This week is National Men’s Health Week. Seven days that are celebrated every year leading up to Father’s Day.
A time to promote healthy living while at the same time encouraging men about early detection and treatment of medical conditions.
Health2Fit sat down with a doctor from Glendale, Ariz., about the five things men should ask the next time they go in for a physical.
“These are things you need to be conscience of when you’re visiting or going for your annual physical,” Joe Nicita said. “You want to make sure these items are in check.”
Nicita isn’t afraid to go to the doctor. He’s been getting yearly physicals for the last several years.
“I had a dad who unfortunately passed away from stomach cancer about four years ago,” Nicita said. “So I think anything that has an opportunity to become genetic, you want to make sure that you check it out.”
But prior to his dad’s condition, Nicita was like a lot of men who don’t go to the doctor on a regular basis.
“Not so much you would expect them [doctors] to find something or you’re afraid to go, just that you feel healthy and you’re fine,” Nicita said.
“Sometimes you can have amazing benefits just by catching things early and going and having an annual physical examination as a man is something that is highly recommended,” said Dr. Tony Will at Midwestern University Multispecialty Clinic in Glendale.
Will said once men make the decision to get checked out, there are a few topics they should discuss with their doctor.
“As men get older, particularly as they go past 40, they tend to gain weight centrally in the abdomen and we call that central obesity and that’s a real troublemaker,” Will said. “Central obesity is highly associated with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and heart disease.”
Will said looking for tips on how to keep your waist trimmed down means asking about diet and how much exercise should I do?
“Really we want to be able to get 300 minutes of exercise a week,” Will said. “If you can do 120 minutes in one setting, fine, but we want to make sure you get 300 minutes in a week.”
Some other areas Will believes need to be addressed at the doctor’s office is knowing how to keep your blood pressure in check.
“I still really push blood pressure monitoring,” Will said. “It’s one of those diseases you don’t feel. Generally, you feel just fine.
“You have no symptoms, but you find if your blood pressure is continuously elevated, over time it can be great damage to the vessels of the heart as well as the vessels of the brain,” Will continued.
The doctor said it’s also OK to talk about what some men might consider embarrassing from being stressed out to suffering with erectile dysfunction.
“Oftentimes, men are just afraid to talk about it,” Will said. “And the good news is if we talk about it and address it, it’s usually pretty easy to treat.”
Nicita couldn’t agree more. His advice to those men who are still not quite sure if they want to go to the doctor, find something to motivate you.
“My young children really want me to be active and be a part of their life,” Nicita said. “It’s just a matter of making sure you’re making the time.
“You’re seeing somebody that you’re fine and comfortable with and, again, if you can’t do it for yourself, there has to be other motivating factors in which you want to do it,” he continued.
For more information on National Men’s Health Week visit http://www.cdc.gov/Features/HealthyMe
To learn about Midwestern University Multispecialty Clinic go to http://www.mwuclinic.com/az/
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