Get Healthy Carson City: Men: It’s time to rev up your health

This column appears in the Nevada Appeal’s Tuesday health pages. It addresses topics related to the health of our community.

Carson City Health and Human Services, and groups across the country, are joining Men’s Health Network to celebrate June as Men’s Health Month. The purpose of this celebration is to heighten the awareness of preventable health problems and to encourage early detection and treatment of disease among men and boys.

“Men notice when their car does not perform properly, but they do not always listen when their body tells them it is time to see a doctor,” said Dr. Salvatore Giorgianni, science advisor to Men’s Health Network.

This needs to change! Did you know the following:

Women are 100 percent more likely than men to visit the doctor for annual exams and preventative services.

1 in 2 men are diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime compared with 1 in 3 women.

Depression in men is often undiagnosed contributing to the fact that men are 4 times as likely to commit suicide.

In 1920, women lived, on average, one year longer than men. Now, men, on average, die almost five years earlier than women (CDC).

“There is a silent health crisis in America ... it is the fact that, on average, American men live sicker and die younger than American women,” said Dr. David Gremillion of the Men’s Health Network.

Men’s health awareness can mean many different things including raising awareness about healthy lifestyle choices, having annual check-ups with a doctor, learning about heart disease, diabetes, and lung or prostate cancer. It can also mean seeking support groups when substance use becomes an addiction, or finding a counselor or employee assistance program when stress interferes with your enjoyment of life and family. For men it can mean discussing personal health issues with those close to you. For the rest of us, it can mean starting a general health conversation with the men in your life!

By making prevention a priority, many health conditions can be avoided or detected early. Meeting with your healthcare provider for a check-up each year and getting regular screenings including blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, and prostate health are all positive steps to better health.

Start your journey to better health by taking small steps. Try one new positive behavior for the next six weeks and see how you feel. Consider saying “no” to super-sizing and “yes” to a healthy breakfast. Add at least one fruit and vegetable to every meal. Ask yourself if today is the day you will quit smoking. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Play with your children or grandchildren in an activity that requires movement. Each of these is a wonderful practice to add to your life and will benefit your health.

Mark your calendar for Friday, June 15, as Wear Blue Day! This day is to highlight the importance of men having regular health check-ups, learning about testicular and prostate cancer, and the overall importance of men’s health. Whether it is you, your friend, a brother, dad, boyfriend, spouse or boss — show them you care about all men and their health by wearing blue.

For information about services and programs available to you through Carson City Health and Human Services, please visit our website at gethealthycarsoncity.org, follow us on Facebook www.facebook.com/cchhs, or call us at 775-887-2190. You can also find us at 900 E. Long St. in Carson City.