The stereotype that men don't go to the doctor is a stereotype for a reason. Any woman who has tried to cajole, encourage, or strongly suggest that her dad, husband, son, brother, or another man in her life, go to the doctor has most likely felt the pushback.
A survey, conducted by The American Academy of Family Physicians and quoted by Men's Health Magazine, found that over half (55 percent) of all men in the United States have not seen their doctor in the past 12 months.
A 2001 study from The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as quoted on WebMD.com, found that men are 33 percent less likely to visit their doctor than women are.
The fact that men don't want to go to the doctor should not stop women from encouraging them to go.
It is imperative that everyone see their doctor for an annual visit to maintain their health and catch any issues early enough to be corrected.
If high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high blood sugar, and other health issues are not detected in an early stage, they can develop into deadly conditions. There is a reason men die at a younger age than women, and that reason could be because they didn’t seek preventative care.
There are many reasons you should encourage the men in your life to get a physical exam, but the biggest reason is to catch issues early.
Here are three major health concerns that are preventable if caught early enough:
1) Heart Disease
According to the CDC, one in every four men have heart disease. It is the leading killer for both men and women, but almost twice as many men die of cardiovascular conditions than women.
Getting yearly checkups of blood pressure, cholesterol and weight can help doctors know if a man’s risk of heart attack, or another major problem, is increasing.
2) Suicide
Men are four times more likely to commit suicide than women, according to WebMD. This may be due to the cultural norm of men being less emotive and not expressing their feelings.
A yearly checkup by a medical professional may detect depression and suggest ways to treat it. Without medical intervention, men may suffer in silence, and that can lead to suicide.
3) Prostate Cancer
The most common cancer found in men is prostate cancer. Currently there is no way to prevent it, but if it is caught early enough, it can be treated.
There are men who are alive today because they had their prostate checked, and their cancer was detected and treated well before they felt any signs of illness.
Since men do not like to go to the doctor, it is important that the women in their lives continue to urge them to go. If you want the men in your life to live long, healthy lives, yearly doctor’s visits are imperative.
Sources:
Webmd.com. Web. 9 June 2015. “Mens Top Five Health Concerns.”
http://www.webmd.com/men/features/mens-top-5-health-concerns
Menshealth.com. Web. 13 April 2015. “5 reasons you don’t see your doctor but should.”
http://www.menshealth.com/health/5-reasons-you-dont-see-doctor-should
Reviewed June 11, 2015
by Michele Blacksberg RN
Edited by Jody Smith