One of the things spouses will never understand from their husbands – aside from their inability to ask directions when lost – is their refusal to seek medical help even when their condition could be life-threatening. Whether it’s an annual check-up, a recommended check-up or even a medical emergency – many men “wait and see”. Being proactive for their health isn’t the way they roll.
A panel of experts from Baptist Health South Florida recently addressed the issue in a Resource Live program on Facebook. They discussed some of the most common health conditions affecting men and which checkups should never be postponed.
Michael Swartzon, MD Primary Care Sports Physician at the Miami Orthopedics & Sports Medicine Institute
The panel moderated by Jonathan A. Fialkow, MD, Chief Population Health Officer of Baptist Health, included Ahmed Eldefrawy, MD, urological oncologist at the Miami Cancer Institute; Elliott Elias, MD, medical director of cardiac and structural imaging at the Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute; and Michael Swartzon, MD Primary Care Sports Physician at the Miami Orthopedics & Sports Medicine Institute.
“People come to me when all of the things they could try at home have failed and they are either restricted in their activities at work or as weekend warriors, ”noted Dr. Swartzon. “They really aren’t interested in stopping what they are doing, so they really only come to me when the problem gets serious.”
Elliott Elias, MD, medical director of cardiac and structural imaging at the Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute
From a cardiologist’s point of view, Dr. Elias, that exercise and diet play a huge role in men’s health. That goes for stress too, he says – or more precisely, your ability to manage it in a healthy way. “We always like to treat something without medication, through lifestyle changes,” said Dr. Elias. “Stress, regardless of whether it is work-related or otherwise, is a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. If you don’t have time to relieve your stress, your blood pressure will start to rise. ”This, he said, can lead to a variety of other health problems.
When it comes to men’s health, the prostate is one of the topics that gets the most attention, and with good reason. “Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men. One in six men will have it, ”said Dr. Eldefrawy. However, it is also the second most common curable cancer in men. “Prostate cancer is not an aggressive cancer – it can take many years to spread – but it is very curable if detected early.”
Ahmed Eldefrawy, MD, urological oncologist at the Miami Cancer Institute
The prostate can also enlarge with age, and as a result, many men in their fifties or sixties have problems urinating, conditions that Dr. Eldefrawy said they can usually be treated with medication or, in severe cases, with surgery.
Other topics discussed by the panel discussion included how much exercise you should get each week; what testosterone deficiency is and whether treatments are really effective; what your coronary calcium is and why it matters; and whether there really is such a thing as male menopause. Check out the full 30-minute Resource Live program here.
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