November is Men's Health month at the Paradise Medical Centre - (Formally Known as Windsor Village Medical Centre) and Oakden Medical Centres.
When most people think about men's health they think about prostate cancer and erectile dysfunction. But:
- although the gap is closing, men in Australia live on average 80 years compared to 84 years for women
- men continue to have higher rates of lung cancer than women
- men have higher rates of heart disease than women
- men have higher rates of completed suicide than women
- men have higher rates of alcohol related illness and injury than women.
These problems are often driven by traditional taboos that seeking and accepting help is a sign of weakness that should be avoided. When you combine this with poor lifestyle choices like cigarette smoking, limited intake of fruit and vegetables, reduced physical activity and alcohol intake above the recommended levels, it can be a recipe for poor health outcomes.
So calling all blokes out there, especially if you are over 45 and haven't had a checkup in a while, think about making an appointment with one of our friendly doctors in November. If not for you, then do it for the people who love and care about you.
