This month is all about the fellas. Ladies I know you know someone in your life that NEEDS to see a doctor and hasn’t gone because he has a ton of excuses, like…. “I don’t have time,” or “really, I’m fine, I get chest pain all the time, it’s nothing,” or “ I just strained something in the gym and that’s why I keep feeling this pain.” Men are notorious for not going to the doctor. Actually 45% of men between the ages of 18 and 50 don’t have a primary care physician. That’s an astonishing number when you think that men between the ages of 20 years and 40 years are 2 times as likely as women to die. Yes, that’s right! So drag the man in your life to the doctor, even if he kicks and screams like a child.
June is Men’s Health Month so let’s try and coerce, ahem, I mean convince the man in your life who needs to go to the doc, that it’s important have a relationship with a physician and see a doctor regularly in order to keep him healthy and strong. I know visiting the doctor can be overwhelming, so I’ve listed below 5 things a man at any age (20 years old and above) should get checked out for at the doctor. These are all necessary tests that aren’t INVASIVE and won’t cause embarrassment so why not do all 5. Come on fellas, the life you save, will definitely be your own.
1) Get Your Ticker Checked.
Signs of a cardiac issue can often present as shortness of breath or chest pain while working out, heartburn, or even just general feeling of tiredness. Tell your doctor how you and your heart are doing, and if you haven’t been able to do as much physical exertion or exercise as you normally have been able to do. Also get your blood pressure checked and know what your normal number is.
2) Know Your Blood Sugar.
Your lady thinks you’re sweet and that’s great, but having high blood sugar isn’t. Almost 50% of American men have diabetes or are pre-diabetic according to the National Institute of Health. What’s scary is that almost 1/3 don’t even know they have it. So find out your fasting glucose and Hemoglobin A1c.
3) Get a skin check.
That guy at the pool looking like an overcooked lobster is not the look. And did you know that having just 5 sunburns in your lifetime doubles your risk for malignant melanoma! Many people don’t realize but men are disproportionately affected by skin cancer. Of the 3.5 million new cases of skin cancer every year, more than 66% of those are men. And 1 in 39 men vs. 1 in 58 women will actually develop melanoma in his lifetime. Melanoma can be treated if found early. So fellas strip to your skivvy’s and have your girlfriend or wife check out your bodacious bod once a month for any new moles or skin issues.
4) Get Your Cholesterol Checked.
It’s important to know your numbers. Having high cholesterol makes your blood sticky and causes plaque buildup in your arteries called atherosclerosis. This can lead to heart attack and stroke because the plaque clogs up your arteries. After age 40, 50% of men can expect to have coronary artery disease – clogged arteries. Coronary artery disease is what causes heart disease and is still the number #1 killer of men. Don’t let it be you, or someone you love.
5) Get an Eye Exam.
Many eye diseases are slow and gradual and can cause blindness or irreversible vision loss before you even realize you are having a problem. For this reason it’s important to maintain good eye health. Certain patient populations need to have their eyes checked more frequently like African-Americans, patients who have had previous eye trauma, used steroid medications, have diabetes, or a family history of glaucoma. Get those starry dark brown eyes checked out soon.
And a Bonus Exam for the fellas:
See the dentist at least once a year for an annual cleaning (every 6 months is even better but hey I’ll take what I can get). Because good dental health keeps you heart healthy.
Wishing you a great June and Happy Father’s Day
xoxo
Dr V