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Women are often closely integrated into the health care system at a young age — usually for gynecological care, contraception and pregnancy. Therefore, most women accept that yearly exams are a necessary and regular component of healthy living.
For men, this is not always the case. On average, men have physicals or check-ups on a much less frequent basis. This can happen for a variety of reasons. Men often tend to place greater emphasis on other aspects of their lives. Things such as work and recreation sometimes take precedence over health maintenance. Many men also feel that health concerns really only warrant discussion if there is an emergency of life or limb, loss of a great deal of blood or a lot of discomfort.
Not every man needs an annual check-up. In contrast, some individuals with complicated conditions, such as diabetes, may need several check-ups per year. All men should be encouraged to come in for regular exams at any age. They need to be aware of health issues likely to arise at different ages. For example, some diseases such as testicular cancer are more common in young men; prostate cancer is generally an older man’s disease. Therefore, periodic checkups are important to evaluate any significant acute symptoms, and to have long-term health risk factors evaluated. If a person can’t give an accurate estimate of his cholesterol and blood pressure, for instance, he should see his doctor soon.
In our society today, the most common serious medical conditions are vascular diseases, such as heart attack and stroke, as well as various cancers. The major risk factors for these diseases include hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol, tobacco use and obesity.
Some individuals may have inherited a strong pre-disposition towards certain diseases. Therefore, everyone needs to be aware of the risk factors, which could adversely affect their health. Personal risk factors such as cholesterol profile, blood pressure and blood sugar as well as a complete family medical history are important. Which diseases and ailments affected your parents, grandparents or siblings? Periodic checkups with a person’s doctor can help identify many significant health risks. If problems are detected early they can many times be managed with lifestyle changes, although sometimes medication is required as well. Frequent follow up with a doctor is then necessary to ensure that the problem is well managed, and that no adverse side effects from medications have occurred.
People need to be aware of any unusual symptoms which should trigger a visit to the doctor. Chest pain, shortness of breath, marked bowel habit changes, these are examples of symptoms that should not simply be rationalized as benign conditions, but should be evaluated by a doctor right away.
Today, a much larger percentage of men are more aware of the need to be proactive with regards to their long-term health. A healthy lifestyle along with regular visits to your primary care doctor can play a vital role in keeping you healthy.
Dr. David Britt is a board certified family medicine physician. He joined Longmont Clinic in July 1993. He can be reached at 720-494-3121.
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