Health & Well-Being: Being 'macho' today can cause problems tomorrow
Health & Well-Being-Being 'macho' today can cause problems tomorrow
Men who think they're too "macho" to seek medical help could end up making more trips to the doctor's office in the long run.
"A man who waits to see a physician until his problem has become more severe might need medical attention for a longer period of time," says Jeffrey Steinbauer, MD, director of Baylor College of Medicine's family medicine clinic in Houston.
Left untreated, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes can lead to complications that require hospitalization and/or repeated visits to the physician to monitor the health problem closely. Such chronic problems usually are detected early in men who see their physician for regular checkups or minor illnesses.
"If the patient comes to the doctor routinely, the physician has a chance to recommend standard tests for men in a particular age group, such as a rectal exam for prostate cancer or a screening for colon cancer," says Steinbauer. "This also gives the doctor a chance to learn more about the patient's family history and other health risks."
But a number of men still seem reluctant to go to the doctor; fewer than 30% of patients seen at family medicine clinics in the United States are male.
Some of Steinbauer's male patients blame their jobs. "They think they're too busy to take time off for a doctor's appointment," he says.
James Bray, MD, a psychologist in Baylor's Department of Family and Community Medi-cine, attributes the absence of men in doctor's offices to social conditioning.
"Men used to be taught to tough things out and not seek help unless they're hurt really bad," Bray says. "Fortunately, this has been changing as we learn more about health risks and family histories, but there are still plenty of men out there who were raised under the old school of thought."
Fear of the unknown can also deter some men from seeking medical advice. "They think that if they don't know about a health problem, it won't impact them," Bray observes.
Spouses and significant others can help stop this pattern of behavior by educating men about the benefits of routine physical exams and early detection of health problems, and by encouraging them to call a physician when they're sick.
Men aren't the only ones who will benefit, notes Bray. "Boys can learn a lot from the example set by their father."
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