“An alarming number of men might skip a simple but critical health step, this annual checkup with their doctor:
- 33% do not think they need it,
- 65% think they are naturally healthier than the others.
However, “it is statistically impossible for the majority of men to be healthier than the majority of men,” humorously notes the lead author of the survey, Dr. Thomas Kelley, specialist in family medicine at the Orlando Health: “Even if you think you are perfectly healthy and have no symptoms, you may have problems that can get worse and be life threatening if left untreated. These silent disorders include increased blood pressure that can be a ticking time bomb like a heart attack or stroke, as well as colon cancer, one of the deadliest, yet preventable, cancers.
Any excuse is good to “skip” this appointment
The investigation reveals that:
“fear of disease” is often the cause of this postponement of the annual health appointment: the survey reveals that men who have not been to the doctor for a while, “don’t know what to expect”, so, that ‘On the contrary, regular check-ups and a good relationship with your attending physician can make this check-up less stressful.
The first date is the most difficult: the survey reveals the obstacles to overcome before the doctor can establish this regular relationship with his patients: they must decide to consult. Gold,
- 38% of men prefer, in first intention, to seek medical advice on social networks, which can be problematic when they do not seek information from reliable medical sources;
- 38% of men also declare that they attach more importance to the health of their loved ones, or even of their animal, than to their own health;
“Yet to take care of others in your life, you must first take care of yourself.”
Peace of mind, an argument to put forward: a regular health check allows peace of mind and de-dramatizes any health examinations. The process then becomes “surprisingly easy”.
“I should have done this a long time ago.”
Respondents say they are indeed relieved following an initial routine check-up. Thus, conclude the authors, “it is never too late to take control of your health, and the sooner you can, the better. Combining these annual exams with adherence to a healthy lifestyle can reverse diabetes, high blood pressure or heart disease in 10% of cases…