Let’s face it: Guys aren’t the best at reaching out for help. Just look around the gym. How many of us ask for a spotter when we’re attempting a heavy lift? Sure, you might be able to press the weight yourself, but lurking in the background, there is a potential risk for injury. Same goes with our health. Yes, we can avoid dealing with health issues, but what’s the cost? And potential consequences?Most of us are not going to see the doctor if we’re feeling fine. But that in itself is the first reason why you might want to consider seeing your health care specialist. It’s called preventative medicine. Dr. Ann Li, a Toronto-based family physician in private practice, offers the following suggestions for when and why you might want to visit your doctor before things start to go wrong.
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Catch It Early
See your doctor to catch medical conditions early. Get screened for cancers that are common among men. According the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, prostate cancer is the No.1 cancer diagnosed in men, while colorectal cancer ranks third. Yet both are treatable, and early detection means more treatment options are available. For more information, visit the CDC website at: www.cdc.gov.
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Annual Checkup
Make sure you go for an annual visit to your health care specialist. You may be feeling fine, but a checkup can pick up conditions you may not be able to detect on your own, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or sexually transmitted diseases. All of these conditions can remain silent until a late stage when damage may have already set in.
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Get Vaccinated
“Vaccination updates are absolutely crucial to prevent permanent morbidity, and are potentially life-saving,” says Li. “Ask your doctor about vaccines for hepatitis A and B, shingles, pneumonia, meningitis, flu. And don’t forget inoculation against HPV, which can cause cancer in the mouth and throat. There has been a sharp increase in HPV rates in men.”
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Don’t Shrug It Off
Is there a nagging, recurring issue you’re dealing with that isn’t going away? Example: Your workouts are OK, your form is good and so is your technique. But your joints ache disproportionate to your training intensity. You lay off for a bit and feel better, but the joint pain rebounds when you return to the gym. “In situations like this, it’s time to see your health care specialist for a referral to a physical therapist,” says Kevin Okamura, physical therapist, Fellow-Canadian Academy of Manipulative Physiotherapy in Toronto. “Often there can be a subtle underlying issue that may be contributing to the joint pain, such as spinal stiffness or irritation, that is often assumed to be unrelated, if it’s even noticed at all.” Bottom line, suggests Okamura, “If it keeps bothering you, don’t shrug it off and think the problem will go away on its own. The sooner the rehab, the sooner you’re back in the gym.”
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Check Your Fluids
As avid lifters, we’re hawks when it comes to nutrition, so when we notice we’ve put on a bit too many pounds, we reverse course, revise our diet, and rev up our cardio. “But if you tend to gain weight around your mid-section (belly button area), you are putting yourself at an increased risk of developing diabetes and heart disease. See your health care specialist to get your blood sugars and triglyceride levels checked,” says Daniella Wolf, registered dietitian who runs her own nutrition consulting service in Toronto.
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Getty
Talk About It
It’s the hidden epidemic in society. And men tend not to talk about it for fear of being judged or looking weak. It’s called depressive illness.Yet 6 million American men will experience depression in any given year. And it’s killing us because we don’t talk about it. There’s no shame in having it, no shame in admitting it, and no shame in reaching out for help. It can save your life. If you’re finding it hard to cope, man up and see your health care specialist, or, for more information, visit the National Alliance for Mental Illness website at www.nami.org, or call the helpline at 800-950-6264.
Let’s face it: Guys aren’t the best at reaching out for help. Just look around the gym. How many of us ask for a spotter when we’re attempting a heavy lift? Sure, you might be able to press the weight yourself, but lurking in the background, there is a potential risk for injury. Same goes with our health. Yes, we can avoid dealing with health issues, but what’s the cost? And potential consequences?
Most of us are not going to see the doctor if we’re feeling fine. But that in itself is the first reason why you might want to consider seeing your health care specialist. It’s called preventative medicine. Dr. Ann Li, a Toronto-based family physician in private practice, offers the following suggestions for when and why you might want to visit your doctor before things start to go wrong.
Catch It Early
See your doctor to catch medical conditions early. Get screened for cancers that are common among men. According the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, prostate cancer is the No.1 cancer diagnosed in men, while colorectal cancer ranks third. Yet both are treatable, and early detection means more treatment options are available. For more information, visit the CDC website at: www.cdc.gov.
Annual Checkup
Make sure you go for an annual visit to your health care specialist. You may be feeling fine, but a checkup can pick up conditions you may not be able to detect on your own, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or sexually transmitted diseases. All of these conditions can remain silent until a late stage when damage may have already set in.
Get Vaccinated
“Vaccination updates are absolutely crucial to prevent permanent morbidity, and are potentially life-saving,” says Li. “Ask your doctor about vaccines for hepatitis A and B, shingles, pneumonia, meningitis, flu. And don’t forget inoculation against HPV, which can cause cancer in the mouth and throat. There has been a sharp increase in HPV rates in men.”
Don't Shrug It Off
Is there a nagging, recurring issue you’re dealing with that isn’t going away? Example: Your workouts are OK, your form is good and so is your technique. But your joints ache disproportionate to your training intensity. You lay off for a bit and feel better, but the joint pain rebounds when you return to the gym. “In situations like this, it’s time to see your health care specialist for a referral to a physical therapist,” says Kevin Okamura, physical therapist, Fellow-Canadian Academy of Manipulative Physiotherapy in Toronto. “Often there can be a subtle underlying issue that may be contributing to the joint pain, such as spinal stiffness or irritation, that is often assumed to be unrelated, if it’s even noticed at all.” Bottom line, suggests Okamura, “If it keeps bothering you, don’t shrug it off and think the problem will go away on its own. The sooner the rehab, the sooner you’re back in the gym.”
Check Your Fluids
As avid lifters, we’re hawks when it comes to nutrition, so when we notice we’ve put on a bit too many pounds, we reverse course, revise our diet, and rev up our cardio. “But if you tend to gain weight around your mid-section (belly button area), you are putting yourself at an increased risk of developing diabetes and heart disease. See your health care specialist to get your blood sugars and triglyceride levels checked,” says Daniella Wolf, registered dietitian who runs her own nutrition consulting service in Toronto.
Talk About It
It’s the hidden epidemic in society. And men tend not to talk about it for fear of being judged or looking weak. It’s called depressive illness.Yet 6 million American men will experience depression in any given year. And it’s killing us because we don’t talk about it. There’s no shame in having it, no shame in admitting it, and no shame in reaching out for help. It can save your life. If you’re finding it hard to cope, man up and see your health care specialist, or, for more information, visit the National Alliance for Mental Illness website at www.nami.org, or call the helpline at 800-950-6264.
