Florida Hospital Best in Care - Summer 2010 - (Page 5)

Men are less likely to visit a physician, often delaying treatment The WhenMen’sWhy and Health of T he “weekend warrior” spends most of his week in the ofﬁce, his nights with his family and his weekends enjoying his favorite hobbies. He ignores the slight shortness of breath and racing heart he experiences during a game of basketball, thinking, “Oh, I just need to get in better shape.” Thoughts like this can mask the weekend warrior’s true health. Shortness of breath and a racing heartbeat are symptoms of heart disease, the leading cause of death for men in the United States. Ignoring initial symptoms could lead to major health concerns in the future. SCREENING General Health Screenings Body Mass Index (BMI) Eye Exam Hearing Test Physical Exam Immunizations Inﬂuenza Pneumococcal (Pneumonia) Tetanus-Diphtheria Booster Heart Health Blood Pressure Cholesterol Proﬁle Heart disease, prostate and colon cancer, kidney disease and urinary problems are common conditions in men. Knowing your risk factors is important. Heart Disease: Being male Family history High fat, salt or cholesterol diet Smoking High blood pressure Elevated cholesterol Obesity Prostate and Colon Cancer: Older than 50 Race, especially African-American Family history Kidney Disease: High blood pressure Diabetes Race, especially African-American Urinary Problems: Obesity Smoking Enlarged prostate RISK FACTORS YOU NEED TO KNOW “At Florida Hospital, we have a complete team to address any issues that a man may have,” says Dr. Allgeier. “If the patient has symptoms of a condition or the actual condition, we have board certiﬁed physicians who can treat them. Our interdisciplinary team approach makes it convenient for a man to get all of his health care needs met in one location.” Know when it’s time to schedule your next health screening by using the chart below. WHEN TO GET IT Yearly Every 1–2 years Every 10 years, until age 50 Yearly MAKING CARE MORE CONVENIENT Men are 66 percent less likely than women to visit the doctor, according to a recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report. Why? “The most common reason is Joseph Allgeier, DO, men are afraid of the unknown. family medicine They worry about what the physician will recommend and what testing they will have to undergo. Will it hurt? How long will it take? What if the results are bad?” says Joseph Allgeier, DO, family medicine physician at Florida Hospital East Orlando. “The other reason is the old adage ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t ﬁx it.’ Why should a man take time out of his busy day for a checkup if he feels ﬁne?” There are plenty of excuses, but nothing should be more important than health. Many of the top health concerns facing men, including heart disease, urinary conditions, and prostate and colon cancers, can be prevented with early diagnosis and treatment. “If we identify a man’s risk factors, we can take action to alter the potential of establishing an associated condition through treatment and/or lifestyle changes,” says Dr. Allgeier. “It’s important that men get a complete annual physical to identify and address any risk factors.” Once a risk factor has escalated into a full-ﬂedged medical condition, the treatment plan changes from prevention (relatively easy) to management (much more complicated). MEN NEED CHECKUPS, TOO Yearly, after age 50 Once, after age 65 Every 10 years Every 2 years Every 5 years, after age 20 Diabetes: Get tested if you have high blood pressure or cholesterol Blood Sugar (Glucose) Test Every 3 years, after age 45 Cancer Screenings: For common male cancers such as prostate, skin and testicular Prostate-Speciﬁc Antigen Test Skin/Mole Self-Exam Testicular Self-Exam Yearly, after age 50 Monthly (make appointment for suspicious ﬁndings) Monthly (make appointment for suspicious ﬁndings) Colorectal Health: To detect and treat colon cancer in its earliest stages Yearly, after age 50 Digital Rectal Exam Yearly, after age 50 Fecal Occult Blood Test Double Contrast Every 5–10 years, after age 50 Barium Enema Every 5 years, after age 50 Flexible Sigmoidoscopy Every 10 years, after age 50 Colonoscopy To schedule your annual physical with a primary care physician, such as Dr. Allgeier, call (407) 303-DOCS. SCHEDULE YOUR PHYSICAL NOW HEALTHY 100 tips A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION Take a walk 10 minutes after each meal to help your body more eﬃciently use the calories you just ingested. ﬂoridahospital.com I 5 http://www.floridahospital.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Florida Hospital Best in Care - Summer 2010

Florida Hospital Best in Care - Summer 2010
Contents
Solving a Private Problem
The When and Why of Men’s Health
Treating Back Pain
Delivering a Special Experience
Fixing a Broken Heart
Improving Quality of Life
The Doctor Will See You — Now
The New Hip Thing
A Magical Hospital for Children

Florida Hospital Best in Care - Summer 2010