Men’s Health Month: Take control of your health
Did you know June is celebrated as Men’s health month across the globe? Every year, June is observed as a month for raising awareness, encouraging men and their families to encourage and practice healthy living habits, and being conscious of their medical needs. At our practice, we celebrate this month to raise awareness in our Brisbane community about the importance of men’s health. Our motivation behind this men’s health month is to familiarise our community with the need of men and boys to address their medical needs and help in early detection of conditions that can be completely preventable with routine checks.
Men are more likely to feel reluctant visiting a doctor and opening up about their health issues to an expert, and this puts a lot of men at higher risk of being diagnosed with something severe. All it takes is a visit to a doctor to discuss your health issues and ask questions. And with the advent of telehealth services, consultations with your doctor have never been more convenient and private.
Why we celebrate men’s health?
For some men in Australia, there has traditionally been a social barrier for participating in medical checks or visiting doctors. We are here to encourage all men to seek help with even the most minor health concern – because even minor concerns can become major health issues if left untreated. GPs are trained in a myriad of medical fields and we listen to you. Since being a father or a brother is equally important for a family, we encourage you to take charge of your health.
It is also a fact that men are known to be more prone to risky choices like excessive drinking or even injures sustained in sports that go unchecked. Diabetes, cardiovascular conditions and prostate cancer, depression, and hypertension are also more common issues in men.
Men tend to be affected more by behavioural and sociopsychological factors than women leading to men being at a higher risk of suffering from cardiovascular diseases. This is further enhanced simply because men don’t visit doctors as often as women do.
Things we are doing different this month in our men’s health Brisbane Clinic
Visiting your local GP is a two-way process where both the doctor and the patient must openly discuss and communicate. This in turn helps doctors to suggest the best GP plans for your health issues. That’s exactly what we are focusing on this June. We are ready to guide you through your medical needs and concerns without any judgments.
We understand that at times a doctor’s gender may influence doctor-patient communication, but this month we are striving to have more open-minded discussions and we feel your families can help support you in this.
Our doctors take time to ask you a variety of questions about your lifestyle and choices, to understand your condition and identify any risks. Our one-on-one consultation approach makes sure we make the right decision in making a management plan for you.
Our GP management plans address all the risks and run tests if required. Our patient-focused approach is friendly and relaxed and you don’t have to hesitate in discussing your issues.
Our GPs have a wide range of understanding of different medical conditions. This includes a focus on chronic disease, acute diseases, surgical knowledge, preventive medicine to name a few. GPs are the best choice for the first point of discussion and can guide you through other alternatives. Most often at our practice, our doctors seek help from other departments for a second opinion.
They can help with the following but not limited to:
- Infections and Injuries
- Chronic disease management
- Cardiovascular diseases and strokes
- Expert opinion on bowel and prostate cancer
- Hypertension and mental stress
- Diet and weight management
- Diabetes counselling and education
- Preventive medicines
- Travel medicines
- Referrals to specialist
What are the factors affecting men’s health?
Lifestyle choices
- Stress due to long working hours at work, economic pressure, stress due to managing time between family and work.
- Social choices of excessive smoking, drinking and indulging in drugs
- Missing meals and not doing physical activities.
- Anger
- Weight management
- Relationship management including the stresses of parenthood
Physiological factors
- Cardiovascular issues, coronary heart diseases
- Prostate and bowel cancer
- Unchecked skin rashes and infections
- Injuries sustained at work, sports.
How telehealth is promoting men’s health?
Telehealth, a new emerging advent in the medical industry comes as a more hassle-free channel to discuss issues with your GP. Our telehealth services have proven successful, by extending our services to address patients even from remote areas.
A recent survey by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) shows patients are heeding the message on telehealth. Telehealth makes it possible to address your issues with more privacy from the comfort of your own home.
If you’re hesitant to meet our doctors in person, there is always an option to use telehealth services which is equally efficient as visiting our medical centre.
If you have a concern you’re not talking about, make a telehealth appointment now and let us help you through it. Contact us today with your concern or alternatively make an online appointment.