Posted: 6/15/2015
Men’s Health Month increases awareness
It may come as a shock to some men, but just because you feel healthy doesn’t mean you are healthy. And, despite the importance of regular routine health care visits, research continually shows that men lag far behind women when it comes to seeing their doctor on a routine basis.
According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, men are 24 percent less likely than women to have visited a doctor within the past year. For many men, the first time they see a doctor may be when they have a heart attack, or when they start suffering complications from diseases such as diabetes.
June is Men’s Health Month, and health care experts at Parkland urge men to start and maintain a regular health care schedule and to not ignore certain symptoms that could indicate more serious issues.
The most common health conditions experienced by men include heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, low testosterone and cancer. In 2011, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, heart disease was the leading cause of death for men at 24 percent, followed closely by cancer. The Prostate Health Guide reports that each year more than 230,000 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer and about 30,000 will die from the disease.
“By getting a troubling symptom checked out by a medical professional or having a regular screening, it can help you eliminate potentially serious problems. And if a serious condition is detected, early diagnosis is often the key to a cure,” said Noel Santini, MD, Medical Director of Community Oriented Primary Care at Parkland.
In addition to working on maintaining a healthy lifestyle, one that includes good nutrition, physical activity and no smoking, men also should pay closer attention to what their bodies are saying to them.
“These signs or symptoms exist for a reason, and they typically worsen when ignored,” Dr. Santini said.
Here are some of the symptoms that men should not ignore:
- Chest pain – is one of the symptoms of a heart attack but can also indicate other problems such as angina, pneumonia, pulmonary embolism or asthma.
- Shortness of breath – could signal heart disease, or lung disease, as well as diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), chronic bronchitis, emphysema or pulmonary hypertension.
- Fatigue – can result from physical exertion, lack of sleep or stress, but it can also indicate more serious physical health conditions, including congestive heart failure, diabetes, arthritis, infections or cancer, as well as kidney or liver disease.
- Blood in urine – may be a sign of bladder, prostate or kidney problems.
- Excessive thirst – can be a prominent symptom of diabetes.
- Vision problems – are not always related to aging; they can indicate other problems, such as glaucoma, cataracts, diabetic retinopathy or macular degeneration.
Dr. Santini stressed that having any of these does not automatically mean a man has a serious condition.
“All men will experience one or more of these health symptoms as they age, but that doesn’t mean they should be ignored,” he said.