MEN’S HEALTH: START 2015 RIGHT WITH A HEALTH SCREENING FROM PPG

At the start of every year, millions of people make personal commitment to improve their health. Usually this involves a workout regime or some sort of diet they feel they’ll have the best chance of realizing results in. While all of these resolutions are well intentioned (and encouraged!), many continue to overlook the fact that their most valuable ally when it comes to their health is just a phone call away – their doctor. Studies show that women are more likely to schedule regular visits and obtain recommended screenings from their healthcare providers, while over 9 American million men haven’t been to the doctor in over 5 years.

WHY IT’S SO IMPORTANT

With healthcare issues being at the forefront of political discussion, especially with regards to inefficiency, oversight and wasteful spending, there is an emerging trend that says regular or annual checkups are unnecessary – that they only waste time and money. This is an alarming position to take and one that echoes the backlash against child vaccinations that made headlines several years ago. While it’s true that a seemingly healthy person has no visible reason to go to the doctor, that alone does not eliminate the need for a yearly visit. An annual screening is just that – a screening. It is a preventive measure used to help discover and identify potentially life-threatening diseases and conditions at an early stage.

On top of these emerging trends has always been a natural male rebellion against doctor visits. Studies show that most of men’s aversion to checkups (even if they are sick) is related to societal pressures instilled as children growing up. Boys are told “not to cry” or to “toughen up”, because that’s what men do – right? However, these gender pressures don’t go away and only become stronger as boys become “men”. Men go through their lives with aches, pains, colds, etc., all the while simply relying on the notion that they are stronger than whatever comes their way. Little do they know that a 20 minute visit with a healthcare provider could save them months or years of agony down the road. It could save their lives.

RISKS GO UP AFTER A CERTAIN AGE

As men grow older, their risk for certain conditions increases. So if you’re resting on your laurels – that you’ve been healthy up to this point in your life – you could be setting yourself up for quite an unwelcome surprise later in your life. If you’re pushing 40 or are older, these are some of the most common conditions you could be at risk for:

• Heart Disease
• Stroke
• Depression
• Prostate Cancer
• Impotence

GET SCREENED AT PPG, WAIT LESS THAN 15MIN

It doesn’t take much time to get some peace of mind. Schedule an appointment at at PPG’s downtown Houston office and wait less than 15 minutes to get seen. Form a relationship that will last the rest of your lifetime, a partnership between you and your doctor built on mutual trust and confidence. Schedule your appointment today.

Sources:

http://www.webmd.com/men/features/mens-top-5-health-concerns?page=5

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/49794785/ns/health-mens_health/t/too-tough-get-sick-why-men-wont-go-doctor/#.VKrLsivF-So

http://www.boston.com/yourlife/health/articles/2007/10/22/the_annual_physical_gets_a_checkup/?page=full

http://www.malehealthcenter.com/p_check.html