Well, this is stupid: Turns out men are 25 percent less likely than women of the same age to visit a doctor, even if they’re experiencing scary symptoms.
Jack Rodman, the medical director of First Physicians Group of Sarasota Memorial Health Care System, has heard every excuse in the book.
Men can’t make it to the doctor’s office because most offices are only open during work hours. Men are terrified to get tested because they’d rather just not know if something’s wrong. Men get freaked out about uncomfortable procedures like prostate checks and colonoscopies. And on and on.
No more excuses.
Here are some simple tests and checks you should be doing on the regular starting in your 20s and some conversations you should be having with your doctor ASAP. They’ll help identify a problem before you’re too old to do something about it.
As Dr. Rodman says: “Real men get checkups.”
1. A basic physical exam. Getting the once-over by your primary care physician may seem like a big ol’ waste of time, but an exam can tell your doc a surprising amount about any potential problems you might face. And discussing your lifestyle and health history helps create a relationship with your physician that will help him or her better understand where you’re at and where you’re headed.
So get a basic physical every two years while you’re in your 20s and 30s, even if you think you’re doing A-OK.
2. Heart maintenance. Heart disease is the number one danger for men of all ages, so keep that ticker in tip-top shape by getting your blood pressure and cholesterol scoped out. And jaw with your doc about your family history and your exercise and eating habits.
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3. Cancer convo. You probably don’t need to start getting prostate checks till you’re 40, and you probably don’t need a colonoscopy till you’re 50. But think about your genes. If you’ve got a family history of prostate or colon cancer, tell you’re doc right away. And ask about the role of ethnicity and race. Doctors don’t know exactly why, but prostate cancer occurs more frequently in African-American men than in whites or Latinos.
Yeah, it can feel weird to chat about your prostate and your colon. We get it. But the alternative can be way worse.
Wearing an athletic jersey does NOT make you athletic.
4. Do the math on your BMI. Obesity plays a role in a lot of the worst health problems you might face. Work with your doc to calculate your Body Mass Index.
And if you are on the heavy side, figure out ways to eat better and get more exercise. We’re sure you’ve heard it all before, but there’s a reason for that: Losing weight will help your health in all kinds of ways.
5. Risk management. Even though they don’t go to the doctor as often as women, men tend to engage in risky behavior more frequently. They smoke and drink more, have unprotected sex more frequently and are more likely to do dumb shit like riding a motorcycle without a helmet.
Be up-front with your physician about the risks you take and build a relationship with your doc, even if it’s uncomfortable at first. It’s way better to catch a problem early on rather than just wait for something bad to happen.
Come on. Be a man. Make an appointment.
By Cooper Levey-Baker