Heart Disease occurs 10 to 15 years earlier in men than in women.
Males have higher death rates for heart disease, cancer, and unintentional injuries. With advancement in technology and prevention screening, why are the death rates in males higher than women? Even in today’s society, stigmas still exist about men’s health. June is men’s health month and we discussed these questions with Primary Care Physician Kamal Singh, and heard from him about the importance of routine health care for men.
The leading causes of death for males are
- Heart Disease
- Cancer
- Unintentional Injuries
Higher death rates
Many stigmas involving men’s health still exist, like the necessity for routine medical care. Multiple factors contribute to why males experience more difficulties with these diseases. Lifestyle, society beliefs, and other masculine behaviors all contribute to a man’s decision making process.
Avoid the risks
Even with a higher risk for these diseases, there’s still ways to reduce this risk. Routine medical care like screening for blood pressure, cholesterol, heart disease, colorectal cancer and prostate cancer can help lower health risks. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle like exercising daily and eating a healthy diet can also contribute to lowering risks.
Importance of regular checkups for men
Routine medical care is important because certain diseases can be prevented. For example, when high cholesterol is caught early, lifestyle changes and medications can be prescribed to prevent health events from happening. But after an event occurs, you have higher chances of developing a disability and other disease process related to the event, and be more likely to be prescribed multiple more medications than would have been prescribed for preventive measures.
When to seek medical care for an injury or a new symptom
Don’t wait to seek medical attention. If new symptoms or new changes develop, reach out to your medical team. Prevention measures exists for our own benefit, take advantage of them. If you’re the head of the household, you may have family members who depend on you. Taking care of yourself will benefit you and those who look up to you.