Stopping to ask directions, avoiding dentist and doctor appointments… While these general stereotypes of men are known across the country, the clichés remain for a reason. Most often men are generally more apt to take care of others and their families as opposed to keeping tabs on their overall health maintenance. June is Men’s Health Month and gives health care providers, public policy makers, individuals and the media an opportunity to encourage men and boys to seek regular medical advice and early treatment for disease and injury.
Healthier men live happier, longer lives.
Here are 3 key areas to identify to take charge of your health for the sake of you and your family:
Cardiovascular Health: Heart disease is the most common cause of death for men in the U.S. Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) is a general term that includes many different conditions affecting the heart and blood vessels. According to the American Heart Association, over 39 million American men (1 in 3) suffer from one or more of these conditions, and every year just under half a million of them die of cardiovascular disease (1 in 4 men)—that’s more than cancer and diabetes combined.
Cancers: Each year, over 700,000 men are diagnosed with cancer and nearly 300,000 die from the disease. During the course of a lifetime half of all men will get cancer at least once,
- Prostate cancer is the leading cancer for men in the US. It is followed by
- Lung cancer and then
- Colorectal cancer.
While you can’t guarantee you will never get cancer, there are some ways to for early detection and prevention: Large amounts of smoking, high fat diets, exposure to PVCs (poly vinyl chloride), alcohol and prolonged sunlight exposure are all cancer causing agents. Positive actions that can be taken are: early screening, high fiber/low fat diets and aspirin intake.
Nutrition: Because of poor health habits, lack of health insurance, failure to seek medical attention, and dangerous occupations, men live sicker and die younger than women. Men die at higher rates for the top causes of death. Taking control of your health by exercising, eating right and visiting your healthcare provider regularly all contribute to a better quality of life. Lack of proper nutrition, exercise and maintenance can all lead to
- Diabetes
- Obesity
For more information, see http://www.menshealthmonth.org/