“Man Up” for Men’s Health Month

June is Men’s Health Month, and menshealthmonth.org wants all men to “Man Up” this month and take control of their health. What does this mean? It means watching what you eat, getting active, scheduling your regular checkups and screenings and taking charge of your health. While there are a lot of topics to cover for Men’s Health Month, he’s what we want to remind you about your GI health.

Get your annual exams done

Did you know that women are 100% more likely than men to visit a doctor for annual exams? This shouldn’t be the case guys, your annual exams are important. Many health conditions can be prevented or detected early with regular checkups.

Moon a doctor if you’re over 50

Speaking of exams… If you’re over the age of 50, it’s time to start talking to your Gastroenterologist about getting screened for polyps. Of cancers that affect men and women, colon cancer is the #2 cause of cancer deaths in the U.S. Colon cancer screenings are designed to check for polyps in your colon and remove them. Polyps are abnormal growths that could turn into cancer if left alone. This is why early detection is so important. Find out more about Colonoscopy procedures to prevent colon cancer.

Eat Right

Diet has way more to do with your overall health than most people realize. What we put in our bodies affects all of your body’s processes. When treated poorly, your digestive system can bring about a host of problems that include headaches, fatigue, bloating, and even lower your immune system. It could also cause long term illnesses like GERD, Acid Reflux Disease, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, etc. Want to know more about good GI health? Check out this post.

Be Active

You don’t have to make yourself go the gym everyday; you just need to be active. Our sedentary lifestyles are killing us these days so it’s important to get out and just be active. This could mean walks after dinner, playing with your kids, walking the dog, sports, running, etc. Whatever it is just be active for 30 minutes a day.

“Recognizing and preventing men’s health problems is not just a man’s issue. Because of its impact on wives, mothers, daughters, and sisters, men’s health is truly a family issue.” – MensHealthMonth.org

As always, call us with questions. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to pay your favorite GI doc a visit. Your GI health is important!