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June is National Men’s Health Month, and if paying attention to your health hasn’t been a priority, why not make it one now? You deserve to be healthy, and your loved ones are counting on you to take care of yourself.
“Statistically, men are half as likely as women to see a health care provider for a yearly exam,” said Dr. Kevin Sellers, family practice physician, Pickaway Health Services. “Simply put, many men just don’t like to go to the doctor for a variety of reasons. It’s been my experience that men tend to ignore symptoms of potential health problems, may be embarrassed to discuss personal or physical issues and don’t make their own health a priority.”
National Men’s Health Month promotes awareness of preventable health problems and encourages early detection and treatment of diseases among men and boys.
Recognizing and preventing men’s health problems is not just a man’s issue. Men’s health is a family issue impacting wives, mothers, daughters and sisters.
“Some men may feel it isn’t manly to go to the doctor and prefer to tough it out, or assume symptoms will go away without medical intervention,” Sellers said. “Prevention and early detection are keys for long term better health.”
Screening tests can find diseases early, when they are easiest to treat. Acute and chronic health conditions may be prevented or detected early with regular check-ups. Health screenings to know your numbers include blood pressure, cholesterol, glucose, weight, body mass index and prostate health and are determined between you and your health care provider based on age and risk factors.
“This year’s National Men’s Health campaign message is ‘Man Up! Take charge of your health,'” Sellers said. “You may not find that sentiment in a greeting card, but hopefully it’s advice that remains with you through life.”
Established or new patients seeking a primary care provider may call Pickaway Health Services’ central scheduling office at (740) 420-8422 for an appointment.
This article originally appeared on The Pickaway News Journal
