NEW YORK (PRWEB)
June 06, 2023

Men’s health matters, and the month of June is a good reminder of this message. Taking care of thousands of men over the years has been my top priority. This includes educating and inspiring men to make their health and wellness a top priority too.

Since 1994, June has been designated as Men’s Health Month, meant to raise awareness of issues impacting the health and wellness of men and boys. In addition, this month helps educate and remind men and their loved ones of the preventable health problems affecting men.

Men’s Health Month is an ideal time to talk with men about disease prevention and their health. Men need an ally, not an antagonist. They need encouragement to maintain good health habits and self-care and to find healthy ways to ask for help without concerns about looking weak or unmanly.

Here are five steps men can take starting today to make significant strides in their health:

1.    Exercise regularly: A man’s fitness level can determine his risk of heart attack or dying from heart disease. For instance, ask a man, “Can you walk briskly for 2 miles?” If the answer is no, let them start slowly and go a bit farther daily. Increased endurance leads to better health, including a reduced risk of diabetes and possibly prostate cancer. Plus, they will feel better physically and mentally.

2.    Get checked for prostate cancer: Beginning at age 40, men should have a baseline prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test and yearly after that. Other than skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in American men. The American Cancer Society estimates that for 2023, almost 288,300 men will be diagnosed with the disease, and nearly 34,700 men will die(1).

3.    Get your blood pressure checked: Both men and women should have regular blood pressure checks. The ideal blood pressure is less than 120 over 80. High blood pressure is a “silent killer,” causing widespread damage to arteries, heart, kidneys, eyes, and brain. Therefore, maintaining blood pressure within a healthy range is essential to good health. Men who take steps to exercise, eat a healthy diet, lose weight if necessary, and cut back on alcohol if having more than two drinks a day are more likely to reach this healthy range, significantly reducing their risk for serious health complications.

4.    Reduce sodium in your diet: About 90% of Americans consume too much sodium – the average daily sodium intake for adults is more than 3400 mg daily(2). This exceeds the 2,300 mg of sodium a day recommended by the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Excess sodium increases the risk of hypertension, increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke. Most excess sodium comes from fast foods, processed meats, canned, bagged, boxed, and restaurant food. Men can reduce their sodium intake by eating fresher, unprocessed foods such as more fruits, vegetables, beans, whole grains, and fresh meat. They include high-potassium foods such as bananas, kiwi fruit, spinach, tomatoes, and mangos.

5.    Pay attention to health warning signs: Men are prone to ignoring bodily symptoms that could be a possible health warning sign – an unusual ache or pain, blood in the urine, or a change in a mole. Never brush off something as “probably nothing” when it could be more serious. Instead, men should be in tune with what feels normal and what feels different or not right. Warning signs needing immediate attention include:

• 
      Crushing chest pain (possible heart attack) or chest pain triggered by activity but goes away with rest (possible angina)
•     Shortness of breath
•     Excessive sweating or exhaustion with exertion
•     Tingling in arms or other extremities
•     Dizziness
•     Numbness in the face, arms, or legs
•     Swelling in the feet or ankles or another area that is not normal

In conclusion

The more men reading this message, the more likely men can live healthier, happier, and longer lives. Every man should know good health is within their reach. The small steps eventually add up to significant improvements in their overall well-being and quality of life.

References:

1). American Cancer Society Key Statistics for Prostate Cancer 2023

2). CDC Sodium Patient Education Resource

Dr. David Samadi is the Director of Men’s Health and Urologic Oncology at St. Francis Hospital in Long Island. He’s a renowned and highly successful board-certified Urologic Oncologist Expert and Robotic Surgeon in New York City, regarded as one of the leading prostate surgeons in the U.S., with vast expertise in prostate cancer treatment and Robotic-Assisted Laparoscopic Prostatectomy. Dr. Samadi is a medical contributor to NewsMax TV and is also the author of The Ultimate MANual, Dr. Samadi’s Guide to Men’s Health and Wellness, available online both on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. In addition, visit Dr. Samadi’s websites at robotic oncology and prostate cancer 911. Follow Dr. Samadi on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

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