Urologist’s advice ahead of Men’s Health Week
International Men's Health Week (IMHW) is an international week celebrated the week preceding and including Father’s Day to focus on issues facing men's health. The week is an opportunity to highlight the importance of men's health and promote their physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing.
The goal is to increase awareness of male health issues and encourage institutions to develop health policies and services to meet the specific needs of men, boys, and their families.
Barnaby Chappell, a Sussex consultant urologist, said: “I can understand why men shy away from issues with their urinary tract, erectile dysfunction or prostate but, like most illness or disease, we need to know more about these problems, and although the more we search for them, the more cases we find, it does help us get closer to helping people live longer with something like prostate cancer.
“With the PSA test, available through your GP, for example, we can identify who might be at risk of prostate cancer and monitor them accordingly. “The earlier we spot symptoms, the greater the chance of finding curative solutions for them.”
He added symptoms don’t always mean bad news and if men visit their doctor early on, they might save themselves a lot of worry.
“Erectile dysfunction can have more to do with the heart and can precede heart conditions that may present themselves in a few years’ time.
“I would urge men to check their testicles regularly. It is usually possible to cure testicular cancer. But it is easier to treat when diagnosed early.”