Men’s Health Month
Men’s Health Month
Men’s Health Month is celebrated each June with health, education and outreach activities, screenings, and health fairs. The purpose of Men’s Health Month is to raise awareness of preventable health problems and encourage early detection and treatment of disease among men and boys.
Men and women face many of the same health challenges, such as:
- maintaining a healthy diet and weight
- exercising regularly to keep our bodies strong and functioning at their best
- getting enough sleep, at least 7-9 hours each night
- quitting smoking to lower risk of heart and lung diseases and cancer
- coping with stress
While the life expectancy gap between men and women has decreased, women still live an average of 5.2 years longer than men. In general, men tend to smoke and drink more than women and often don’t seek medical attention as often as women.
There are also health conditions that only affect men, such as prostate and testicular cancers. According to the MD Anderson Cancer Center, here are 10 cancer symptoms men should be aware of and seek medical attention for right away:
- Abnormal lump: a mass or lump in the breast, testicles, lymph nodes and soft tissues such as tendons and ligaments
- Changes in testicles such as a change in size or if they feel swollen or heavy
- Changes in restroom habits including increased frequency, pain when going, blood in urine or stool, persistent diarrhea or constipation
- Changes in your skin such as unusual bleeding, scaling or sores that do not heal as well as warts, moles and freckles that change color, size or shape
- Indigestion or trouble swallowing, such as a prolonged painful burning sensation in your throat or chest
- Persistent cough or hoarseness, wheezing, shortness of breath or coughing up blood
- Changes in your mouth, including white patches, sores, unexplained bleeding, numbness or tenderness of tongue, cheeks and lips
- Unexplained weight loss not due to change of diet or exercise routine
- Constant fatigue regardless of how much rest you get
- Persistent pain such as back pain, headache or stomach ache can often be the first sign that something is wrong.
So, men! Please use Men’s Health Month to schedule a medical checkup with your doctor and take a personal inventory of your current overall health and lifestyle. Many health issues can be treated and resolved with early detection, and that begins with you!