Understanding Male Health Concerns: A Forum for Discussion

Question
Hello,

My wife was concerned with some things I have been experiencing, and after searching, to no avail, the symptoms I have, we decided to use this forum.  Here are the facts:

I am a 48 y/o male, about 170lbs, and am 5' 7" tall.  I have been a normally healthy male, but havent had a normal doctor since I was a child.  I take no medications, and am a smoker.  I drink maybe 2 x's a year, and use no street drugs.

For quite sometime, I have been experiencing extreme night sweats - every night.  The sweating causes me to become what my wife calls, a human incubator.  I become so externally hot, but do not feel hot.  A lot of the time I am colder than she is feeling.  I have some mild palpatations, and irregular heart beats, both at night, and during the day.  I have some mild lower abdominal pain, which comes and goes.  Sometimes Ill have it for a few days, sometimes it will be just one day with anywhere from a 2 day-2 month period before I experience it again.  I also am often times fatigued during the day.  (Even though I fight it, and hide it well.)  

I am concerned as to whether these night sweats, external hotness w/some abdominal pains, and the heart issues are anything to worry about, as well as why these things are happening, and what I can do about it.

Anything you can offer would be greatly appreciated.

If you need anymore info. please ask, as I think I added all the symptoms, but you may think of another, and ask me if I have it, and Ill remember I do.  
Thank-you
Michael and Sara

Answer
sometimes people try to take all the symptoms and lump them into 1 diagnosis... that is dangerous, because things can get missed.

I see the biggest ones are the sweating and the palptitations, maybe the abdominal pain.

As far as health, you are a typical male... you have been pretty bulletproof as far as health so far, so it is hard to get into the mindset of needing something for your health.   But, I guarantee you, that one day you will have a serious health problem.  The key is to detect the fixable ones early before they become unfixable.  

I would worry about a thyroid disorder with the palpitations and the sweats.  Also worry about heart disease with the cigarettes and the palptitations and the lack of knowledge of your blood pressure and cholesterol.

The abdominal pain may be nothing or could be one of the bad things like prostate cancer, colon cancer.

At your age, things begin to happen to some people..... I would schedule a physical.  If you don't want to do it for you, at least do it for your wife so she doesn't have to worry as much........ I hope this helps....