Men’s Health

By Dr Ghalib Wahidi

Health Issues specifically affecting men are issues that deserve more attention from healthcare activities. Some studies have suggested that married men tend to live longer than their unwed counterparts. While it has come under scrutiny, the reality is that men who seek help from their doctors tend to be healthier. As such, men that are married are thought to seek help more frequently in part due to the contribution from their significant others. 

In the men’s world, their certain ailments that are either poorly understood by the health care providers, poorly discussed by the patients and sometimes carry some aspect of taboo. Thankfully, the dark veil of Taboo is being lifted and more men feel more comfortable talking about it. The goal of the physicians and healthcare providers at the Golden Coast Clinic is to bring those issues into the forefront when visiting your doctor. We specifically ask for issues such as fatigue, weight gain, loss of or reduced libido or sexual performance, anxiety, depression, etc. Often men are reluctant to talk about these and sometimes the medical community is reluctant to investigate it or properly understand and treat it. 

When there are a variety of medications available to treat anxiety, depression, weight gain, etc, sometimes the cause is not well understood or investigated. As such, the therapy prescribed is less than optimal and causes significant side effects. At our clinic, it is our goal and our expertise to investigate these conditions, diagnose properly and treat properly. Therefore, if you feel that you are not firing on the proverbial 4 cylinders, it is important that you speak with us. Let us have a conversation, not an interview, where we discuss all facets of your health in the comfort of our office, or in the comfort and confidentiality of your own place of residence. You will be glad you did. 

Hormone Irregularity

It may come as a shock to some, but men also produce hormones. And the fluctuation in our hormone levels affect our personalities. We in fact go through men-o-pause. Who knew right? The difference is that men’s hormonal imbalance is by far less discussed and less understood, therefore, less often discussed with their primary doctor who, in turn, is likely not to understand it well and therefore, treated inadqually, which can lead to further side effects, frustration, and isolation. 

Among the many hormonal abnormalities that affect men, the most famous one is testosterone. Called the vitality hormone, testosterone is a hormone that affects pretty much every aspect of a man’s physical and psychological health. And, unfortunately as claimed by the European Male Aging Study (EMAS), the level of testosterone drops by about 0.4% per year starting in our 30’s and that drop can be even more drastic as we gain weight, not exercise, and other factors such as stress. Its effect can be something as subtle as not having enough energy, lack of motivation, redacted libido or a high rate of obesity, diabetes, and heart attacks. Unfortunately, some of these symptoms are often treated by medications specifically designed for symptom relief and noth the actual cause. Patients frequently end up taking medication that often exacerbates these symptoms such as low libido and erectile dysfunction (ED) caused by blood pressure medications, even more weight gain by antidepressants, addiction to anti anxiety medications… the list goes on and on. Therefore, despite your hesitation, shame, embarrassment, however you feel about asking for help, it might ultimately save your life if you sought help from and discussed all your symptoms with a physician who specializes in mens’ health. At Golden Coast Clinic, men’s health is our passion and expertise. If we can not diagnose and treat you appropriately, we will definitely guide you where you can get the care you deserve.