It's June...Time to Talk About Men's Health

It's June 1, which means it's time to kick off Men's Health Month!

Father's Day is quickly approaching and now is the perfect time to encourage the men in your life to take care of themselves. The month of June is National Men's Health Month. Summit Medical Group urges all boys and men to stay healthy by eating right, exercising and seeking regular medical checkups to prevent disease and injury so they may live long and healthy lives.

Men's health is not just a 'man's issue', it's a family issue. Men's health can impact everyone around them: wives, mothers, daughters, and sisters.

So the question is, what can men do to be healthier?

The answer? Simple: Take action! Men, here are four easy ways to start making a big difference this month (and throughout the year) in your health:

  • Eat healthy. Add more fruits and vegetable into your diet and try to limit eating foods that are high in calories, sugar, salt and fat.
  • Get moving. Make a personal goal to reach 2 ½ hours of physical activity per week. Participate in activities you enjoy will help you to stay motivated.
  • Quit tobacco. Tobacco smoking is the number one preventable cause of death in the U.S. and the primary cause of COPD and lung cancer.
  • Set an example - consistently pull the above healthy habits together and be a role model for those who may be watching you.
  • Make prevention a priority. Schedule yearly checkups and regular health screenings with your doctor or local health department. Some of the screenings and tests provided by Summit include:
    • Cardiac Calcium Screening - a quick, painless CT scan that can help predict heart disease risk at an early stage, before symptoms occur, for up to 10 years after the scan
    • Cardiac Stress Tests - a test that measures heart activity to assess response to stress that helps assess heart health and diagnose a variety of cardiac conditions
    • Lung Cancer Screening - a low-dose spiral computed tomography scan (think of it as a 'lite' CT scan) that can identify lung cancers in the earliest stages, when it is significantly easier to treat

    Other services provided by Summit Medical Group include tobacco cessation resources, diabetes prevention, immunizations and more. To learn more about all services we offer for men or to schedule an appointment, visit www.summitmedical.com.