Men are notorious for dismissing the idea of seeing a doctor. We frequently bury our heads in the sand and talk about how it’ll all be fine and there’s nothing to worry about. But at the end of the day, people do get sick, no matter who they are and sometimes it really does pay to be proactive with this. Instead of turning a blind eye to these health problems, especially as we get older, we should be much more accepting of the facts. It’s time to bite the bullet and get some tests to see if anything needs fixing. Here are some health checks that every man after the age of 40 should be considering.
Check Your Own Body
A great starting point when it comes to spotting any health problems is to check your own body first. Before getting into the idea of seeking professional screenings, there are a number of different things you can search for yourself to identify any potential health issues, or to discount any of them and set your mind at ease a bit more. The most common self-exams that every man should be doing are things such as checking heart rate and blood pressure, and testicular and skin cancer checks. These all fairly straightforward checks that you can do yourself without the need of a medical professional. If you are then concerned about something after doing your own checks, you’ll be well equipped to direct a doctor to the area you’re concerned about.
Identify Your Bad Habits
We all have some form of bad habit, and of course, some are much worse for our health than others. However, there are ways in which we can stop them, or at least negate their harmful effects on our bodies. It’s important then to first be open with yourself about what habits are having a negative impact on your life, whether it’s smoking or comfort eating, and think of ways to quit these habits or at least reduce their prevalence. There are a few ways in which you can make it easier to break those old habits and it’s worth doing some extra research if you find that it’s more difficult than you previously anticipated. However, first you should try identifying your triggers, continue to remind yourself why you need to quit, and even get some friends to help you with this challenge. Don’t be too hard on yourself if you slip through and consider finding other healthier habits to replace it with or try activities like meditation and mindfulness practice.
Professional Health Checks
When it comes to checking out your entire body to identify any potential health risks, there really is nothing better than professional ones. There are a number of different ways that medical experts can help to flag up any possible issues and if you’re concerned about your health or haven’t had any checkups in a while, it may be worth getting some done. Cancer screenings and cholesterol tests are great, especially as we get older. Getting yourself a full body MRI scan for cancer could be a great idea to catch any potential threats early on, and these tests done by professional institutions like Ezra, are some of the best active defences you can get against cancer—being proactive when it comes to your health is very important.
Fix Your Diet
Sorting out your diet is a great way to improve your health. You might not think it but checking the foods you put into your body is going to be one of the most beneficial health checks you can do. Identify foods that are doing more harm than good, especially those that contain excess sugar, sodium, and saturated fats. These foods tend to contain a lot of calories and therefore can cause you to gain weight very quickly. As well as this, these foods can increase the amount of cholesterol in your blood, and while cholesterol is important in small quantities, excessive amounts of it can harden and block your blood vessels causing some critical health problems. There are some foods that you can eat to reduce your cholesterol including high fiber foods like wholegrains and fruit and vegetables. Combine this healthier diet with more cardio exercise and you’ll be able to reduce the amount of cholesterol in your system significantly.
Check In With Your Feelings
Our focus on positive mental health has become much more prevalent today, but so have mental health issues. One of the biggest killers today among men is suicide and making sure we discuss the way we are feeling with those close to us, as well as medical professionals can help us to get the help we might need. Bottling up our feelings may feel like the easier option but it’s not worth it. Check in with yourself constantly, and also don’t forget to check in with you friends too, especially if you notice any warning signs. Working together to combat mental illness is very important so don’t forget to keep an eye on your loved ones and be honest with yourself about your own feelings too.
