Men’s Health: A GP’s Straight-Talking Guide to Living Longer and Better

I’ve spent more than two decades working with men across the NHS and private healthcare and one truth has never changed: 

Men look after their cars better than they look after themselves.

We wait. We ignore symptoms. We hope things “settle”, and often, we arrive far too late. Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month is the reminder many of us need: to pause, take stock, and prioritise our own wellbeing — not only for ourselves, but also for the people who really rely on us.

Why Men’s Health Matters More Than You Think

Men in England face some stark realities:

• Men die younger than women.

• We develop chronic illnesses earlier.

• We’re twice as likely to die prematurely from heart disease, cancer, liver disease and accidents.

• And tragically, suicide is the leading cause of death for men under 50.

The gap is even wider for men living in deprived communities or with added social pressures — and for many men, the support simply hasn’t been tailored to their needs.

Why Men Delay Asking for Help — And How to Break the Cycle

When I ask men why they waited so long to get help, the answers are almost always the same: “I didn’t want to waste your time”, “I thought it would go away” ,“I was embarrassed” or, “I’ve been too busy.”

For me, these are  reflections of a culture that has told men to “push through” and avoid vulnerability, but this is dangerous as ignoring symptoms doesn’t protect you and often puts you more at risk.

The truth is, most serious health issues start small and early treatment is almost always simpler, faster and more effective. No GP I know has ever complained about someone coming in too early or ‘too soon’, and it’s really important to get things checked out, even if you think it’s just something small. 

The Biggest Issues Facing Men:

Men’s Mental Health: The Hidden Crisis

Even with the push towards mental health awareness, it can still be a struggle for men to reach out for help, and rarely will you hear them say “I’m anxious” or “I’m depressed.”

In the UK in the year April 2023 - April 2024 74.8% of suspected suicides were male. 74.8%. Suicide is also the biggest killer for men under 50, which just highlights how much we need to highlight the importance of mental health, awareness around it, and how we can support ourselves and those around us.  

Feelings of anxiety and depression often coincide with symptoms like:

• Irritability

• Fatigue

• Losing interest in hobbies

• Working longer hours

• Withdrawing from family

• Drinking more

• Feeling “numb”

These might seem small or unimportant, but they are big indicators that something is wrong and that you need to reach out for support. Conditions like depression and anxiety can also have real impacts on your physical health as well and be linked to an increase in cold and flu, chronic pain, fibromyalgia and changes in your weight. 

There are many ways you can access support, charities like MIND and Andy’s Men’s Club offer advice and support for mental health, and can offer spaces for you to talk to other people going through a similar experience. You can often find help through your workplace or local community projects and of course, you can access help from GPs like me. 

Heart Health: The Silent Threat

Men develop heart disease younger and more severely, yet are less likely to attend NHS Health Checks or monitor risk factors. Things like high blood pressure and high cholesterol rarely cause symptoms but majorly increase your risk of a heart attack so it’s very important to know your numbers when it comes to heart health. 

These include:
✔ Blood pressure
✔ Cholesterol
✔ Diabetes risk
✔ Weight, waist size and lifestyle risks

It sounds simple but a 20-minute check really could add years to your life, and you are never too young to check up on your heart health. Many GP clinics also have self monitoring stations, so you don’t even need an appointment in order to check or monitor your blood pressure. 

Prostate & Testicular Cancer

Prostate cancer is most common in men over 50 — especially if you’re Black or have a family history of prostate cancer.

Symptoms might include:

• Slow or weak urinary flow

• Waking at night to urinate

• Blood in urine/semen

• Pelvic or back discomfort

PSA testing or prostate specific antigen testing is a blood test that you can have to check the health of your prostate. High PSA levels can be a sign of prostate issues including prostate cancer so it’s important to get it checked.

Testicular Cancer is the most common cancer in men aged 20–40, but is often curable when caught early. Checking for signs of testicular cancer is easy and something you can do at home. Just taking 30 seconds to check your testes, looking for any lumps, swelling, heaviness or change helps to catch the cancer early.

Testosterone, Energy & Ageing: What’s Normal?

Many men think that low testosterone is the cause of many common symptoms such as low energy, low mood, brain fog and reduced strength. Which in some cases might be true, however there are a whole range of causes that might be affecting how you feel such as:

• Stress

• Poor sleep

• Weight and lifestyle

• Normal ageing

• Or low testosterone

When GPs test for low testosterone, we often test a number of other factors at the same time as many things can affect your hormone levels including: diet, exercise levels, lifestyle stressors and illness. 

Snoring & Sleep Apnoea: More Than Just a Nuisance

Sleep apnoea is a sleep disorder when your breathing repeatedly stops during sleep and affects millions of people in the UK.  Snoring doesn’t always mean that you have sleep apnoea — but many men do develop apnoea as weight, age and anatomy change.

Sleep apnoea increases the risk of:

• Heart disease

• Diabetes

• High blood pressure

• Daytime fatigue

• Mood changes

If you find yourself waking up still tired or unrefreshed, or if your partner has noticed pauses in breathing, choking sounds, or loud snoring, it’s worth speaking to your GP about the possibility of sleep apnoea. 

The Power of Early Action

Ultimately, nearly every serious condition I treat as a GP could have been easier to fix earlier and has a lot more benefits for the patients I see including: Less invasive treatments, faster recovery, lower long term risk and better emotional and mental wellbeing.

And yes, I know everyone believes that it’s difficult to access your GP, but checking your health is often a lot easier than you think - Here are a few things that you can do: 

• Book a Men’s Health Check if you’re 40+

• Know your blood pressure & cholesterol

• Do a monthly testicular self-exam

• Talk to someone if you’re struggling mentally

• Get help for snoring or daytime fatigue

• Don’t ignore new or persistent symptoms

• Get screened if you’re high risk

• Make small, sustainable lifestyle changes

And if you’re unsure where to start — just contact us. We have lots of help and support available to men concerned about their mental and physical health. You can book an appointment with us here: Complete Clinical Care Or check out our services dedicated to men’s health in the menu above.