-skinned men

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In short, whenever symptoms or risk characteristics are detected, it is necessary to run the tests and treatments, right? Wrong! It’s your urologistwho decides!

The symptoms may not be related to the presence of prostate cancer, and even if they are, it is important that they are carefully investigated by your doctor. Preferably, by more than one! This is because, in the past, many men were subjected to surgery without necessity, resulting in cases of impotence and urinary incontinence – without having the disease!

Are you 45¹ or more and don’t want to deal with the elephant in the room? Improve your habits, visit the urologist and keep your prostate exam up to date: when cancer is detected early on, the chances of cure can reach 90%!

¹ Age indicated for patients with a history of prostate cancer in the family (parents, siblings, uncles and aunts), morbidly obese and/or blacks. For all other cases, the age range is 50 years old.

Lung cancer is already the main cause of deaths due to cancer among men in Brazil – exceeding prostate cancer. In 85% of cases, it is directly associated with smoking.

All right, this may not be your time to stop smoking. The smoker’s motivation is an essential factor in the process of abandoning the habit and, in contradiction, one of the main obstacles in the process.

Okay, but, what then? And then, that can change at any time! Also, did you know that you can categorize your level of motivation?

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Degree of Motivation for Change Assessment Model

• Pre-Contemplation (“I won’t”): not considering the possibility of changing or worrying about the issue
• Contemplation (“I could”): admitting the problem and considering adopting changes occasionally.
• Preparation (“I will/I can”): initiating changes, planning, creating conditions for changing and reviewing past attempts.
• Action (“I do it”): implementing environmental and behavioral changes and investing time and energy in this change.
• Maintenance (“I have to”): a process of work continuity to maintain the gains and prevent relapses.
• Relapse: failure of maintenance, habit recovery or returning to any of the previous stages.

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In excess or only once in a while, there are no safe levels for smoking. In addition, according to a British study, each smoked cigarette represents, in average, 11 minutes less of life!

If you think that if you rule the roost you can sing your troubles away, remember that, besides lung cancer, smoking is also a risk factor for countless other types of cancer.

But, just between us, statistics have never helped you much, right? How about some positive ones, then? But there is also math for the good! See what happens to your body when you don’t smoke for:

• 20 min: blood pressure and pulse normalize
• 2h: there is no more nicotine in the blood
• 12 to 24h: the lungs work better
• 2 days: improved taste and smell
• 3 weeks: clear improvement of breathing and blood circulation
• 1 year: the risk of death by heart attack drops by half
• 10 years: the risk of heart attack is the same as that of those who have never smoked

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During quarantine you came up with that sneaky excuse to lead the life you’ve always wished for, didn’t you? From your bed to the couch, from the couch to your bed, one food delivery here, another there…

But speaking of royalty, do you know what else is real? Obesity, which affects almost 20% of men in Brazil! And of course, a sedentary lifestyle and a poor diet are seriously and directly connected to this disease.

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And nothing is so bad that it can’t get worse! Those who suffer from obesity are heavy candidates to suffer from several serious diseases:

• Diabetes
• Hypertension
• Heart attack
• Aneurism
• High cholesterol
• Depression

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“But wait, am I obese?” The quickest and most practical way to find this answer is to calculate your Body Mass Index (BMI).

Did you test negative to obesity? Great! Keep it that way. Are you concerned with the result and want to give up that throne? Great as well! Here are some tips:

• Reduce daily calorie consumption
• Try to choose healthier foods
• Plan to exercise regularly (150 min per week already helps)

But know, straight ahead, that the best tip is to do everything with a medical follow-up! ! Both in relation to food and a sedentary lifestyle, this professional is indispensable to plan a strategy compatible with your reality.

Do not contribute to threatening the extinction of your own species. Take care of yourself and long live the king!

If you’re one of those who always has an excuse to drink and is always flipping the glass without any guilt, your “potency” may be a condition.

Did you know that ¼ of the Brazilian male population makes abusive use of alcohol? problem is that this same alcohol, when it becomes a habit, is responsible for more than 200 diseases and 3 million deaths worldwide every year.

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“How do I know if I’m an alcoholic?” We are not talking here about that moral hangover to which everyone is subject once in a lifetime -who never experienced that? -, but of a serious addiction! Ask yourself the questions below:

• Have you tried to stop drinking and couldn’t do it?
• Do you feel uncomfortable with criticism about how much you drink?
• Do you think you drink more than you should/would like?
• Do you drink when you wake up in order to minimize discomfort?

If you answered YES to any of the questions, yellow light: the situation is worrisome. Try to reduce the frequency with which you drink alcohol by replacing this habit with a healthier one.

If you answered YES for three or more questions, red light: get help immediately! It may be necessary to seek professional help or alcohol control groups.

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Alcoholism is democratic when it comes to health risks. It can become a threat on several fronts:

• Car accidents
• Permanent brain damage
• Cardiorespiratory arrests
• Liver diseases (cirrhosis)
• Sexual impotence

And so on… So, if you think that being good with a glass is being good at everything, you better hold your horses…