HEALTHY LIFESTYLE · JULY 2018
5 PREVENTATIVE
HEALTH EXAMS TO SCHEDULE ASAP
You can ’ t wait until you ’ re a silver fox to start worrying about your body . Even if you do a lot of physical activity , try to sleep at least 8 hours a night , and eat more than that crappy , microwave ramen that you ’ ve clung to since college , you ’ re still an aging male . You need to be on the lookout for the things that often get old dudes . Your heart , liver , back , neck , and bowel movements will all thank you if you start taking care of them earlier than later .
As with anything in life , you need to be timely , and you can ’ t be lazy to stay ahead of the curve . If you ’ re above the age of 29 and you ’ ve never scheduled appointments or screenings for the following , get on it now . Chances are you won ’ t have to get appointments every year , but precautionary check-ins are something to start earlier than later . Get these things looked at , and adjust your life accordingly .
Blood Pressure Exam
High blood pressure specifically means your heart is working harder than it should be , which can lead to things like heart attacks and strokes . While many of us think of high blood pressure as problematic only for those in their forties and plus , it ’ s unfortunately the case that on average , 30 to 40 percent of percent of adult men have high blood pressure . These findings were in men 20 and older . Thus , you ’ re never too young to get a blood pressure exam — in fact , it ’ s recommended to get your blood pressure checked annually .
Cholesterol Screening
Similar to blood pressure , you can actually start worrying about your cholesterol when you hit age 20 . Checks are recommended every five years , and sooner under certain health conditions like diabetes . Now , this does require a blood test , so for you dudes who are afraid of needles , you may have some heebie jeebies to get over ! But it ’ s worth the time to look into , especially with the prevalence of heart disease in the U . S .
Heart Rate , Respiration Rate , Temperature , and BMI
A simple physical and checkup can include an analysis of these things if you ask for them , as they are all connected . Every degree of temperature ( in centigrades ) increases your heart rate by 10 beats per minute ! Of course , when you get too hot , your respiratory rate may increase due to dehydration . The higher your BMI is as well , the higher your heart rate and breathing rates will be while trying to exercise . Getting heart and respiration rates , in addition to body temperature and your BMI , checked at a routine doctor ’ s checkup every few years is a good idea , especially with how they interconnect and what ’ s bad for one may affect all the others .
22 HEALTHY MAGAZINE
Blood Glucose Testing
Did you ever see that episode of Scrubs where they find out Turk has developed diabetes ? Around the time in the show , his character is somewhere from his mid twenties to early thirties — that said , it can hit you at any time ! Certain people are extremely prone to it due to having a family history of it , and some just treat their bodies so terribly that it comes upon them unexpectedly ( for them , at least ). For this reason your blood glucose levels are important to get checked out semi regularly , especially if you ’ re the type who doesn ’ t really watch what they eat . It may be taking a toll on your worse than you know .
Prostate Cancer Screening
You may not know that prostate cancer is the most common kind of cancer in adult men . If that wasn ’ t enough reason to get you cautious , you should know that it also affects your sex life in addition to your urinary tract . We ’ ve written about dating before , but if you ’ re not on the lookout , this could end that forever . Painful and bloody urination , in addition to difficulties with your equipment in the bedroom ( if you know what I mean ), can be signs of prostate cancer , but the occasional precautionary checkup may be worth your time even without the symptoms . The bottom line ? Don ’ t wait until you ’ re 50 — get it checked now and learn about how you can keep your prostate healthy !
How have you seen your body develop as you get older ? What do you find yourself having to be cautious of ?
By Artur Kot