6 Things Men Should Talk to Their Doctors About

Estab­lish­ing with a pri­ma­ry care doc­tor can help you keep your health on track. Your doc­tor can help mon­i­tor your weight, blood pres­sure, and the lev­el of cho­les­terol in your blood. Screen­ings vary based on your age, so it’s impor­tant to have a con­ver­sa­tion with your doc­tor about your spe­cif­ic needs. Here’s a list of 6 things you should speak with your doc­tor about.

Col­orec­tal Can­cer | It’s the third most com­mon cause of can­cer-relat­ed deaths in men, and men have a slight­ly high­er risk than women, accord­ing to the Amer­i­can Can­cer Soci­ety. Start talk­ing to your doc­tor about screen­ing at age 45, or soon­er if you’re at high­er risk because of fam­i­ly his­to­ry or oth­er factors.

Prostate Can­cer | It’s impor­tant for men to make an informed deci­sion with their health­care provider about prostate can­cer-screen­ing tests. Start talk­ing to your doc­tor about what’s best for you at age 50 if you’re at aver­age risk, or as ear­ly as 40 if you have a strong fam­i­ly history.

Skin Can­cer | Depend­ing on age, men are about twice as like­ly than women to die from melanoma — the most seri­ous type of skin can­cer. Do reg­u­lar self-exams and make a skin exam by your doc­tor part of your rou­tine checkup.

High Blood Pres­sure | The risk increas­es with age and is also affect­ed by weight and lifestyle. How often yours should be checked depends on how high it is, so talk to your doc­tor about what is best for you.

Cho­les­terol | All men should get reg­u­lar cho­les­terol tests start­ing at around age 35, or ear­li­er if you’re at high­er risk.

Type 2 Dia­betes | In gen­er­al, men should be test­ed every three years start­ing at age 45, or soon­er and more fre­quent­ly if you’re at high risk.

If you need a pri­ma­ry care doc­tor, QMG can help. You can call our Pri­ma­ry Care Access Line at (217) 222‑6550, ext. 3325 or vis­it https://​quin​cymed​group​.com/pro.…

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