Black Immigrant Daily News
Why would you bother going to the doctor if you aren’t sick? Generally, men avoid going to the doctor, skip more suggested screenings, and only go when they are really ill. They tend to spend more years of their lives in poor health than their female counterparts and have a five-year shorter life expectancy.
Preventive checks, or health screenings, are important to discover diseases before they become symptomatic and when treatments are most successful. Many men ignore their prescribed annual physical checks, which get increasingly dangerous as they age.
Here are the five screenings all men should be getting.
Cholesterol screening
High cholesterol is a major issue in men, thus men over the age of 20 should have their fasting lipoprotein profile evaluated every four to six years. This medical test examines your levels of good (HDL) and bad (LDL) cholesterol to identify if you are at an increased risk of heart disease. For men over the age of 40, every five years is a decent rule of thumb to follow, unless you have consistently high cholesterol readings that necessitate more frequent testing.
STD test
It’s a good idea for a man to get tested for STDs as soon as he starts having sexual relations. Many STDs go unnoticed for years, even after a man has been in a monogamous relationship or has been celibate for a long period. This screening is strongly advised for young men in their teens and twenties, as well as men of any age who have had unprotected sex with a new partner with an unknown sexual history. In addition, depending on your level of sexual activity and the number of partners, many doctors will advise you to get tested for HIV on a regular basis.
Colonoscopy
Colon cancer is deadly cancer for men. A colonoscopy is advised every ten years beginning at the age of 45 for persons at average risk of colon cancer. Due to an increase in colon cancer among younger persons, the American Cancer Society recently reduced the age for a standard first colonoscopy from 50 to 45. The doctor uses a scope to examine the inside of your colon during this surgery. This screening can not only detect cancer, but it can also prevent it if pre-cancerous cells are discovered and eradicated.
Liver enzyme test
Liver enzyme testing is part of routine blood work and tests for liver damage caused by a variety of factors, including alcohol. After all, men consume more alcohol than women on average. It is critical for males to have these enzymes tested since they can become elevated as a result of over-the-counter medications, alcohol intake, inflammatory illnesses, thyroid abnormalities, obesity, and various toxicities.
PSA test/Digital rectal exam
Prostate cancer affects approximately 1 in every 8 men during their lives. The PSA blood level test, together with digital rectal exams (DREs), is the most effective approach to diagnosing prostate cancer. Every man between the ages of 50 and 70 should have a yearly checkup. PSA testing should begin at the age of 40 if a man has a family history of prostate cancer or unknown history.
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