Wellness Health Checks For Men
Health checks today are too focused on diagnosing sickness
rather than health. Health checks may include:
Typical Screening Tests For Men
- Obesity: Body
mass index (BMI) calculated to screen for obesity.
- Cholesterol: regular cholesterol
checks starting at age 35. Especially if you have
diabetes,
high
blood pressure, you smoke
or have a family history of
heart disease
- Blood Pressure: at least every
2 years. High
blood pressure is 140/90 or higher.
- Prostate Cancer - most men develop
some degree of prostate
cancer. In healthy men with balanced hormones,
the body can deal with the very early stages effectively.
Regular PSA checks for prostate cancer should be part
of male health checks over age 40.
- Colorectal Cancer: starting at
age 50. Earlier if you have a family history of colorectal
cancer.
- Diabetes:
especially if you are overweight,
have high
blood pressure or high
cholesterol.
- Sexually Transmitted Infections:
regular checks for signs of gonorrhea, syphilis, chlamydia,
or other sexually transmitted infections.
- HIV: if you are being treated
for an STD, have had a blood transfusion between 1978
and 1985, had sex with men since 1975, unprotected
sex with multiple partners, have used or now use injection
drugs or have current or past sex partners with any
of these behaviours.
- Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm: ages
of 65 and 75 and have ever smoked 100 or more cigarettes
during your lifetime.
Wellness Evalutions
Wellness evaluations look at overall lifestyle factors
- things you do and don't do on a daily basis.
Don’t smoke – if you
do, find a way to stop.
Quit Smoking Now. http://www.smokefree.gov. National
Quitline: 1-800-QUITNOW.
Be Physically Active – at least
30 minutes a day of moderate exercise
- walking briskly, mowing the lawn, dancing, swimming,
and bicycling.
Eat a
Healthy Diet - you know the one: higher
in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, poultry,
fish, beans, eggs, and nuts; and low in saturated fats,
trans fats, cholesterol, salt (sodium), and added sugars.
For healthy
eating guidelines.
Stay at a Healthy Weight –
watch the balance of calories you consume to calories
you expend. Prevent
gradual weight gain over time by making small decreases
in intake and increase physical activity.
Drink Alcohol Only in Moderation -
no more than two ‘standard’ drinks a day.
A standard drink is: one 12-ounce bottle of beer or
wine cooler, one 5-ounce glass of wine, or 1.5 ounces
of 80-proof distilled spirits.
Consider
Dietary Supplements – to maintain
normal body process health
Use medication appropriately – don’t resist
appropriate medicinal care. Take aspirin daily over
age 45 and be smart about flu vaccinations over 50 and
pneumonia shots after 65.
NEXT:
Male Fertility WIth Age
Further Resources
Immunizations - Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention
The
Pocket Guide to Good Health for Adults
The
Pocket Guide to Staying Healthy at 50+
Put
Prevention Into Practice (PPIP) - clinical preventive
services, such as screening tests, preventive medications,
and counseling
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