Citizens Memorial Hospital | Vitality | Winter 2021

8 VITALITY Winter 2021 Men: Don’t neglect this important health tip Guys, here’s a pop quiz: Can you name a medical necessity every man should have—even when they feel fit and healthy? The answer: a primary care provider (PCP). A PCP is a medical doctor or other health care professional who takes care of most of your routine health care needs. Having a PCP is important, even if you don’t have health problems now. Why? For starters, you could have a health problem and not even know it— many conditions don’t cause symptoms at first. But these problems can be harder to manage if they go on too long. Having a PCP means you have someone who will monitor your health and look for conditions or diseases early, when they may be easier to treat. A prime example: high blood pressure. If you have it and it goes unchecked, it may lead to a heart attack or a stroke. Your PCP will monitor your blood pressure to make sure it stays within a healthy range and treat it if it gets too high. Depending on your age and other factors, you might also need cholesterol checks, diabetes tests, and colorectal and prostate cancer screenings. Sources: American Academy of Family Physicians; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services BEYOND TESTS AND SCREENINGS Your PCP can also help you stay on top of recommended vaccinations and other preventive care, such as: » Losing unwanted pounds, if you need to shed a few. » Figuring out an exercise plan. » Understanding any changes you may need to make to your diet. » Quitting tobacco, if you smoke. » Managing stress. A PCP is also someone you can trust with your mental health. For example, many men have depression, which causes symptoms such as increased anger and aggression, loss of energy, and sad or hopeless feelings. Depression makes it hard to enjoy life. But it is treatable. If you are going through tough times, your PCP can help you feel better. If you don’t yet have a PCP, you should select one and make an appointment to be seen. You can choose from different types of PCPs, including family doctors, internal medicine doctors, geriatricians and nurse practitioners. Maybe your friends or relatives can recommend a PCP you might like. MEN’S HEALTH