Men’s Health Week
Today marks the beginning of International Men’s Health Week 2020, 15th -21st June. This week is important in raising men’s awareness of preventable health problems, supporting men in healthier lifestyle choices and to encourage the early detection and treatment of health difficulties.
Time to get a Health Check
Just like your car it is important to get a regular check up. Men are more at risk of health issues such as, prostate, testicular, skin, and colorectal cancers, hypertension (high blood pressure), obesity, and cardiovascular disease. It is important to be aware of these and make time for appropriate annual /biannual check-ups with your GP. Some of these health issues such as obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, can be preventable with a balanced and healthy lifestyle.
There are many building blocks to your overall health and all of them are interconnected. When building a house, you need foundations, walls, windows and plumbing to enable the house to function as it should. And overtime you can add soft furnishings, TVs, curtains to enhance the house and maintain it. This is very similar to your health; you need adequate nutrition, physical activity and you also need to work on your mental health. Over time you might learn new healthy recipes, develop new activities, and find tools on how to enhance your mental health but all this needs to be maintained and adapted overtime.
A chance to check in
Men’s Health Week is an opportunity to check in on your own health. You do not have to change your whole lifestyle, but you could pick a building block to work on or you could book an appointment with the GP for a check–up. The Men’s Health Forum has asked everyone to ‘be part of the solution‘ and to do something realistic and practical, no matter how small, to help restore the balance and stability in everyone’s lives.
For more information on;
- Mental health: https://www.mentalhealthireland.ie/ https://www.stpatricks.ie/ https://www.samaritans.org/ireland/samaritans-ireland/
- Physical activity: http://www.sielbleu.ie/ https://www.getirelandwalking.ie/ https://www.getirelandactive.ie/
- Nutrition: https://www.hse.ie/eng/about/who/healthwellbeing/our-priority-programmes/heal/healthy-eating-guidelines/
- Heart Health: https://irishheart.ie/contact-us/