Special to IFN
“I’m not sick, so I don’t need a doctor.”
“I don’t want to talk about my health.”
“I’m just going to man up.”
Do any of these phrases sound familiar?
June is Men’s Health Month, and Dr. Anthony Elkins, a family medicine physician at Iredell Primary Care, discusses how a relationship with a health-care provider can help men live longer and stronger.
“There’s a common philosophy that men are sometimes told to ‘man up’, right?” explained Elkins. “If you’re having pain or emotional issues, you’re told to just keep it inside and deal with it. Nowadays, there’s a change in how we take care of men. It’s okay to talk about your mental health. It’s okay to be depressed. It’s okay to not be okay.”
Elkins emphasizes the importance of a relationship with your family doctor.
“It’s okay to see a doctor to talk about any of those concerns. You have to have a family doctor that you have a good relationship with, and that you feel comfortable talking to. It’s not just about when you have a broken bone or when you have a sore throat.”
Many individuals would rather “Google” their symptoms or ask for advice on social media to diagnose themselves when they start feeling under the weather, but studies show these search engine diagnoses are only accurate about 50 percent of the time.
“Dr. Google can’t examine you and does not know your family history. It doesn’t take your values or daily activities into account,” Elkins said.
It’s beneficial for men to routinely visit their doctor to avoid future concerns that could impact their overall health.
“I generally recommend that my patients come in once a year for an annual checkup. We’ll focus on heart health, emotional health, screening tests along with other things to keep you healthy. Folks who have medical conditions like heart disease or diabetes may come in more often based on how intensively we have to treat them,” he said.
Physical Health
Cardiovascular disease is the number one health condition seen in Elkins’ older male patients. This includes heart attacks, strokes, and peripheral vascular disease.
“It’s the number one killer for older Americans, and men are affected twice as likely as women are,” he said.
Diabetes, prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and colon cancer are also important to be routinely screened for as recommended by your doctor among other things.
“It’s okay if you’re having physical pain. These are things that can affect your job, your performance, your relationships, and your sleep. I encourage men to come in and be evaluated.”
Emotional Health
Men are often more reluctant to talk about their emotional health because it’s not something they are used to doing.
“Mental health is very important. It’s something that everyone struggles with, even me. I recognize it and I encourage men to talk about it,” Elkins said.
Depression and anxiety can present physical symptoms.
“Depression can hurt. You can have chest pain or racing heart, and there may actually be no disease in your heart. You may also experience abdominal pain or trouble sleeping,” he said.
Treatment for mental health concerns does not always mean inpatient. Many mental health disorders can be treated through diet, exercise, medication, or talk therapy. Talk to your doctor about the best plan for you.
Sexual Health
Common sexual health concerns include erections, testosterone, or gym workouts and performance. For some men, this conversation is about treating or prevention of sexually transmitted infections.
“With regular screenings, we likely can find these infections before they become a threat to your health. Some infections have no cure, such as HIV or herpes, but we can manage and treat them, so they are less likely to cause a threat to your health and less likely to be transferred to others,” Elkins said.
“There’s a number of things that might be considered difficult or embarrassing to talk about, but when you’re with your doctor, nothing is off limits,” assured Elkins. “I like to really see where my men are coming from, figure out what background and values you have, and develop a treatment plan that corresponds to those.”
Men — if you don’t have a primary care doctor, now is the time to establish one.
“Have a relationship with a family doctor that you can see when you’re healthy, when you’re sick, or when you’re injured. Find someone who gets to know you and takes care of you in a way that meshes with your values, health goals, and culture.”
LEARN MORE
Elkins is seeing new patients at Iredell Primary Care in Mooresville. He specializes in sports and musculoskeletal medicine and sees patients from birth up.
About Iredell Health System
Iredell Health System includes Iredell Memorial Hospital; Iredell Davis Medical Center; Iredell Davis Behavioral Health Hospital; Iredell Mooresville; Iredell Home Health; Iredell Wound Care & Hyperbaric Center; Community and Corporate Wellness; Occupational Medicine; the Iredell Physician Network and more. Iredell Memorial Hospital is the largest and only nonprofit hospital in Iredell County. The comprehensive healthcare organization has 391 licensed beds; more than 2,000 employees; and has approximately 365 healthcare providers representing various specialties. Centers of excellence include Women’s and Children’s; Cardiovascular; Cancer; Surgical Services and Wellness & Prevention. The health system’s Iredell Mooresville campus is home to the area’s only 24-hour urgent care facility, as well as an ambulatory surgery center, imaging center, rehabilitation services, and physician practices. The mission of Iredell Health System is to inspire wellbeing. For a comprehensive list of services and programs, visit www.iredellhealth.org.