Male and Healthy: Encouraging Men To Take Control Of Their Health

Dr. David Keisler (left) answers a question for patient Bobby Hutto.

“It didn’t hurt that much; I could handle it.”
“I don’t see why I need a doctor to look at such a small sore.”
“It’s just a little shortness of breath.”

In over 30 years of practicing medicine, Dr. David Keisler has likely heard all the lines. It’s not uncommon that, despite obvious symptoms, his male patients tend to put off medical attention and/or minimize its importance. So what keeps the male gender from stepping up to the plate and seeking healthcare when back pain or depression or a hacking cough is keeping them out of play? “I think that men sometimes feel that they are invincible, and that they shouldn’t get sick and shouldn’t complain,” said the associate professor of clinical family and preventive medicine.

Dr. Keisler has seen men delay health care with detrimental consequences, particularly if the patient has a chronic illness such as diabetes, hypertension, or cardiovascular disease. “A lot of men will attribute chest pain to indigestion or come up with other reasons to explain it,” he said. He added, “Once they do come in, they can already have significant heart disease that may require surgery or some other intervention.”

The family practitioner has found that the key to reaching men is often through the opposite sex. “I think encouragement from the wife, mother, or significant other has a lot to do with men coming in to the doctor,” Dr. Keisler said. He doesn’t see the feminine role ending when the appointment is scheduled. “Many times I will direct my education to the woman in the man’s life to encourage him to adhere to a diet or urge him to stop smoking,” he said.

One component of Dr. Keisler’s patient education efforts is a focus on age-appropriate screenings. He notes that young, healthy men don’t think about the possibility of testicular cancer, “yet it actually occurs more in young men. I encourage men from their teens to their 40’s to do testicular exams on a regular basis to make sure there are no irregularities or lumps or swelling,” he said.

Heart disease is another concern for the male gender. While it’s the number one cause of death in both sexes, men tend to develop the disease ten to 15 years earlier than women. So just being a man is risk factor. Yet even men with a strong family history of cardiovascular problems can take matters in their own hands. “While you can’t change your genetics or your sex, you can exercise to lower your blood pressure and modify what you eat to lower your cholesterol,” Dr. Keisler said.

While Dr. Keisler acknowledges men’s reluctance to address health problems, he’s encouraged by the fact that he’s seen this reluctance improving. “I think it’s changing. I find that men are more likely now than when I first started in medicine to seek care and become more knowledgeable about medical conditions.” Surprisingly, he’s found this to be particularly true with sexual performance issues. “The primary problem as men get older is erectile dysfunction. There are a number of medications available now for erectile dysfunction, and I really think that seeing these medications advertised on TV has made men more willing to come in and ask for help.”

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is something that Dr. Keisler contends many patients - male and female – need to improve. “Both men and women don’t do the things they need to do to prevent illness,” he said, adding, “The American public doesn’t eat properly or exercise properly. We are an overweight society, which can lead to significant health problems.”

Reprinted from Connections newsletter, October 2006.

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