By Selina R. Vert
Bay Mills News Editor
"Know your numbers." That's the advice of Bay Mills Family Practice Physician Dr. Craig Caldwell D.O. Cholesterol levels, blood sugar and whether or not they have a family history of diabetes or cardiovascular disease are important for men of any age to know.
Exams for testicular, prostate and colorectal cancer are also important, according to Bay Mills Community Health Coordinator and Diabetes Coordinator Vicki Musser R.N.
"I'm into prevention," the nurse said, adding that yearly physicals may find problems while they are in still in the early stages. "Men who have a family history of heart disease or diabetes should get yearly physicals."
Bay Mills Health Center recently hosted a Well Man's Day on Thursday, June 16, during Men's Health Week, June 13 to 19. According to menshealthweek.org, the purpose of Men's Health Week is to heighten the awareness of preventable health problems and encourage early detection and treatment of disease among men and boys.
The week gives health care providers, public policy makers, the media and individuals an opportunity to encourage men and boys to seek regular medical advice and early treatment for disease and injury.
Bay Mills Well Man's Day offered a special time for men to have their physicals and lab work completed to check for diabetes, heart disease, or one of the three major cancers affecting men - testicular, prostate and colorectal.
Testicular cancer has been known to hit young men in their early 20s, all the more reason to be tested early, according to Musser.
Chippewa County has a high rate of colorectal cancer, in both men and women. Caldwell recommends that men over the age of 50 get a colonoscopy to check for colorectal cancer.
Well Man's Day also offers an opportunity for men to ensure their immunizations are up-to-date. Sexually active men and women should receive the hepatitis vaccine, Musser said, for protection against Hepatitis B.
Men's Health Week is held annually the second week of June and Well Man's Day is held every few months at the Bay Mills Health Center. But, Musser says, men's health is important all year. Men and boys don't have to wait until Well Man's Day to get their physicals.
Men and boys who have not received annual physicals should call the Bay Mills Health Center at 906-248-5527, to schedule an appointment.
