Wellness Watch is a health information and advice column from OhioHealth.
ATHENS, Ohio –– Father’s Day is just one way to celebrate men this month. June is Men’s Health Month, a time to empower and encourage men to give themselves the gift of wellness.
Regular exercise, a healthy diet and screenings are just some of the ways men can live their best lives physically and mentally, OhioHealth physicians say.
“We want to make patients more aware of their health habits and screenings, and how they can play an active role in their own health care,” says Vamsi Koduri, MD, a specialist with OhioHealth Cancer Care Athens.
Making a connection
It’s never too early to make health a top priority. OhioHealth internal medicine physician Anurag Gupta, DO, encourages men to consider establishing a relationship with a primary care provider at around age 35.
“I want men to realize it’s not hard to find a doctor you can find a connection with, and one you can be honest with,” he said.
Routine visits allow men to take charge of their health and head off potential problems even before symptoms occur. Regular exams give you important information about cholesterol, blood pressure and glucose levels, all of which play a role in heart disease, diabetes and other illnesses.
For a healthy man, normal blood pressure is below 120/80 mm Hg, total cholesterol is less than 200 mg/dL, and fasting blood sugar is less than 100 mg/dL.
Can I be honest?
Having a relationship with a provider you trust helps men have discussions about sensitive subjects — and find solutions.
Problems with low energy, decreased libido and other sexual problems may indicate low testosterone levels, which should be treated by a medical professional, Gupta said. Because obesity is the main cause of low testosterone, weight loss is an integral part of treatment.
Similarly, men may be reluctant to talk about mood problems such as depression. Gupta said his medical practice and many others include screening questions that open the conversation about mental health concerns.
Exercise your right to good health
Staying physically active is the most important thing men can do to prevent disease, Gupta said. He recommends 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week.
But what is “moderate exercise?”
Moderate-intensity exercise gets your heart rate up to 50 to 60 percent higher than its rate when you’re at rest. A good rule of thumb is to exercise 30 minutes a day, five to six days a week. It’s okay to break exercise into shorter segments, “as long as when you do, you continually have to breathe more heavily than normal and break a sweat,” Gupta said.
Screenings save lives
For most cancers, early detection means earlier treatment and longer, healthier lives, Koduri said. “We’re more aware than ever of how important screening is.” Recommended screenings for men include:
Prostate and testicular health: Men considered at average risk for developing prostate cancer should talk to their doctors about having a PSA (prostate specific antigen) blood test at around age 50. Men at higher risk, such as Black Americans and those with a father or brother with the disease, should begin earlier.
Depending on results, the tests may be done annually, Koduri said. A digital rectal exam is another method used to check for signs of prostate cancer.
For another cancer that affects men, “We also want to stress the importance of a monthly testicular self-exam,” Koduri says.
Colorectal health: Screening colonoscopies should begin at age 45 and be repeated every 10 years or more often, depending on results. Colonoscopies can detect polyps, which can lead to cancer. Other options, such as at-home tests, also are used.
Skin health: Men should have skin cancer screenings every few years and always use sunscreen when outdoors. As far as SPF, “the higher the better,” Koduri says.
Generally, a sunscreen with an SPF of 30 will allow you to stay in the sun 30 times longer than you’d be able to without it.
In the driver’s seat
OhioHealth O’Blenness Hospital will help celebrate Men’s Health Week, June 9–15, with a special drive-through event offering health services, screening and wellness resources.
The event will be held 3–6 p.m. Friday, June 13, at the hospital’s Castrop Health Center parking lot, 75 Hospital Dr., Athens. Organizers are calling it “the luckiest day to check your health.”
To schedule a skin cancer screening during the event, call 740-331-7123.
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