Photo By Douglas Stutz | Keeping on the move during Men's Health Month...As the old saying goes, hills don't...... read more read more
Although just a guess, there’s a sneaky reason why June is designated as Men’s Health Month.
Besides prompting us guys to focus on dealing with physical and mental morbidities, the actual reasoning to annually set aside an entire month is steeped in intentional, well-meaning principle.
Because as guys, we basically need reminding – apparently a lot – to take care of our bad self.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), men are far more likely than women to go two years or longer without seeing a physician.
When we do have an appointment, we are less likely to speak openly about our health with our health care provider. Even if we do share, we’re generally not open and sincere about our health and wellness. Such minimal articulation can lead to missing diagnoses, causing misdiagnoses and adding unnecessary tests.
With the Men’s Health month theme this year throughout the Department of Defense ‘a stronger tomorrow,’ now of course is the opportunity to take the slack out of our collective communication lack.
Following Military Health Systems recommendations is a good way to prepare for any current or future appointment:
We need to be upfront about any symptoms.
We need to write down questions or concerns to discuss.
We need to be involved and ask about prescriptions/medications.
We need to clarify all instructions before and after any surgery/procedure.
And if possible, we need to bring a family member along.
We have this entire month as a foundation to increase our awareness about health issues that should be important to all us guys like prostate, testicular, skin and colon cancers, along with other similar concerns like hypertension, obesity, and heart disease.
That catchphrase ‘increased awareness’ is really a reminder for all of us guys to self-assess to determine if our daily habits are healthy or horrid. Are we eating nutritionally, being active, maintaining a healthy weight, managing stress, staying injury free, practicing safe sex, drinking in moderation, and being tobacco free?
According to the Navy Marine Corps Public Health Center, there are definitely health concerns that impact men differently than women.
As an example, attests the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, men are more likely to gain weight around our midsection(s) than women. That accumulation of fat around our waist increases our risk for heart disease, Type 2 Diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure. Men of all ages, whether active duty, reservist, retiree, or dependent, who are aware of this understand the importance of taking measures to maintain a healthy weight.
Additionally, we are more likely to smoke, drink and choose unhealthy or risky behaviors than our gender counterparts.
The data is damning; men die at higher rates than women from the top 10 causes of death in the U.S. In descending order, heart disease and cancer are the top two by far, followed by accidents (considered unintentional injuries), chronic lower respiratory diseases, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, influenza and pneumonia, nephrosis (kidney disease) and intentional self-harm (suicide). We’re also the victims of over 92 percent of workplace deaths.
The bottom line is that we need to be more aware of potential health concerns, even if we’re not sick or injured. What's scary is that half of us guys who die suddenly of coronary heart disease showed no previous symptoms.
By scheduling and keeping scheduled appointments, we can help determine our own early detection, timely treatment, and prevention awareness of injuries and diseases, which helps ensure we’re a medically ready force, ready medical force, and overall healthier population.
| Date Taken: | 06.23.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 06.23.2020 14:26 |
| Story ID: | 372671 |
| Location: | BREMERTON , WA, US |
| Web Views: | 81 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, A Stronger Tomorrow Starts Today during Men’s Health Month, by Douglas Stutz, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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