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.
