Men's Health Checkups: As Important as Car Checkups
The National Institutes of Health recommends that men pay as much attention to their body health as they do to their car health. Getting routine checkups and health screenings are the best preventive measurements for cancer and other health issues. Early treatment improves the success for most disease treatment. Men are more likely to ignore routine health exams and warnings for themselves than they are for their vehicles.
Routine maintenance requires scheduled maintenance to increase the life for both your vehicle and your body.
Following are suggested routine daily practices to maintain your health:
1) Quality fuel to included five to nine servings of fruit and vegetables per day.
2) Daily exercise - the Centers for Disease Control and the American College of Sports Medicine jointly recommend 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise most days a week.
3) Twice daily teeth brushing with fluoride toothpaste and once daily flossing to prevent tooth decay and gum disease.
4) Use of condoms for birth control and to protect yourself from sexual transmitted diseases.
On a monthly basis, men should follow routine self-exams, to include:
1) Testicular checks for abnormal lumps; and
2) Skin checks to observe any moles for changes in size, shape or color to monitor for cancer.
Every six months, a complete dental checkup and cleaning is recommended.
Annually, the following routine checkups should be performed:
1) Get a flu shot;
2) Check blood pressure;
3) Colon cancer screening after age 50;
4) Prostate cancer screening after age 50 fo most men, younger for those with higher risk; and
5) Rountine full physical exam.
Every five years, men should also schedule the following tests:
1) Cholesterol test; and
2) Sigmoidoscopy, followed by colonoscopy if any polyps or cancer are detected.
Every ten years, men should also have a colonoscopy for routine cancer screening, unless recommended more frequently because of family history or previous test results. A tetanus vaccine booster should also become routine every ten years.