HEALTH & WELLNESS
Listen to Your Body Talk
MEN SHOULD SCHEDULE WELLNESS CHECKS TOO
By Vi c k i B e n n i n g t o n
B
e proactive, not reactive, about your health.
Make doctor’s appointments on a regular basis, even
when you feel well. Don’t wait until something happens
or until symptoms signal a disease, or an ailment has
progressed beyond the early stages before seeking help.
Men are prone to certain illnesses - just like women have more of
a propensity for certain diseases - and scheduling well-man visits or
performing self-examinations (and evaluations) can prevent some
conditions, and maintain the quality of - maybe even save - your life.
One important “men-only” disease to look out for is prostate cancer
(many people mispronounce this as prostrate – but prostate it is).
Because the prostate gland actually grows as men get older, they may
have urinary or other problems that do not necessarily indicate prostate
cancer. But it could be. That’s why prostate serum antigen tests are
important, especially after 50, but younger than that if you are having
any symptoms or if anyone in your family has had prostate cancer. Some
scientists now say that a low-fat diet can help prevent prostate growth,
and perhaps, even reduce the risk of prostate cancer.
About 2.9 million American men are prostate cancer survivors, so
while that indicates a lot of people are diagnosed with it, there are a
lot of people who are cured. Several celebrities have shared their
experiences with the disease, like Ben Stiller, who was diagnosed
with prostate cancer in 2014 at the age of 48. Even though he had no
symptoms, his doctor ordered a PSA test as part of his yearly physical,
and it came back positive. After surgery to remove his prostate gland,
Stiller is cancer-free.
Robert De Niro was diagnosed in 2003 at age 60. He also made a full
recovery after surgery, as did former Secretary of State Colin Powell,
who has since become a vocal supporter of prostate cancer awareness
and has devoted his time to the Prostate Conditions Education Council.
Prostate cancer occurs 60 percent more often in black men than in
white men in the United States. A new study at the Fred Hutchinson
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