Routine check-ups, no big deal, so go schedule it! These check-ups could include blood pressure screenings, screenings for diabetes or high cholesterol, some blood work, a discussion of health screenings by age, or maybe by your health history.
It’s getting that routine visit in that is super important to get on the path of good health and prevention. Mental health topics are discussed at routine visits too and are an important part of your care. June is known as Men’s Health Month and a time to raise awareness of men’s health issues. When you’re sick, you are likely to head to the doctor for treatment but what about health prevention, mental health, or issues like blood pressure that may go unnoticed? Plus, who is talking to you about your health routines? For example, your lifestyle, exercise, or diet habits that could be improved upon. I can always use the encouragement, too. It goes a long way when the doctor says you should be doing something. I like going to see my primary doctor, Dr. Emily because she asks me questions that I don’t think about much. She reminds me of screenings that I need and she follows up with me to see if I have made other appointments or kept up with tests that she ordered. For men, a very important screening is colorectal cancer screening. Since this screening is recommended at age 45, how many men out there, that age, are seeing a primary doctor for annual check-ups? If you get screened when you are younger and find prostate cancer, there are treatment options, especially with early-stage disease. Find it early and treat it quickly. So, if you are a man, don’t ignore your health. High blood pressure is a big one and you may not know you have it. On that topic, high blood pressure affects nearly half of all adults in the U.S. High blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke. If you have it like I do, keep regular appointments and keep up with it. Your doctor will give you ways to keep blood pressure under control and keep you healthy. Sometimes, we need a little push when it comes to annual doctor visits because we aren’t sick. That’s when we really should go.