June is a month designated to raise awareness of preventable health problems and the importance of early detection and treatment in Men.  It’s been my experience that men are less likely than women to seek treatment for health concerns.  Maine-ly Elder Care has come up with some awareness facts, as well as common health problems men face.  Raising awareness and sharing information can help keep the men in our lives healthy.  Here are a few quick facts to be aware of:

• Men have a lower life expectancy then women.
• Men die at higher rates than women from the top ten causes of death which include: heart disease, cancer, injuries Strokes, Respiratory disease, diabetes, HIV, suicide and homicide.
• Women are 100% more likely to visit the doctor for annual examinations and preventive services then men are.
• 50% more men than women die of cancer.
• Almost twice as many men than women die of heart disease. 

So, let’s discuss why men are at high risk:

• Men are less likely to make physician appointments for prevention
• Men are employed in more dangerous occupations.
• Society discourages healthy behaviors in men and boys.  As a society we generally teach our boys to be tough and this makes a difference when they may have something wrong, both physically and emotionally. 
• Men may have less healthy lifestyle habits, including risk taking behaviors. 
• Depression in men often goes  undiagnosed, contributing to the fact that men are 4x as likely to commit suicide then women.

Maine-ly Elder Care has developed a helpful maintenance schedule for the men in your life. 

• Men should have a yearly physical exam, especially after the age of 50.
• Blood and urinalysis test every year.
• EKG every three to four years.
• A colonoscopy every three years after the age of 50.
• Hemoccult stool test yearly.
• Monthly self-exams should include checking- Testicles-to find lumps at their earliest stages, skin exams to look for changes in moles, oral exams to check for cancerous lesions, and breast exams for lumps, men can get breast cancer.

With father’s day coming up, it is time to celebrate the men in our lives and also encourage them to care for their health by talking about men’s health and common health issues men experience, so we can celebrate them for many more years to come. 

~Denise