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Men’s Health

Your health journey is uniquely yours, and we’re here to support you through every stage of life. Our comprehensive men’s health services are designed with your comfort, privacy, and wellbeing at the heart of everything we do.

Your comfort matters to us. If you’d prefer to discuss your men’s health concerns with a male GP, simply let our reception team know when booking your appointment. We’re committed to ensuring you feel completely comfortable and heard during your visit.

Heart disease remains one of the leading causes of death worldwide, with men being particularly susceptible. However, proactive management and collaboration with healthcare providers can significantly reduce risks and promote heart health. Here’s why partnering with your GP is crucial in this journey:

Understanding Risk Factors:
  • Age and Gender: Men over 45 are at higher risk
  • Lifestyle Factors: Poor diet, lack of exercise, smoking, and excessive alcohol consumption increase risk
  • Medical History: Conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol elevate risk
Regular Health Checks:

Regular visits to your GP allow for monitoring key indicators such as blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and blood sugar levels. Detecting and addressing abnormalities early can prevent complications.

Lifestyle Modifications:

Your GP can provide personalised advice on:

  • Healthy Eating: Adopting a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins
  • Regular Exercise: Aiming for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week
  • Smoking Cessation: Support and resources to quit smoking, which significantly reduces heart disease risk
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If you want to know more, or have any concerns speak with you doctor today.

Many men experiencing persistent tiredness worry that it’s due to declining testosterone levels as they age. While this is a common concern, it’s actually an uncommon cause of fatigue. Tiredness can stem from various medical conditions, lifestyle factors, medications, or a combination of these elements. Low mood or depression can also be significant contributors to feeling constantly tired.

When to Seek Help If you’re feeling more tired than usual, please book an extended appointment with your doctor. By gathering detailed information about your fatigue and any accompanying symptoms, they can develop an appropriate treatment plan tailored to your needs.

Common Causes to Consider Obstructive sleep apnoea is a frequent cause of fatigue, particularly among men who are overweight or have conditions like high blood pressure. Untreated sleep apnoea significantly increases your risk of stroke, heart attack, and motor vehicle accidents, making early diagnosis and treatment crucial.

Supporting Your Energy Levels It’s important to focus on fundamental wellness practices: ensuring adequate sleep, maintaining a nutritious diet, and incorporating regular physical activity. While exercise may feel daunting when you’re tired, even gentle activities like a short walk can help boost your energy levels and overall wellbeing.

If you have any concerns, speak with your doctor today.

Depression is a common mental health condition that affects millions of people worldwide, including men. However, men often experience depression differently than women, which can lead to underdiagnoses and undertreatment. It’s crucial to recognise the signs and understand how to support men who may be struggling with depression.

Recognising the Signs:
  • Emotional Symptoms: Persistent sadness, irritability, hopelessness, or emptiness.
  • Behavioral Changes: Loss of interest in hobbies, social withdrawal, changes in sleep patterns (either insomnia or excessive sleeping).
  • Physical Symptoms: Fatigue, unexplained aches and pains, changes in appetite or weight.
  • Cognitive Symptoms: Difficulty concentrating, indecisiveness, negative thoughts about oneself or the future.
Factors Contributing to Depression in Men:
  • Social Expectations: Traditional masculine norms may discourage men from expressing vulnerability or seeking help.
  • Stressful Life Events: Job loss, financial difficulties, relationship problems, or significant life changes can trigger depression.
  • Health Issues: Chronic illnesses or substance abuse can exacerbate depressive symptoms. 
Barriers to Seeking Help:
  • Stigma: Fear of being perceived as weak or unmanly.
  • Self-Reliance: Reluctance to admit a need for help or support.
  • Misinterpretation of Symptoms: Men may attribute symptoms to physical issues rather than recognising them as signs of depression.
Importance of Seeking Support:
  • Professional Help: Encourage men to speak with a mental health professional such as a psychologist or psychiatrist who can provide an accurate diagnosis and recommend appropriate treatment.
  • Support Networks: Friends, family members, or support groups can offer understanding, encouragement, and practical assistance.
Treatment Options:
  • Therapy: Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), interpersonal therapy (IPT), or other therapeutic approaches tailored to individual needs.
  • Medication: Antidepressant medications may be prescribed based on the severity of symptoms and individual response.
  • Lifestyle Changes: Regular exercise, healthy diet, adequate sleep, and stress management techniques can complement treatment.
Supporting Men with Depression:
  • Encourage Open Communication: Create a safe environment for men to express their feelings without judgment.
  • Normalise Help-Seeking: Emphasise that seeking help is a sign of strength, not weakness.
  • Offer Practical Support: Assist with finding a healthcare provider, attending appointments, or engaging in activities that promote mental well-being.
Breaking the Stigma:

By promoting awareness and understanding of depression in men, we can reduce stigma and encourage early intervention.

If you have concerns speak with your doctor today.

The prostate is a gland that helps produce semen and control urine flow. Common prostate problems include benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH), prostate cancer, and prostatitis.

Main symptoms to watch for:

  • Difficulty starting urination or weak urine stream
  • Frequent or urgent need to urinate, especially at night
  • Pain or burning when urinating
  • Blood in urine
  • Pain in back, hips, or pelvic area

Key conditions:

  • Benign Prostatic Enlargement (BPE): Natural enlargement with age that can press on the bladder
  • Prostate Cancer: Most common cancer in adult males, often grows slowly with few early symptoms
  • Prostatitis: Inflammation of the prostate, which can be bacterial or non-bacterial

When to see your GP: You should consult your doctor if you experience frequent urination, blood in urine, persistent discomfort, inability to urinate, or any concerning symptoms. Regular check-ups can help detect and manage prostate problems early. Book an appointment today.

Frequently Asked Questions

If you snoring is caused by blocked sinuses or congestion, then regular use of a nasal wash and steroid afterwards can be helpful. Reducing alcohol also helps as does weight loss. Some people who are snoring will also have obstructive sleep apnoea which can cause snoring as well as gasping episodes. Treatment options include weight loss, mouth splints and CPAP machines.

Thrush is an infection with a fungus. It is also known as a yeast infection. The fungus, called candida, occurs naturally in your body, particularly in warm, moist areas such as your mouth and genitals.

The most common symptoms are:

  • red rash on your genitals, mainly under the foreskin, which may be itchy
  • small red spots on the head of your penis (glans)
  • discharge from your penis
  • pain when you pass urine
  • difficultly pulling back your foreskin
  • a ‘cheese-like’ substance that smells yeasty and sometimes collects under your foreskin

Thrush may also sometimes cause your foreskin to swell and crack. This might be caused by an allergy to the yeast.

If you have thrush in and around your penis, practicing good hygiene can help you clear up the infection.

  • Clean the infected area carefully, preferably in the shower rather than a bath. Make sure you dry the area well by patting it rather than rubbing it. This will help reduce the build-up of moisture in the area and make it more difficult for the fungus to survive.
  • Don’t use sprays, soaps, oils, disinfectants, shower gels or deodorants around the affected area, as these can cause further irritation.
  • Avoid sharing your towels.
  • Wear loose-fitting cotton underwear to help to keep your genitals dry and cool and prevent the build-up of the fungus.

Your doctor or pharmacist may also recommend an anti-fungal cream. You should apply the cream to your genital area, including the penis and the region under the foreskin if you are uncircumcised.

Gynaecomastia (gynecomastia) is a swelling of the breast tissue in males. It’s also called ‘man-boobs’. It usually affects both breasts but can be one-sided.

Gynaecomastia is very common. More than half of all young males develop the condition during puberty It normally disappears as you grow older.

As many as 2 out of 3 males aged over 50 years may have the condition.

As well as breast tissue growth, you may have breast pain or tenderness. You may feel embarrassed about how your chest looks.

Some people have no symptoms other than breast tissue growth.

Gynaecomastia is different from enlarged breasts caused by extra fat tissue from being overweight.

Male pattern baldness is a type of hair loss and thinning that is common in adult men. It is also known as androgenetic alopecia. 

Male pattern baldness involves hair loss that starts at the hairline above the temples and leads to a receding hairline. This is followed by hair loss on the top or ‘crown’ of the head, leaving behind a horseshoe-shaped pattern of hair. While it is commonly seen in older men, male pattern baldness can affect young adult men as well.

Male pattern baldness is very common among Caucasian men. It affects about 1 in 5 men in their 20s, 1 in 3 men in their 30s and nearly 1 in every 2 men in their 40s. Other population groups, for example, Japanese and Chinese men, are generally less affected. If affected, men in these groups may experience a milder and more general pattern of hair thinning or loss.