Men's Health In 2 Minutes with Dr. Vishwanath BL

With a decade of experience behind him, Dr. Vishwanath BL  is the go-to person for all things wellness. We pick his brains with 5 questions on Men's Health, specially curated for International Men's Day:

1. What is the one habit that can make men healthier? What one vice should they give up?

One thing men should make a habit is maintaining their fitness. And one vice they should give up is smoking.

2. How often should men get a preventive health screening? What type of tests should they keep in mind?

Men should get a full-body preventive health screening at least once a year. It will have all blood tests, ultrasound, scanning, chest x-ray, ECG and more. Screening is very essential, especially after a man turns thirty. For example, a 35-year-old man had just come for a health check-up. It turned out that he had a kidney tumour- which doesn’t have any symptoms.  He was surprised and got a CT scan done and got it operated at the right time.

3. What type of cancers affects men more?

Lung and prostate cancer are the most common types of cancers. Lung cancer is not just caused smoking, pollution can be a reason too.

4. A lot of men are prone to having constipation. Is this because of lifestyle, the food they eat or some other reason? Is there a remedy for it?

I think health issues like constipation, diarrhoea or Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a mental phenomenon. Men who are under stress are prone to constipation. Of course, processed foods also play a role in such problems.  However, fifty per cent of the time, constipation is psychosomatic for the working population. Managing stress and eating a high-fibre diet is the best way to manage constipation.

5. Advice for men to reduce stress

Stop multitasking! If you’re speaking, speak. If you’re looking at your phone, do that. Don’t do both. Whatever work you take on, do it one after the other. Secondly, don’t compare yourself with others. You are born unique, you live a unique life, and you will die in a unique way. These are the only two ways of managing stress.