Take charge of your health, Man!

It behooves majority of men to pay more attention to their health. Men, compared to women, are more likely to smoke, drink, make unhealthy or risky choices and put off regular checkups and medical care. All is not lost, however, because you can start taking better care of your health today. Start by eating a healthy diet and being active, and make it part of your daily routine.

A healthy diet and regular physical activity can help lower your blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol and weight. Keeping these numbers down can lower your risk of serious health problems like diabetes and heart disease.

Some of the other important steps for taking care of your health include: getting screening tests that are right for you, looking out for signs of health problems like diabetes or depression, drinking alcohol only in moderation and quitting smoking.

A MAN’S ACTION PLAN TO GOOD HEALTH…

If you follow these steps you’ll take charge of your health:

Talking about it. Never feel embarrassed to talk about your health. First talk to your family members to find out which diseases run in your family and then share the information with your doctor.
Making small changes daily. It’s the small changes that add up to big results, like lowering your risk of heart disease and diabetes. So take a walk instead of smoking a cigarette, try eating green salad instead of French fries, drinking water instead of soda or juice and doing away with salt.
Get screening tests to find diseases early. These are medical tests that check for diseases and can help doctors detect diseases early when it may be easier to treat them. Take the following measures:
Have your blood pressure checked at least once every two years starting at age 18. The normal blood pressure is below120/80. High blood pressure can cause heart attacks, strokes, kidneys and eye problems.
If you are 35 and older, have your cholesterol checked once a year. The check ups should start at age 20 if you use tobacco, you are obese, have diabetes or high blood pressure, a personal history of heart disease or blocked arteries, or a man in your family had a heart attack before age 50.
Get screened for diabetes (high blood sugar) if your blood pressure is higher than 135/80 or if you’re on high blood pressure medication. Diabetes can cause problems with your heart, brain, eyes, feet, kidneys, nerves and other body parts.
Get your colorectal cancer tested if you are over 50.
Most men feel anxious, stressed or depressed from time to time. If these feelings last for more than two weeks, get screened for depression. With treatment, most depression patients get better.

Know more about your prostate health. Talk to the doctor about your prostate. The male prostate is a small sex gland that makes fluid to carry sperm. It’s located below the bladder and in front of the rectum.

Medical costs. Many insurance plans cover the cost of recommended preventive services like screening tests. Check with your insurance cover provider on what is included in your plan. Also learn how you can get enough sleep and manage stress.