Caring for Our Real-life Superheroes
Congress names June Men’s Health Month.
Words like strong, protective, hero, and strength come to mind when we describe superheroes — Iron Man, Thor, Superman, The Hulk, etc. — but also when we describe the men we call “Dad.”
In movies today, superheroes save the world on a regular basis. They are strong and typically have only one pivotal weakness, like an anger problem or kryptonite. In real life, however, our men have more than one weakness, and those weaknesses often show up in the realm of their health.
Heightening awareness of preventable men’s health problems and encouraging early detection and treatment of disease is what prompted the U.S. Congress to set aside June as Men’s Health Month.
Two common health problems for men are hormone deficiency and prostate cancer. One in four men age 30 and over have a hormone deficiency that can lead to experiencing symptoms of sleep disorders, cardiovascular conditions, anxiety, depression, and more. Those affected may feel tired all the time, not see results in the gym, or just feel generally “off.” Many conditions often go undiagnosed or misdiagnosed, as it’s the norm to brush it off.
While the number of women affected by breast cancer is decreasing due to improved breast cancer treatments and early detection, breast cancer is on the rise in men due to decreased awareness and delayed detection, according to the American Cancer Society.
According to breastcancer.org, one in eight women will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of her lifetime. Yet one in seven men will develop prostate cancer in their lifetime. If it’s detected and treated early, 95 percent of men will survive.
As we watch our favorite superheroes in action, we fight for them to win, to save the day and come out on top. Yet as a society we seem to have accepted that men, on average, die 10 to 15 years before women do.
At Epoch Men’s Health, we strive to deliver good men good information so they can make good decisions about their health. Ladies, the time to educate the men we love is now. The time for them to receive preventive screenings is now. And at Epoch Men’s Health, we want to do our part to help.