5 Symptoms Men Shouldn't Ignore

Women listen to their bodies and go to the doctor when something isn't right. Men tend to seek medical attention when they're at death's door -- or when their wives prod them into going.

"I think it's a macho thing," says Dr. Barron Lerner, professor of medicine and public health at Columbia University. "Or maybe it's denial. Maybe they think if they deny a problem, it doesn't exist."

While the list, according to these physicians, is endless, here are the top five symptoms men ignore -- sometimes until it's too late.

1. Chest pain - You'd think this would be the last thing a man would ignore, but our men's health experts say it happens all the time.

2. A big belly - "Belly fat is the worst fat you can have," says Dr. Harry Fisch, a professor of clinical urology at Columbia. "A big belly is a sign a man has low testosterone levels. And the lower the testosterone, the greater the risk of diabetes and coronary artery disease."

3. An unenthusiastic penis - Impotence may be purely psychological, but it also could be a sign that a man has cardiovascular disease.

4. More frequent urination - Urinating more frequently can be a sign of prostatitis, or inflammation of the prostate gland.

5. Prescription drug addiction - Dr. Joel Heidelbaugh, a family medicine specialist at the University of Michigan Medical School, says, "Maybe they're taking medicine for back pain, and a couple of years later they're still on them. They can't function without them, and they don't even know it."

Read the entire article.