By MultiCare Health System
We sat down with a primary care physician and a urologist to learn what common health issues men face and how they recommend tackling them.
What are the top three mistakes men make when it comes to their health?
1. Wanting quick fixes for complex problems.
Hilton Chen, MD, sees many male patients who want fast, easy solutions for complicated problems. An example: asking for Viagra to treat erectile dysfunction.
“Viagra can help but it doesn’t really fix the underlying problem, which is often caused by choices made over many years,” said Dr. Chen, who is a primary care physician at the MultiCare Kent Clinic.
“It’s a complex condition and it’s the common pathway of a lifetime of poor health habits: lack of exercise, high blood pressure, diabetes, poor diet,” he said. “I don’t have a problem prescribing it, but I’d like to see men take better care of their bodies.”
Another common request Dr. Chen gets from male patients: prescription testosterone to treat tiredness.
“There’s hype about testosterone giving you lean muscle mass and energy,” Dr. Chen said. “But the only medical reason to prescribe it is if your body isn’t producing enough testosterone.”
If you’re concerned, you can have your testosterone levels tested. But keep in mind there are a lot of unknowns about the long-term safety of testosterone replacement therapy.
Plus, tiredness isn’t necessarily the result of low testosterone levels. It could be caused by a multitude of things, so it’s best to discuss options with your doctor instead of pursuing a prescription you may not need.
“Fatigue is a complex issue with physical and emotional components,” Dr. Chen said.
2. Ignoring troublesome symptoms.
Jesse Mierzwiak, MD, said he often sees men ignore symptoms that are bothering them, dismissing them as normal and inevitable.
“They assume the problems they’re having are part of the aging process,” said Dr. Mierzwiak, who is a urologist at MultiCare Urology of Tacoma.
These assumptions lead men not to seek help for years — and often the underlying problem is severe. Having a primary care doctor and going in for regular checkups is one way to prevent this from happening.
“A primary care provider can detect and treat a problem before it escalates,” Dr. Mierzwiak said.
3. Screening for prostate cancer without considering potential downfalls.
Many men coming in for their annual physical have made up their mind about being screened for prostate cancer — regardless of the potential downfalls, Dr. Chen said.
The screening test doesn’t differentiate between low-grade (slow-growing and less likely to spread) and high-grade (fast-growing and more likely to spread) forms of prostate cancer, so the decision should be undertaken in conjunction with your doctor, who can help you decide if it makes sense for you.
“False positives can lead to unnecessary worry and additional, invasive testing,” Dr. Chen said. “Sometimes one thing leads to another and you end up getting treatment for cancer that may never have been a problem.”
What can men do to stay healthy or improve their health?
It’s a common refrain you’ve likely heard before: eat healthy, exercise and maintain a healthy body weight. But it really does work.
“If everybody did that, I would be out of a job,” said Dr. Chen. “They’re not quick fixes. They’re challenging. But the right path is not always the easy path.”
Exercise: Even small amounts of exercise throughout the day are beneficial, Dr. Chen said. Go for a walk during your lunch hour. Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
“Whatever gets the heart pumping,” he says.
Eat healthy: Choose fresh fruits and veggies, whole grains and fish instead of red meat. Keep portions under control. A diet low in fat and high in fiber is ideal.
Maintain a healthy weight: Exercise and eat healthy and you’ll have this one covered.
If you eat right but don’t exercise, you may still have trouble. Exercise builds muscle mass, which makes your body burn calories more efficiently. It also releases hormones that help your body feel full.
“Exercise puts a ceiling on your appetite,” Dr. Chen said.
Chen and Mierzwiak also recommend establishing a primary care provider if you don’t already have one.
MultiCare Health System is a not-for-profit health care organization with more than 11,000 employees and a comprehensive network of services throughout Pierce, South King, Thurston and Kitsap counties.
