You should never ignore these five symptoms if you are a man - they could be a warning sign for your health

• Members of the public are being asked to have their say on ways to tackle the biggest health problems facing men.
• The 12 week consultation will run until July 17, 2025.
• Every day men across the UK are dying early from preventable causes.
• These are the five symptoms that men should never ignore.

Members of the public are being asked to have their say on ways to tackle the biggest health problems facing men.

Men are disproportionately affected by a number of health conditions, including cancer, cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. The consultation will also look at what needs to be done to close the life expectancy gap between men and women, as men in England die nearly four years earlier than women, on average.

Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said: “Every day, men across England are dying early from preventable causes. Men are hit harder by a range of conditions, while tragically suicide is the leading cause of death for men under 50.

“Our Plan for Change means we will tackle these issues head on through a men’s health strategy, and today’s call for evidence is the crucial next step in understanding what works, what doesn’t, and how we can design services men will actually use. I urge people to come forward to share their views.”

What symptoms should men never ignore?

When it comes to your health there are some symptoms that could indicate you need to seek help from a medical professional.

These are the five symptoms men should never ignore:

Chest pain

Chest pain can have many different causes, but if you experience it, it’s best to seek medical help to rule out a heart problem.

Symptoms such as sudden chest pain that does not go away can be serious, if you also get pain that spreads to your left or right arm, or your neck, jaw, stomach or back and have chest pain and you feel sweaty, sick, light headed or short of breath you may be having a heart attack and should call 999 immediately.

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Changes in bladder habits

If you are needing to urinate more frequently, especially during the night, finding it difficult to urinate, needing to rush to the bathroom, straining, feeling your bladder has not fully emptied or notice blood in your urine, make an appointment with your GP as these could be warning signs for prostate cancer.

Changes in bowel habits

If you are noticing you are needing to go to the bathroom more often or are experiencing looser stools, constipation or blood in your stool you should make an appointment with your GP.

Fatigue

Our lives are very busy and often leave us feeling tired, but if you are experiencing fatigue even after rest, it’s important to make an appointment with your GP to find out if there could be an underlying cause such as diabetes.

Mood changes or poor mental health

If you are finding yourself feeling down or feeling irritable or hopeless it’s important not to ignore it. Mental health is just as important as physical health. If you’ve been having persistent low moods that have been impacting your overall well-being, work, relationships and sleep, reach out to your GP about what support is available.

If you have a health story to share with us, we’d love to hear from you. You can now send your stories to us online via YourWorld at www.yourworld.net/submit. It's free to use and, once checked, your story will appear on our website and, space allowing, in our newspapers.