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The Health of Men
It is an
alarming fact but, men are
less likely than women to visit a doctor for regular physicals and the
recommended medical testing men should consider having as part of a
proactive wellness plan. Younger men are even less likely than older men
to visit the doctor unless they are very sick or have been injured. A
frightening statistic that young men should pay heed to: one out of every
two sexually active adult males will be exposed to and become infected
with a sexually transmitted disease by the time they are twenty five
years old. Do not play Russian roulette with your health and life and
that of your partners. Undergo twice yearly STD screenings.
White men
between the ages of 20 to 34 are at the highest risk for developing
testicular cancer.
Men should
regularly examine the testes and if they feel or appear different than
normal, see their doctor for a testicular screening to rule out cancer
or other testicular condition.
All men
should consider having a testosterone test performed to ensure that they are
not among the nearly five million American males with low testosterone
levels. A lower than normal testosterone level can seriously affect bone
strength, hair regeneration, mood, and even sexual performance and
sexual pleasure for both partners.
An annual
prostate exam for men over fifty is recommended for the earliest
possible detection of prostate cancer when present. The sooner that a
cancer of the prostate is discovered and treatment begun, the better the
prognosis and survivability rate becomes. Consult with your doctor if
the men in your family have a history of prostate cancers to learn if
you may need to begin annual prostate screenings at an earlier age. You may
also want to consider getting an annual PSA or Prostate Specific Antigen
test, especially if you are in a high risk group for prostate cancer
such as African American males and males with family histories of
prostate cancer.
Men fifty
and older need regular colon screenings which are typically spaced five
years apart unless a family history of colon cancer places you at a higher
risk and your doctor recommends that you have them more often. Colon
screenings can reveal polyps before they metastasize into cancerous
growths and also reveal the presence of colon cancer.
A yearly
stool test to check for blood in the stool, which is often an early
indicator of colon cancer, is also recommended for men fifty and over.
Blood in your stool can also be the result of other things as well
such as hemorrhoids and small tears in the anus due to straining during
a bowel movement. If you notice blood, discuss this with your doctor but
do not assume the worst.
Many men
and women suffer from high blood pressure and most are not even aware of
it. This puts them at greater risk for heart attacks, strokes and
kidney failure. Everyone should have their blood pressure checked at
least once a year to make sure it is within a healthy limit.
We often
take our eyesight for granted, but for eye health you should have your
eyes examined every year and also be screened for glaucoma or macular
degenerative disease to prevent the unnecessary loss of your vision.
Men often
go shirtless when outdoors which exposes more of their skin to the sun.
They should check their skin for changes in existing moles or for the
development of new ones on a regular basis. Men should also have regular
skin cancer screenings because skin cancer can be discovered at its
earliest and most treatable stages through a simple skin test.
It is just
as important for men as it is for women to have regular physicals and
screenings for cancer and other conditions.
By the way
guys, October is National Breast Cancer Awareness month. Ask a woman
forty years and older that you care about, if they have received their
squeeze yet, this is the term affectionately given to the mammogram
machine that compresses the breast for clear pictures of breast tissues
and structures to detect breast cancer. Show them you care about their
health by reminding them to get a mammogram. Although it is rare, men
can also be stricken with breast cancer. While showering, perform self
checks and if you feel a lump or note discoloration or any other
changes, see your doctor.
A healthy
diet and weight along with plenty of regular exercise are the best
disease prevention tools. Use these tools and your annual physicals and
needed screenings are more likely to leave you with a clean bill of
health that will surely put extra pep in your step.
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