PENNSYLVANIA, USA — June is Men’s Health Month, a time to recognize health issues men face.
Area doctors are asking men to be more proactive about their health and to never be afraid to ask for help.
“I think men are living up to these social norms that they lived in forever and for some reason, we can't overcome them,” said Dr. Michael Spangler, vice-president of medical affairs at UPMC.
He pointed to a 2021 study on Healthline from the Cleveland Clinic where it found that many men avoid seeing their doctors. 72 percent said they'd rather be doing household chores, like cleaning toilets. 65 percent said they avoid making an appointment as long as possible. 20 percent say they’re not always honest with their doctors during a visit.
“There’s physicians for a reason," said Dr. Spangler. Let us help you with that diagnosis and partner with your physician. Find a physician you feel comfortable with and you can have these discussions."
Dr. Spangler also said avoiding doctors can come at a price.
“We’re not getting the early diagnosis and we’re not getting the follow throughs on the early side," said Dr. Spangler. "Then what happens. men get diagnosed with disease later on in the process.”
But he also said several men deal with mental health issues, including depression and they shouldn't be afraid to ask for help.
"We tend to internalize all these things going on,” said Dr. Spangler. "They don’t feel comfortable because they don’t come out to people in their lives and really discuss these issues, it can get us into trouble.”
Dr. Spangler said there is some good news.
More men are becoming active which can help fight off one of the biggest health risks: heart disease.
“People are getting out and becoming active. If you’re really looking at the one thing that’s going to impact your health, it's physical activity.”
Dr. Spangler said other health issues men are likely to face include: skin conditions, high cholesterol and diabetes.