Are you in a committed relationship? Then you have a responsibility you might not have thought about: health maintenance for your man. Just as you have other responsibilities like providing moral or financial support or pursuing happiness, you need to be involved in your man’s health. Think about it… it will pay off in the future.
Remember that, traditionally, women are the caregivers in the family. Women are more knowledgeable and experienced with the health care system through years of pelvic examinations and visiting the pediatrician. They take care of their parents and set up physician appointments for them, their own children and their spouses.
In this day and age, when preventative strategies are available and are affordable, your partner can no longer hide in a cave and say, “I did not know about it!” The caveman days are over! How many times do we hear on the TV about heart disease, prostate cancer or other male issues? Lots!
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC found that only about 40 percent of office visits are attributed to men while the remaining 60 percent are women. Men typically visit their physician if they absolutely have to and almost always say, “My wife made me come in.”
Keeping a man healthy:
1. Understand male health problems
2. Find out when men need to have a check-up
3. Go along with him to the doctor
4. Compile his family health history
5. Help him talk about his concerns/symptoms/fears
6. Motivate him to follow a healthy diet and exercise
In addition, heart disease is the number one threat to men’s health according to the Mayo Clinic Staff. But, even people with heart disease live longer if they make positive changes in their life. So do not get discouraged, your man is never too old. Start early and ask your physician about your goals. General guidelines for reducing a man’s (and woman’s) risk for heart disease:
1. Don’t smoke.
2. Have an exercise routine.
3. Eat a healthy diet rich in vegetables, fruit, whole grains, fiber and fish.
4. Reduce salt/sodium intake.
5. Manage stress.
6. Maintain a healthy weight.
7. Manage any other diseases, such as diabetes.
8. Know the signs and symptoms of a heart attack.
Think about the future… do you want to be alone? Do you want your spouse to leave you with a bunch of medical bills when you are in your 60s? Do you want to see your partner suffer as he gets hospitalized for something that could have prevented a long time ago?
Hardly anyone focuses on the future anymore. Almost all of us want the magic pill and do not understand that results and knowledge take a long time to grow. Start talking to your man early about male issues and incorporate preventative measures sooner rather than later.
Here is a little incentive: tell your man that just as a car needs a tune up, so does he!