FOR ANTIGO TIMES
Antigo, WI – June is Men’s Health Month. On average, men die five years younger than women, and die at higher rates from nine of the top 10 causes of death according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). All of this impacts their ability to be involved fathers, supportive partners, and engaged community members.
Many men fall short when it comes to a healthy lifestyle. Still, that's not a good reason to put off making changes in your life that can help lower your risk of some serious diseases.
“To start to prioritize your health, you should establish care with a primary care physician (PCP), such as a Family Practice Physician or an Internal Medicine Specialist/ Internist, that you trust, says Aspirus Antigo physician Dr. Noel Deep. “You might ask your friends for recommendations. Whether you feel more comfortable with a male or a female doctor is totally up to you.”
Your PCP can give you regular checkups and help make sure you get the care you need, which may include:
Health screenings. You may feel fine, and you may be healthy. Or you could have a silent health problem, like high blood pressure, Diabetes or kidney disease and not even know it.
Your PCP can use screening tests to detect some diseases before they cause symptoms, and when they're often easier to control or treat. For example, you may need to be screened for high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes or colon cancer and prostate cancer.
Vaccines. Are you due for a tetanus and whooping cough booster shot? A shingles shot? Or a pneumonia shot? Do you get a flu vaccine every year? Getting recommended vaccinations can help you avoid painful and serious diseases.
Advice for a healthy life. Your PCP can help with goals like eating right, exercising regularly, losing weight and quitting tobacco.
Check out Aspirus.org for health assessments, health news, list of primary care physicians in the area and more information about meeting with your PCP.
Aspirus is a non-profit, community-directed health system based in Wausau, Wisconsin. Its 7,700 employees are focused on improving the health and well-being of people throughout Wisconsin and Upper Michigan. Aspirus serves communities through four hospitals in Michigan and four hospitals in Wisconsin, 50 clinics, home health and hospice care, pharmacies, critical care and air-medical transport, medical goods, nursing homes and a broad network of physicians. Aspirus was recognized in 2018 and 2019 by IBM Watson Health as a Top 15 Health System in its annual study identifying the top-performing health systems in the country. For more information, visit aspirus.org.
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