It’s important for every man to take care of himself. With age, men are at higher risk for certain health conditions and diseases. One of the best ways to stay healthy is by maintaining a regular check up schedule with their doctor. To make it easier on you, we have compiled a list of 10 important screenings and checks that every man over 40 should consider in order to maintain good health!
As a man, ensuring your health is an essential part of maintaining a fulfilling life. It's never too early to start taking care of yourself and ensuring that you are living a healthy lifestyle. However, as we get older those nagging health issues that are easy to ignore when you are younger begin to be more important to address.
A great way to do this is by setting up regular medical check-ups with your doctor or healthcare provider. This ensures that you get the most out of your life and can avoid age-related diseases.
It is also important to note that every man will have a different healthcare regimen depending on several factors, including family history and current health status. Various factors such as race as well as patterns created by poverty or even lack of education can result in significant differences when it comes to risk factors so it is important to not try to self diagnose or ignore your health concerns.
This list of screenings for men over 40 aims at providing you with the information needed in order to best configure your own medical check-up schedule!
In this article, we're going to provide you with an overview of ten essential health checks and screenings that all guys should consider when they turn 40 . We'll take a look at what these tests are designed to accomplish, who needs them , how often they need them performed , as well as some tips on getting ready for each one .
Blood Pressure Check
Heart disease and strokes are majorly caused by high blood pressure. It is vital that you know your body's normal resting BP so you can identify any changes in the future. Once you turn 50, you should get your blood pressure checked once per year as well. It's easy to control with medicine, but you can't fix it if your doctor doesn't know about the problem.
Blood Sugar Checks
Suppose you have a history of diabetes or obesity. In that case, it is crucial for you to monitor your sugar levels regularly as these are significant factors related to other serious diseases like kidney disease and cardiovascular problems. Your blood sugar should be tested once per year starting at 45 years old, and men over age 65 should get their cholesterol checked every other year. The good news is that these conditions can usually be managed well by changing your diet or taking medication.
Cholesterol Screening
Cholesterol build-up contributes primarily to causing cardiovascular disease, which makes it imperative for people at risk to regularly monitor their cholesterol levels.
Prostate Exam
This test checks to see any changes in your gland that can be an early warning sign of cancer. If you're over 40 years old, make sure this one gets on your calendar every year. Don't worry. It usually doesn't require more than a simple, quick touch by your doctor. But make sure you tell them if anything feels different below because sometimes these exams may feel uncomfortable.
Hearing Test
There is a natural decrease in hearing well as you age. Which may lead to an increased risk of accidents and injuries if not monitored early on. So it's necessary for your hearing health check-up too.
Eye Exam
An eye exam should form part of every man's annual medical examination because vision problems can have severe consequences like falling down or losing employment. They are also highly treatable when diagnosed early enough, so make sure you don't miss out on regular eye exams.
Aches And Joints
Even if you don't have any current pains or problems with your joints, back, or mussels. Going to a chiropractor annually will ensure that early issues will be picked up quickly and treated.
Colon Cancer - Cologuard or a Colonoscopy?
Every man over 50 should consider having a colonoscopy. The alternative screening method, which is easier to undergo and doesn't require any sedatives or anesthesia , is called the Cologuard test . Your doctor will tell you what's best for your situation.
While both of these tests are important to detect colon cancer early, they approach the process from two very different angles and are not the same. For instance, Cologuard is a DNA test that looks for mutations found in a stool sample and can detect cancerous as well as pre-cancer cells.
On the other hand, a colonoscopy is a probe that is inserted inside the body allowing the doctor to not only detect cells but also image them as well as other abnormalities such as polyps that can be removed at the time of the procedure for further examination.
While colon cancer is traditionally seen as a disease for older men in their 40s and above. However, it is increasingly being seen in younger, generally healthy men, even those as young as 20 or 30 years old.
Skin Cancer - When To See Your Doctor
If you have never had skin cancer before, make sure your doctor performs a thorough check once per year after age 40. You can also do it yourself by getting into the habit of doing monthly skin checks for new moles that may be developing under your skin. If you are at high risk due to family history, location of birth, past surgeries or medical conditions then visit the dermatologist every six months!
What most men don't understand is that skin cancer can actually spread into other parts of the body as well. It is not just a "cosmetic" issue like some younger men may think while running around shirtless on the beach with no sunscreen to protect them!
Mental Check-up
Finally, you should do a mental check-up to make sure you are staying on track and not letting anything get in the way of your goals. If you find that something is getting in your way or if there's an issue with any part of this list, it can be fixed before things get out of hand.
They say that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and this advice needs to be taken into consideration when it comes to your health. In addition, it's been said that you only get one body in your lifetime. So making sure you take care of yourself should always be a top priority.
If you are over the age of 40, it is important to consider these 10 annual health checks and screenings. The earlier any issues can be detected, the quicker they will be treatable.
Just remember, while some of these may be more intimate and invasive than previous medical procedures, it is necessary to make sure that everything is working properly and any issues such as cancerous growths are detected early enough to be taken care of before becoming life threatening.
