Did you know that June is Men’s Health Month? This is a time when we focus on raising awareness around men’s health and improving the well-being of men everywhere. There are many different ways that you can get involved and improve your health, but we wanted to highlight a few key points that we think are important. In this blog post, we will discuss some of the biggest issues facing men’s health today, as well as how you can increase awareness and improve your well-being.

How Can Men Improve Their Health?

There are a number of things you can do to improve your health. Women should be doing these things too but this article is focusing on you men. You can even make these a family thing and provide a good example for your sons and daughters.

Get Your Physical Done Annually

One of the most important things that you can do for your health is to get regular check-ups and screenings. Many men avoid going to the doctor unless they are feeling sick, but this is a mistake. Women go to the doctor twice as much as men and you may know that they live longer than men. 

By getting regular check-ups, you can catch potential health problems early and get treatment before they become serious. Even more so, you can completely avoid certain diseases by catching them early. Diabetes is a great example. If caught while in the pre-diabetic stage, you can potentially avoid diabetes altogether. 

READ MORE: Diabetes – What You Need to Know

It’s important to talk to your doctor about your family history and any health concerns that you have. They can help you understand your risks and what screenings or tests you may need. So consistently seeing your medical care team is essential.

READ MORE: Why You Should Get and Keep a PCP?

Make Healthy Lifestyle Choices

Another way to improve your health is to make healthy lifestyle choices. This includes things like eating a healthy diet, getting regular exercise, and avoiding tobacco and excessive alcohol use. Making these changes can help reduce your risk of developing many different health problems, including heart disease, cancer, and stroke.

READ MORE: Get Motivated to Work Out

READ MORE: Kick Heart Disease to the Curb

READ MORE: What You Need to Know to Prevent a Stroke

It’s never too late to start making healthier choices, so if you haven’t been doing so in the past, now is the perfect time to start. Let’s take smoking. According to the CDC, no matter how long one has been smoking, quitting improves their health status, their quality of life, and increases their life expectancy by up to 10 years.

Educate Yourself on Men’s Health Issues

Finally, one of the best things you can do for your health is to educate yourself and others about men’s health issues. There is a lot of misinformation out there, so it’s important to get your facts from reliable sources. The more you know about men’s health, the better equipped you’ll be to make healthy choices and take action to improve your well-being.

Men’s Health Issues You Should Pay Attention To

There are many different men’s health issues that you should be aware of, but we’ve compiled a list of the most important ones.

Heart Disease

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men in the United States. Every year, about 24% of male deaths are from heart disease, especially at age 65 & older. What can you do to decrease your risk for heart disease? Eat healthy, regular exercise, and do routine checkups with your primary care provider.

Cancer

Cancer is the second leading cause of death for men in the United States. Every year, about 21% of male deaths are from cancer, especially between the ages of 45-64. Most screenings start in that age group. So talking to your primary care provider can keep you on top of which screenings you need to be done and when. With screenings, you could potentially catch and remove abnormalities before they become cancerous.

READ MORE: Lung Cancer – How to Decrease Your Risk Today! 

Chronic Lower Respiratory Disease (CLRD)

The third is unintentional injury. These are mistakes so the best advice is to be careful.

Chronic lower respiratory disease is the fourth leading cause of death for men in the United States. Every year, about 5% of male deaths are from CLRD. CLRD includes chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), chronic bronchitis, emphysema, and asthma.

If you haven’t started smoking, don’t start. If you smoke, quitting as soon as you can will decrease your chance of these illnesses. If you are a smoker and already diagnosed with these illnesses, quitting will decrease your risk of complications. Win, win, win.

Stroke

Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death for men in the United States. Every year, about 4% of male deaths are from a stroke.

Some things to note about strokes:

1) They don’t always kill you. They tend to cause disability, rather than death, which can severely affect your quality of life. So don’t get thrown off by the small percentage and think it is a small threat.

2) Early recognition of symptoms and prompt treatment are key to improving your chances for a full recovery. Learn more about stroke symptoms by clicking HERE.

We hope that this blog post has given you some valuable information about men’s health. Remember, June is Men’s Health Month, so it’s the perfect time to start making positive changes in your life. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We’re here to help you every step of the way.

Cancers Especially Men Should Watch Out For

Cancers are the second leading cause of death for men in the United States. Every year, about 21% of male deaths are from cancer. The most common cancers that men get are prostate cancer, lung cancer, and colorectal cancer.

Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer is one you can’t do much about prevention-wise. Family history plays a role, so if you have a family member who has had prostate cancer, you may be at an increased risk. Treatment for prostate cancer is mainly through surgery and radiation therapy.

Lung Cancer

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in men. It’s also the second leading cause of all cancer deaths in both men and women. You can decrease your risk by not smoking and avoiding secondhand smoke. If you are a smoker, quitting as soon as you can will decrease your chance of lung cancer.

READ MORE: Lung Cancer – How to Decrease Your Risk Today! 

Colon Cancer

Colorectal cancer is the third most common type of cancer in men. It’s also the second leading cause of death from cancer in men. You can decrease your risk by eating healthy, exercising, and getting screenings. Screenings can find colorectal cancer early, when it’s most treatable.

Bonus: Testicular Cancer

Testicular cancer is the most common type of cancer in young men. It’s most common in men between the ages of 20 and 34. The good news is, it’s also one of the most treatable types of cancer. The key to treatment is early detection. So if you notice any changes in your testicles, see your primary care provider.

There is no one way to prevent testicular cancer. The best thing you can do is be aware of the symptoms and see a doctor if you notice anything unusual.

So there you have it. A few men’s health facts for you to keep in mind.

Looking for more ways to improve your health? Check out these other blog posts:

– Why should we have and see a primary care doctor?

–Numbers You Need to Know – Health Edition

– Keep Your Heart Healthy & Kick heart disease to the Curb!

– Stroke Awareness Month – What You Need to Know to Prevent One

– How to Get Motivated to Work Out When You Hate It!

–5 Reasons You Need to Start Meal Prepping Today