Healthy living

Avoidant paruresis ('bashful bladder' syndrome) - Fundamentally male - Men's health - your health

What is avoidant paruresis? Avoidant paruresis (also known as 'bashful bladder' syndrome or psychogenic urinary retention) is a social anxiety disorder that involves the inability to pass urine in the presence of others. Avoidant paruresis...

Athlete's foot (tinea pedis) - Fundamentally male - Men's health - your health

What causes it? Tight-fitting trainers are a common cause of athlete's foot. Athlete's foot is a fungal infection of the foot caused by parasites on the skin called dermatophytes. Dermatophytes can be divided into thr...

Alcoholism - Fundamentally male - Men's health - your health

If you feel you can't function without a drink, seek help. Alcoholic drinks have been prepared and drunk for thousands of years. The problems that can accompany excess alcohol intake have undoubtedly been around just as long. ...

Alcoholic liver disease - Fundamentally male - Men's health - your health

Alcohol consumption in the UK Most people in the UK drink alcohol. Total alcohol consumption per head in the UK rose steeply between 1950 and 1975 and then levelled off until the mid 1990s, when it again started to climb. The General Life...

The NetDoctor guide to paternity rights - Starting a family - Men's health - wellbeing

Dads have the right to two weeks' paid paternity leave Since April 2003, working dads have been entitled to two weeks' paid paternity leave. In 2006 the government passed new parent-friendly laws in the Work and Families Act, extending pay and l...

Male fertility problems - Starting a family - Men's health - wellbeing

What are fertility problems? Infertility can be defined as the failure to achieve pregnancy after regular unprotected sex (without the use of any contraception) for at least a year. 'Primary' infertility means failure to achieve a first ...

Male hair loss - Starting a family - Men's health - wellbeing

What is male hair loss (male pattern baldness/androgenic alopecia)? First, a receding hairline develops, and gradually the hair on top of the head also begins to thin. Male hair loss is the most common type of hair loss. It's ...

Eczema - Skin and hair - Men's health - wellbeing

Definitions Eczema affects about 10 to 20 per cent of schoolchildren. The word ‘eczema’ comes from Greek words that mean ‘to boil over’. ‘Dermatitis’ comes from the Greek word for skin ...

Acne - facts about pimples (acne vulgaris) - Skin and hair - Men's health - wellbeing

What is acne? Everyone will experience acne. Here is an example of acne on the forehead. Acne is a very common skin disorder that most young people get in early puberty. It is caused by inflammation of the small oil gl...

Work to live or live to work? - Skin and hair - Men's health - wellbeing

All work and no play used to make Jack a dull boy. These days it can make him physically and mentally ill, according to recent research. So how can you avoid these pitfalls and make time for yourself? For some, even a holiday i...

Why do we get stressed? - Mental wellbeing - Men's health - wellbeing

Not releasing stress can affect your mental health. In 2009, Australian research suggested that one in two of us will have problems with stress during our lifetimes. Studies on stress in the workplace Studies have shown...

Stress-busting techniques - Mental wellbeing - Men's health - wellbeing

The essence of meditation is to bring total relaxation to the person practising it. Many people think medicines are the answer to stress, but this is no longer the view of the medical profession. Virtually all doctors agree that tranquillisers...

Stressbusters - Mental wellbeing - Men's health - wellbeing

Introduce some aerobic exercise into your weekly routine to help your mood and lower blood pressure and stress symptoms. Skydiving out of a plane and falling thousands of metres at breakneck speed or juggling a few coloured balls are...

Stress - friend or foe? - Mental wellbeing - Men's health - wellbeing

High stress levels affect up to half of all men. You're sweating bullets, your heart is pounding, your mouth is dry and you feel like you are about to be sick. These are all typical signs of stress. If this sounds familiar, you are not alone &n...

Shaking off work worries - Mental wellbeing - Men's health - wellbeing

We're a nation of worriers it seems, with many not able to make the mental separation between home and work. So why can't we switch off, and what can we do about it? Reduce stress by switching off from work worries at home...

Self-esteem - Mental wellbeing - Men's health - wellbeing

Many people with poor self-esteem think they're not very important and that their views carry no weight. The word 'esteem' comes from a Latin word that means 'to estimate'. So, self-esteem is how you estimate, or regard, yourself. And how do you e...

Men can have eating disorders too - Mental wellbeing - Men's health - wellbeing

There are over 1.6 million people in the UK who suffer from eating disorders, with estimates showing between 10 to 25 per cent of these cases are male. With men saying that their disorders are both harder to acknowledge, and more difficult to g...

Dealing with stress - Mental wellbeing - Men's health - wellbeing

Learn to control stress so it doesn't control you. During the recession of 2008 to 2009, it was claimed that the last century has been the most stressful mankind has encountered. This has to be an exaggeration! For instance, we don&r...

Weekend warriors: get more out of your gym visits - Healthy living - Men's health - wellbeing

We look at why efforts to improve fitness levels should be more than just a weekend pastime. Exercising only once a week can lead to unnecessary injuries. I always try to avoid weekends at my local gym. On the few occasions when I've use...

Top 10 male health worries - Healthy living - Men's health - wellbeing

Men can be shy creatures when it comes to talking about health – especially if the problem is a bit embarrassing. We look at the top 10 body worries for men and ask male health experts what a man can do to solve them? Man boobs (g...

Survival of the fittest - Healthy living - Men's health - wellbeing

Research suggests that nearly a fifth of young men in the US could be too unfit to fight for their country. Is it about time you turned the gaze onto your own fitness levels? ...

Sunbathing - Healthy living - Men's health - wellbeing

Ultraviolet rays in sunlight can damage the body's cells. Most of us love being outside in the summertime. Sunshine not only makes everything look better, it makes us feel good too. But ultraviolet (UV) rays in the sunlight can damage the cells ...

Snore wars: reducing the racket - Healthy living - Men's health - wellbeing

More than 15 million people in the UK snore, but with partners also kept awake, experts warn its impact is widely felt and may even jeopardise marriages. What can you do to silence those snores? What’s in a snore? Before you c...

Smoking health risks - Healthy living - Men's health - wellbeing

Cigarettes contain more than 4000 chemical compounds and at least 400 toxic substances. You can eat five portions of fruit or veg a day and exercise regularly – but healthy behaviour means little if you continue to smoke. The message ...

Should lifestyle drugs be free on the NHS? - Healthy living - Men's health - wellbeing

In the past five years several new 'lifestyle drugs' have hit the market. There are now drugs that suppress appetite, those that cure impotence, and those that help people to give up smoking. And there are some that fall on a fine line – ...

One less for the road - Healthy living - Men's health - wellbeing

New figures suggest that, in some parts of the UK, almost 50 per cent of men drink above recommended levels. But what is 'safe' drinking? Surely three pints a night plus a 'few more' at the weekend is nothing for your average bloke to panic abo...

Men and violence: do you have a problem with that? - Healthy living - Men's health - wellbeing

Violence is a common feature of most societies. Statistically, we know that it's predominantly a male characteristic, particularly one of young males. In England and Wales more than 90 per cent of violent offenders are male, and half of those are ag...

Living with prostate cancer - Healthy living - Men's health - wellbeing

After being diagnosed 14 years ago, Dr Stuttaford underwent immediate surgery and made a full recovery. A diagnosis of prostate cancer, the most common cancer affecting men in the UK, can be a terrible shock. More than 37,000 men are diagnosed wit...

Low down on mental breakdowns - Healthy living - Men's health - wellbeing

Every year, one in four of us will experience a mental health problem. Some have a complete breakdown. But how do you stop it happening to you and, just as importantly, help those that have already been there? You’re just as likely t...

Health checks - Healthy living - Men's health - wellbeing

Men who start good health habits in their youth will be forever grateful to themselves later in life. Illness, weakness, disability and death are for the old. The young with their sleek, strong, naturally fit bodies don't need to bot...