By Joshua Ranum, M.D.
Men...we seem to be an afterthought when it comes to preventative health care. We frequently see campaigns for vaccinations, mammograms, and cervical cancer screening (which are all very important) but rarely is there a focus on routine care men should receive. Even the NFL wears pink in October for breast cancer awareness. Did you know that there were more cases of prostate cancer diagnosed in the US last year than breast cancer? Here are some preventative health recommendations that men (or the men in your life) should consider doing.
First of all, preventative health care is important, but don't ignore or minimize any problems you are currently having. Stubbornness contributes to a lot of men's deaths. Men with diseases such as cancer or heart disease that could be treated early instead think their symptoms will go away and end up in the doctor's office at an advanced stage or with a heart attack. Get things that don't seem normal to you checked out by a doctor.
Secondly, quit smoking. Quit chewing too.
Make sure vaccinations are up to date. Yearly flu vaccinations, the shingles vaccine after age 60, pneumonia vaccine after age 65 (certain people need additional pneumonia vaccines - check with your doctor), and updated tetanus vaccines are all recommended. Hepatitis B vaccination is recommended for health care workers and those with diabetes. If you are travelling outside the US, you may need additional vaccinations as well.
Period lipid (cholesterol) screening, blood pressure, and blood sugar checks can help to identify your risk for silent diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. Your doctor may also order additional testing to further define your risk, such as markers of inflammation or coronary artery calcium.
Everyone should have a colonoscopy sometime in their 50s. This should be done at age 40 if you have a family history of colon cancer. Really, it's not that bad. It's also easier than having an ostomy because you waited too long and needed your colon removed.
Certain baby boomers should have one time screenings for an abdominal aneurysm and hepatitis C.
Prostate cancer screening is where we get most of our questions. In the past few years, the pendulum has swung away from frequent PSA screenings to no PSA screening. It's an area of hot debate right now, and in truth it's an individual decision that is best discussed with your doctor.
That list looks like a lot, but discussing these things with your doctor takes less time than 2 quarters in a football game. Most men take care of their cars, their farm equipment, and their guns better than they take care of themselves. It's time to change that.
09/19/2014
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West River Regional Medical Center
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Hettinger, ND 58639-753