Essential medical tests every man should take to prevent serious illnesses
Illustrative photo (Photo: Freepik)
Women often take better care of their health, while men, for some reason, tend to pay less attention to it. However, this doesn't mean that men get sick less often. Waiting to see a doctor only when it hurts is not advisable, as the illness at such stages can be in an aggravated state, according to the National Health Service's Telegram.
Taking care of men's health
First and foremost, see your family doctor. Under the Medical Guarantees Program, you can get free blood tests, including the prostate-specific antigen (PSA), cholesterol level check, HIV and viral hepatitis tests, and vaccinations against diphtheria, tetanus, and COVID-19.
Additionally, urologist consultations through e-referral are free in medical institutions contracted with the National Health Service of Ukraine. Moreover, the Medical Guarantees Program includes six priority screenings for early cancer diagnosis. Relevant tests for men include:
- Colonoscopy - examination of the colon
- Gastroscopy - examination of the stomach Bronchoscopy - examination of the bronchi
- Cystoscopy - examination of the urethra and urinary bladder
A doctor may also recommend a prostate ultrasound, rectal digital examination, but these are case-specific.
Myths to disregard
Many believe that blood clotting disorders only affect men. As a result, prolonged bleeding in girls or women might be overlooked by family members.
However, von Willebrand disease occurs in both women and men.
Von Willebrand disease is an inherited blood disorder characterized by spontaneous bleeding, similar to hemophilia. Therefore, it's essential for mothers of girls and women to pay attention to spontaneous or prolonged bleeding and consult their pediatrician or family doctor.
To suspect the disease, the doctor needs to know the family medical history and review the results of general blood tests and coagulation profiles - a set of blood parameters indicating the clotting process.
This material is for informational purposes only and should not be used for medical diagnosis or self-treatment. Our goal is to provide readers with accurate information about symptoms, causes, and methods of detecting diseases. RBС-Ukraine is not responsible for any diagnoses that readers may make based on materials from the resource. We do not recommend self-treatment and advise consulting a doctor in case of any health concerns.
