Dads: Eat wise, exercise, don't smoke

This Father’s Day give the gift of health. Dr. Zeb Stearns, who practices family medicine in Eunice, gives health suggestions and tips for fathers.
To stay healthy men should visit their physician at least once a year. Dr. Stearns, a father of seven, added, “In general, many insurance plans will pay for a “wellness visit” for the adult patient.
“Men are typically less likely to take advantage of screening and wellness benefits than their female counterparts but every adult should get a periodic checkup.
“At what ages to start getting checked for certain disease varies quite a bit with family history, lifestyle and many other things. One great reason to see your physician early as a young adult even if you are not having anything that is bothering you, is to get established with a physician.
“Once you have seen a physician and get established, it will be much quicker to get seen if you do have a medical issue that comes up and can keep you out of the emergency room.
“At that first visit you can discuss what screening tests should be done at what ages and how often to come and get a physical. By the time you become a father, you are generally old enough to need some type of screening.
The number one “killer” in males is cardiovascular disease. Dr. Stearns said, “Cardiovascular disease remains one of the most common causes of death in males but as the field of medicine advances, men are living longer and diseases such as cancer and dementia are catching up because of the increased life expectancy and advances in treating cardiovascular disease.”
Prevention is the key to stay healthier. “Prevention becomes all the more important as life expectancy increases. Of course, any of these diseases can affect men of all ages, the older you get the more likely your chances are of getting certain diseases.
Dr. Stearns added, “At almost 93 years old, astronaut John Glenn just had a heart valve replaced, something that would not have even been attempted at his age even 10-15 years ago.
“For cardiovascular disease, including heart attacks, strokes, congestive heart failure and peripheral vascular disease as well as diabetes, we can do things to help prevent it starting at a young age by eating healthy, exercising regularly and avoiding tobacco products.
“These things are what we call lifestyle changes and the best part about them is that they are free and can make us feel better.
“The other great thing about these healthy habits is that we can do them with our families and men can be good role models to their children so that they can learn healthy habits at an early age. “
Getting regular checkups can become part of preventive measures for men.
“The other part of prevention is getting checked for various things at regular intervals. For those that are healthy a yearly physical is a good idea to check your blood pressure and start treatment early if you develop hypertension, which is a leading cause of heart disease and strokes.
“You also want to talk to your physician about getting tested regularly for high cholesterol and diabetes, both of which can accelerate atherosclerosis or clogging of the arteries.”
A healthy lifestyle is also a leg up against cancer.
“There are some tests that we recommend that can detect cancer early to begin treatment early, but the best test you can do is a colonoscopy because you can actually prevent cancer by getting it done.
“Colon cancer starts out as small growths called polyps that are not cancerous but will become cancerous if not removed. Polyps grow very slowly normally, so getting screened periodically is very effective and it is recommended that everyone get a colonoscopy at age 50 unless you have a family history of colon cancer, then you should start earlier - check with your doctor for what age is right for you”.
Protect yourself in the sun this summer. Men generally are active outdoors, working, playing, etc. “Prevention for skin cancers begins at an early age as well and includes use of sunscreen and avoiding sunburns.
“This is particularly important for men because they tend to enjoy doing things outdoors in the sun and it is that repeated sun exposure that increases the chance of skin cancer, especially melanoma, which is particularly dangerous.
The possibility of prostrate cancer should never be taken lightly. Stearns added, “Of course we could not discuss fathers’ health issues and cancer prevention without discussing screening for prostate cancer. The thinking on screening for this type of cancer has changed in the last few years and some groups have advocated not screening at all.
“Most physicians will still recommend having a blood test, called a PSA, on a yearly basis after a certain age, depending on your race and family history so you should discuss this with your physician”.
Stearns suggests Saw Palmetto as a safe and natural product for prostrate health. “The other question about prostate health that comes up is a natural product called Saw Palmetto. It is safe and there is evidence that it can promote prostate health. There is no evidence that it can prevent prostate cancer but it may help with symptoms of an enlarging prostate or BPH.”
“If fathers are not starting their family until they are older, that means that they are at the ballpark or out riding bikes at an older age. So, if you want to keep up with your kids as they grow up, you have to stay in shape yourself.
“One statistic that everyone should keep in mind is that starting at around age 35, the combined muscle mass of your body will decline by about ten percent each decade if you don’t do anything to counteract it.
“Our muscle mass is what burns calories and uses sugar so the less we have the less calories we can burn and will be more prone to gain weight and develop diabetes. That means that it is important to get in the habit of exercising regularly early in life to preserve and tone our muscle so we can keep up with our kids as we get older.
“For those that do not exercise regularly and want to start, be sure to check with your physician first to make sure it is safe not only for your heart but also to discuss injuries that are more likely to happen in someone who is not conditioned.
Dr. Stearns added that a spiritual life and belief in God will add health to your mind and body. He added, “One last thing to keep in mind and that we often overlook when discussing our health, is that there are many studies that have been done that show that in general, those that have a spiritual life and belief in God and pray regularly are healthier, deal with illness better when they do get sick are able to recover more quickly.
“It’s all the little things that add up to make us healthier and happier. Our attitude about life has a lot to do with our health.
“The great American novelist, John Steinbeck said, “a sad soul can kill you quicker than a germ.” So let’s help Ddad stay healthy and happy, happy, happy.