June – Men’s Health Month

Men’s Health Month was established in order to raise awareness for health problems that can be prevented and encourage early detection and treatment of disease among men and boys. One of the main ideas behind the project is that concerns regarding health issues should be addressed at any age. Caring for health is not something strictly reserved for senior years. Months or days dedicated to awareness programs are sometimes required in order to bring in focus otherwise neglected problems.

Established by a Congressional health education program, Men’s Health Month is celebrated across the country with activities like screenings, health fairs, media appearances, and other health education and outreach activities. This month is the perfect opportunity for both medical service providers and policy makers to encourage men to get a closer approach towards aspects regarding their health. Regular medical advice and instant response against any disease or injury are ways of achieving this goal. The role of media is to promote the initiative by any means available.

The cultural induced pattern of thinking is that men should be tough and care less about comfort, pain or hardship, while difficult and dangerous jobs are almost all designed to be done by men. There is also the common sense that men gain self-esteem by learning to complain less, thus emerging the risk for neglected medical condition to be discovered at a late stage. It is a known fact that men are living approximately 5 years less than women, and this affects society in a dramatic way. It could be regarded as an ongoing, increasing and predominantly silent crisis in the health and well-being of men.

Every man should allocate time and resources for creating and respecting a health checklist. Regular checkups and age-appropriate screenings can improve your health and reduce premature death and disability. Basically this means that once a year or once every few years, depending mostly on age, some medical exams are required. For example, you should get your blood pressure checked at least once a year. High blood pressure is a silent killer that can cause permanent damage to your body and can slip away without being noticed. Blood test and urine analysis are the first step towards identifying leads of a broad range of disease and conditions. The faster you know, the higher the chances to get better. A review of the overall health status and discussions regarding any health topics that concern you are things you can do multiple times per year. Remember that health is something we have to maintain and it’s always easier to prevent than it is to cure.

Another useful aspect you should take care of is to research and construct a clear picture of your family health history. There is a large range of medical conditions that can run in families (heart diseases, high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, genetic disease). Beside all that, the best way to keep a good health is to have a normal lifestyle and to live in a risk free environment. Thinks like diet, vices or exercise ultimately influence your predisposition towards being healthy or having problems.

You can be an active part of the campaign behind Men’s Health Month by planning a “Wear Blue Day”. You can help spread the blue at home, at work or among friends. The more will join you, the higher the impact will be. Don’t neglect the fun part of all this, as people join activities that promise them quality time and entertainment. Who will miss the opportunity to dress less ordinary and support a great cause?

If you are good in organizing events you can even stretch out and plan a health fair in your community. Health fairs can include health screenings for blood pressure, cholesterol, or PSA (prostate specific antigen). Demonstrations of healthy cooking techniques are always able to attract the crowd. You can be even more of help by embracing the role of a fundraiser. You can rally to support the fight against prostate cancer by providing donation jars at the office or in your local store. Last but not least, the Internet is the best way to promote a cause, both fast and free. We all use social media and like to be aware of what is happening right now. Together we can make this June the most memorable Men’s Health Month ever.