This is for every man from 40years and above. As you embark on your daily activity, doctors says you must also adopt a body-maintenance plan to stay healthy and prevent certain diseases and conditions known to affect men.
According to a new publication, Twelve modern medical miracles by the Rodale Press Inc, USA, men do not necessarily have to stick to annual physical exam, though this is still recommendable. .However, there are some tests every man should undertake on regular basis to stay out of trouble. According to the publication, these test are safe, reasonably reliable for screening diseases that are more easily cured if theyre caught early such as colon and prostate cancers. If early detection does not increase your chances of successful cure, whatÕs the point of detecting diseases early? Knowing that you take a clean bill of health is certainly enough encouragement for you to stay healthy. Here are some of the tests recommended by the publication;
1. General Physical: How often should you see your doctor for a basic check-up? The American Medical Association (AMA) now advises healthy men over 40 to get a check-up every one to three years. Some other groups suggest a schedule of every three years, between the ages of 36 and 45; every two years for 46 to55 years, yearly for those over 55 or for those in a hazardous job or if you have a family history of cardiovascular disease or cancer.
2 Occult Blood Test: According to the experts, cancer of the colon [part of the large intestine] is fast becoming a major health problem among Nigerian men. It is also reported to be the second most common fatal cancer among American men .Although the risk for the disease increases significantly after the age of 40, it often occurs without any overt sign except hidden [occult] blood in the stool. This screening test can help detect occult blood and thus increase your chances of successful treatment: The American Cancer Society[ACS] recommends that men over 40 get an occult blood test every year.
3. Digital Rectal Exam: Still the most sensitive screening test for prostate cancer, the digital rectal exam involves nothing more high-tech than a gloved and lubricated finger. By reaching through the rectum, a physician can actually feel the prostrate. If it contains a hard lump or nodule, the physician will probably want to do a biopsy to check for cancer [70 to 80 percent of prostate cancers-the third most common fatal cancer in men- can be picked up this way]. The test also does double duty, screening for cancerous growth, or polyps in the rectum. The ACS recommends this test yearly for men over 40.
4. Blood Glucose Test: Since diabetes can harm the body in many different ways, its important that it be detected and treated early. ThatÕs the point of this test, which is often recommended every five to 10years.Measuring the amount of glucose [sugar] in your blood helps diagnose diabetes, hypoglycaemia and other hormonal disorders.
5. Urinalysis: Often performed as part of a routine screening exam, urinalysis can give valuable information about nearly every organ system in the body, especially the bladder and kidneys. Urine tests can reveal kidney disease, urinary-tract infections, liver disease, diabetes and other disorders. Urinalysis is often recommended every three to five years.
6. Blood-Pressure Monitoring: High blood pressure can be deadly because it may lead to stroke, heart disease and kidney disease. And-particularly if youre male, the older you get, the deadlier it gets. The only way to know if your blood pressure is elevated is if you get it checked regularly.
8.ECG: Although a routine electrocardiogram[ECG] is not advisable, a man should have at least one ECG by 40 to establish a baseline from which to detect any further abnormalities, says Ed Pinckney M.D., a consultant in internal medicine and co-author of The Patients Guide to Medical Tests. Its a way of establishing whats normal for your cardiovascular system. If later in life, you do develop chest pains or other symptoms of heart trouble, your doctor will have some reference to compare an ECG reading taken then.
9. Glaucoma Test: This is what your eye doctor does when he discharges that little blast of air into your eye. The test, called tonometry, screens for glaucoma, which is the cause of 12 to 15 percent of all blindness in the world. Glaucoma is caused by an abnormal build-up of pressure inside the eye, though it can go undetected for years in its early stages, it can progress rather suddenly to rapid loss of vision. It can also be treated if its caught early. Thats why this test is usually recommended every three years. It can be performed by eye doctors or regular physicians.
10. Complete Blood Count: The complete blood count, or CBC, provides tremendous amounts of information about the three kinds of cells in the blood: red cells, white cells and platelets. In men, its a useful screen for lung diseases [too many red cells] and anaemia [too many white cells].
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