National Men’s Health Week

This is not a national secret: Guys don’t like going to doctors.

When women get sick, they’re three times more likely to seek medical attention than men even though men die younger than women and are more likely to get sick from heart disease, cancer, stroke and AIDS. Even when they’re sick enough to warrant a day off work, getting a guy to see the doc is likely to be met with a solid, “no.” What’s up with that?

Dr. Dennis Bley DO, an internal medicine physician in Portland, Oregon says, “The number one reason why guys won’t go to the doctor is because they don’t want to spend the money. They also never think they’re sick enough to need it. The number one reason why they do go is because their wife pesters them or makes the appointment for them. Left to their own devices, they’ll wait until they have at least five things they need medical attention for. Otherwise, they just don’t think it’s worth the expense or trouble.”

Studies indicate that guys are reluctant to seek medical care for a variety of reasons, including skepticism about whether they really need it or that the doctor will know what to do, reluctance to burden the health system or pay for treatment, an unhealthy attachment to their “tough guy” personae, or simple fear of what they’ll find out. Some guys refuse healthcare even when they’re actively sick because they think doctors are too eager to find problems they don’t think they have. And therein lies the problem. With conditions like heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes, an ounce of prevention is absolutely worth a pound of cure. For too many men, the first they know about their stroke-inducing hypertension is when they find themselves on a gurney in the ER.

That’s what National Men’s Health week is all about — heightening men’s, women’s and families’ awareness of preventable health problems and encouraging early detection and treatment of disease among men and boys. It gives health care providers, public policy makers, the media, and individuals an opportunity to encourage men and boys to seek regular medical advice and early treatment for disease and injury. When a guy finds out early that his cholesterol is running a bit high or he shows signs that he’s inherited his grandfather’s diabetes, he can take active measures to stay out of health trouble. Preventative healthcare is all about finding out what you don’t know so it won’t hurt you.

What health conditions are men concerned enough about to see a doctor? Each decade presents its’ own issues. Dr. Bley says, “Guys in their 20s rarely see doctors unless they’re injured playing sports or they think they’ve been exposed to a sexually transmitted disease. Men in their 30s tend to be healthy, established in relationships and have worked out their sex lives. For many, it’s the first time they have health insurance and begin to see the value of preventative health care, but only if someone else foots the bill. When they come in for flu or a back injury, men in their 30s might also use the opportunity to mention feeling angry or sleeplessness, which are symptoms of depression and anxiety, but guys never come in saying they feel anxious or depressed.”

40-something men might seek healthcare when they begin to see signs of aging and the cumulative effects of bad lifestyle habits like drinking and smoking. Work, family and relationship responsibilities may be piling up and adding stress, which brings them to a doctor complaining of insomnia but still, unless there’s a burning need like back pain, most men are reluctant to tap into preventative healthcare and many are reluctant to address health-related issues like smoking, weight gain, lack of exercise and alcohol abuse.

50-something men are more likely to get screening exams than younger men. Bley says, “They’ve seen what aging was like for their parents and they’re more open to taking measures to protect their health or reduce disease. In their 60s, we see more men with knee pain and arthritic changes, but this is also when you really see the payoff for a lifetime of healthy habits.” The guys that took good care of their health in their younger years age far better than those who didn’t.

When men reach their 70s and beyond, Bley says, “we see a lot more miles on the engine and diseases tend to be further down the road.” The benefit of preventative healthcare is, when guys address genetic, lifestyle and age-related conditions at an early stage, they’re more likely to reach their older years with a lot more tread on the tires, which makes the journey to the end of the road longer, more independent and productive.

Click here to find out about National Men’s Health Week events in your area.