Piedmont encourages men to prioritize preventive care during Men’s Health Month

As Men's Health Month continues, a Piedmont physician is encouraging men to take a more proactive approach to their health and not wait until symptoms become serious before seeking medical care.

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) — As Men’s Health Month continues, a Piedmont physician is encouraging men to take a more proactive approach to their health and not wait until symptoms become serious before seeking medical care.

Dr. Izien Iruobe Imoukhuede, a family medicine physician with Piedmont Primary Care at Bass Road, said many men are less likely than women to visit a doctor regularly or discuss their health concerns.

According to a 2022 survey, men are less likely to get routine checkups and are more likely to delay medical care until a condition becomes severe.

Imoukhuede said about 60% of men report getting annual checkups, but only 40% seek care when something feels wrong. As a result, men are more likely to develop chronic health conditions that could have been prevented or managed earlier.

He said preventive care is especially important because many serious illnesses do not show symptoms until they have progressed.

“Most symptoms for conditions don’t appear until later stages,” Imoukhuede said.

The physician recommends that men see a healthcare provider even if they have no known chronic health issues.

Routine visits allow doctors to review a patient’s medical history, discuss lifestyle habits such as diet and alcohol use, check blood pressure and identify potential health concerns before they become more serious.

Imoukhuede also stressed the importance of regular screenings for conditions that commonly affect men.

He recommends men begin discussing screenings with their healthcare provider around age 40. Those screenings may include evaluations for cardiovascular disease, colon cancer and prostate cancer, which is the second most common cancer among men.

He added that lung cancer screenings are generally recommended for adults between the ages of 50 and 80 who meet certain risk factors.

During Men’s Health Month, healthcare providers are encouraging men to schedule routine checkups and preventive screenings to help detect health issues early and improve long-term outcomes.