Men’s Health Month 2023: Men between the ages of 18 to 118 years old
Last year, I joined the Narrative Matters team and enjoyed writing and sharing about health and biotechnology matters. Unfortunately, for men and Black men in particular, our life expectancy is shorter than for women. We must pay closer attention to health points early in life and continue tracking them. Along with diet and nutrition, medical visits are recommended. Last year, I delineated key health points to keep in mind:
- Access to a primary physician: hearing and blood pressure monitoring
Jones (June 27, 2022) reports that “men are nearly three times more likely to develop hearing loss than women.
- Access to a primary physician or counselor for routine mental health checkups: understanding suicidal thoughts and behaviors of people around us.
- Access dermatology awareness: skin sores that won’t heal; rashes and being aware of sun damage, Jones (June 26, 2022) at the sun that people over 50 years old were exposed to 40 years ago is not the same. In addition, people of all spectrums, from pale to very dark skin, find that their skin reacts to the sun in ways that are not the same as a child’s.
- Access to Dentistry: Getting regular teeth and mouth oral cancer screening.
- Access to Ophthalmology and Optometry: getting regular eye exams. An exam can reveal diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure.
Jones (June 16, 2022). The eye is a doorway to our health evaluation. An optometrist or an ophthalmologist can look into a person’s eye with an ophthalmoscope and the latest medical equipment to view the back of the eyes and detect veins, arteries, and nerves. A doctor can tell if a person has diabetes, hypertension (high blood pressure), hypercholesterolemia (high cholesterol), glaucoma, cataracts, and other vision impairments that can lead to blindness. Finding a good doctor that you feel comfortable with is very important.
- Access to Neurology: Understanding Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementia (ADRD) Jones (April 30, 2022). “Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive disease that destroys brain cell connections, memory, and other critical mental functions
I just had a conversation with the publisher David Beckford, and we could name ten Black young men that we knew had died of heart attacks over the last 12 years. The majority were under 50 years old. Cardiovascular disease is a silent killer. This article encourages men aged 18 to 118 to care for their health. Their families will appreciate it! The Narrative Matters!
References:
Jones, L. (June 27, 2022). Men’s Health Month: Hearing Loss and Hearing Checks – The Narrative Matters. St. Louis, MO Men’s Health Month: Hearing Loss and Hearing Checks – The Narrative Matters
Jones, L. (June 27, 2022). Men’s Health Month: Have Suicide Rates for Black Americans Increased? Why is More Data Pointing to an Increase? – The Narrative Matters. St. Louis, MO Men’s Health Month: Have Suicide Rates for Black Americans Increased? Why is More Data Pointing to an Increase? – The Narrative Matters
Jones, L. (June 26, 2022). Men’s Health Month: Sun Screen and Sun Damage – The Narrative Matters. St. Louis, MO Men’s Health Month: Sun Screen and Sun Damage – The Narrative Matters
Jones, L. (June 18, 2022). Men’s Health Month: Dental Care and Oral Health. Men’s Health Month: Dental Care and Oral Health – The Narrative Matters. St. Louis, MO Men’s Health Month: Dental Care and Oral Health – The Narrative Matters
Jones, L. (June 16, 2022). Father’s Day note: For Men’s health month take care of your eyes and see to life – The Narrative Matters. St. Louis, MO Father’s Day note: For Men’s health month take care of your eyes and see to life – The Narrative Matters
Jones, L. (April 30, 2022).The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey: Shines Light on Alzheimer’s disease and Related Dementia (ADRD) in African Americans. The Narrative Matters. St. Louis, MO The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey: Shines Light on Alzheimer’s disease and Related Dementia (ADRD) in African Americans – The Narrative Matters
Photo credit: Black Men and Mental Health: Practical Solutions | NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness
