Dear Men, Take Care

Wellness Wednesday On The Blog!

Men need self care too. I love my husband. But I have to push him to see a doctor and get his annual physical, eye exams, and bi-yearly dentist visits. What is it with some men and going through life as if disease does not exist? My dear men, this one is for you.

You have a wife, you are raising kids. You work hard everyday and even work two jobs to make ends meet and give your family everything you didn’t have. You feel golden. You’re tired but you feel good knowing you are doing your very best. Suddenly, you pass out at work. You’re in the hospital and the doctor is telling you that your blood pressure is sky high and that it’s a miracle you made it. You imagine what it could have been like if you didn’t make it. Your kids being raised without you, your wife alone. You don’t want this to be your story. Men need self care too.

The notion that men need a break is not emphasized enough. It relieves stress and that in itself has a positive effect on heart health, blood pressure, and mental health. Jeff says that he will literally have pain and just wait for it to pass- without ever seeing a provider. It’s so important to see a doctor at least every year to stay on top your health status. That yearly work physical is NOT going to cut it. Establishing a PCP who knows you and will follow you is highly recommended.

Jeff recently just lost a good friend who was so young to a preventable disease. Don’t be afraid to get checked out if something feels “off”. The emergency department is not a sustainable source of care. Get a primary care doctor and see them yearly in addition to when you feel ill. Your yearly annual at work is a good time to see your primary doctor and get your health forms signed for work and more. They usually check your cholesterol, your indicators for diabetes (A1C), your thyroid levels, liver and kidney functions. These often come at no copay to you since insurances love when you go for preventative health visits. Take advantage of this today! Your work physical doesn’t check all these levels so keep that in mind.

A study by Harvard Health showed that married men live longer, healthier lives than unmarried men. No coincidence there. You see how I push my hubby to get checked. Not that women should take all the credit here but I’m just saying! Guys, this is no laughing matter. Prevention is the key to living long healthy lives. (And a good wife!) Take care of yourself, so you can continue to take of your family.