Men Need to Take Better Care of Their Health
Men should pay more attention to their health and women should encourage and help them to do this.
By Colleen K Pulley
Most women are aware there are certain regular exams they need, to ensure that they stay heathy. These include learning how to do self-exams of their breasts; having a PAP test and Pelvic exam done to ensure there are not any cancer concerns; receiving vaccines; as well as routine physicals that includes having their blood work checked to make sure they are not developing diabetes. Most women do these things because they feel a deep sense of responsibility for themselves, and the people they love. It is something that was passed on to them from their mothers, and their mother’s mother.
So, what about men? It is my observation that men react differently to health than most women. Perhaps this is because their fathers spent less time talking to them about health issues. Also, they seem to develop more of the “I can take care of this myself” attitude as they grow up.
I have thought long and hard about these differences between women and men. I think much of their reactions to health concerns are tied to innate differences between them and the way they were raised by their parents. As an example, I will go over some of the things I did as I raised my children.
Because I am a nurse, I am probably more tuned into health issues, and growth and development, than most people. My sixth sense for illness is well honed so if one of my children began moping around the house, or not eating, I immediately had them into my “Doctor Mom Office”. As their exams were in progress, I would talk to them about how a cold attacks a body to make them sick. I would tell them about a superhero helper system called the ‘Lymph System” that sent fighter cells to help battle things like infections.
As they got older, I began telling them about how important it was for them to check their bodies, like a mechanic does a car, to make sure everything was doing what it was supposed to do. I taught them how to do self-examinations. I stressed the importance of telling me if something was wrong while they were home and knowing when they needed to make an appointment to see a doctor when they were grown up. Because of this openness, my daughters have brought to my attention swollen lymph nodes, and my sons have had kidney infections, and mono treated before it became too serious.
Though most women do not understand as much as I do medically, they do seem to have an inner radar that tells them when something needs to be checked by a doctor. They are working with the knowledge they gained in health classes at school, and the worry developed with their parenting skills.
Many men do not want to spend time seeing a doctor. Some hope that their problem will take care of itself or go away with time. Men see doctor visits as a sign they can’t take care of themselves. They step on nails and finally drag themselves into the hospital when the leg is edematous, and pus is pouring from the nail hole. They cut their hands with a dirty hunting knife and wait until it’s too late to stitch it up, before they come into the Emergency Room, under the duress of their girlfriend or wife.
Why is this? They went to the same health classes as the girls did. They were shy about talking with a doctor, just like the girls were, so they avoided it. This tells me that most of them need a woman’s guidance to keep themselves healthy. If they are not married, they better have attentive mothers, and girlfriends.
I think there needs to be more emphasis on men’s health issues. It is just as important for them to go in for routine checkups as it is for women. They need to have their prostate glands checked; they need colon checks; and they need to have blood work done to ensure they are not developing diabetes, or heart problems.
It is not a sign of strength to avoid getting stitches when you need them, or procrastinating getting proper health care. This includes wellness exams, as well as treating a specific problem. It is a sign of pride and procrastination to not use available health care, with its emphasis on good health practices. I hope men will be more aware of these issues and act on them. May we all work together to promote health of men and women. Until next time, Colleen.
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