Why Do So Many Men Find It Difficult to Visit the Doctor?

Many men find it tough to visit the doctor for a number of reasons. The first one is that they don’t want to seem like a weak person who needs help. They like to portray an image of being strong, tough, and able to cope with anything. They also hate asking for help.

Denial

In addition, men don’t always want to know if there’s something wrong. They tend to stick their heads in the sand until a medical condition becomes so obvious that they are forced to do something about it.

 

They might think the condition will just go away on its own. However, this wait-and-see approach can often result in a poor prognosis compared to if the medical condition had been detected early.

They might also decide to diagnose themselves, thinking that a back ache is nothing more than a sprain, when it fact it could be a sign of something potentially fatal, such as an abdominal aortic aneurysm or prostate cancer that has spread to the bones because they were not going for regular check-ups.

Fear and Loathing at the Doctor’s Office

Many people are also scared of the doctor.

Men are no exception.

They hate the shots and tests. They don’t want to know if something is wrong. They detest being examined. After all, who wants to take off their clothes to be poked and prodded?

Men have it tough.

They might feel strange about being examined by a male doctor. However, they often feel even more dread at the prospect of a female doctor, especially for “private issues” to do with urology, reproductive issues to do with the prostate gland, and gastrointestinal issues – particularly those related to the colon, rectum and anus.

People make jokes about bending over and the dreaded gloved finger. However, these can be two very important health tests that are an essential part of cancer screening at an annual physical each year.

Vaccinations

Most adults also tend to ignore their vaccination needs. Many people think that shots are just for children.

However, there are a number of vaccinations that need to be updated regularly during the course of an adult’s life, such as tetanus, which needs to be redone every 10 years.

In addition, there are vaccinations available which can prevent many troublesome diseases that can become quite severe in older people, such as the flu shot – in particular the high-dose one for older people.

Other important shots for older men include the pneumonia vaccination and the shingles vaccine.

Shingles are triggered by the same virus as chicken pox.

Most people have chicken pox when they are younger.

A recurrence in adulthood can trigger a painful case of shingles, in which one or more nerves in the body can be attacked, resulting in a nasty rash and severe pain that can last for weeks.

Embarrassment

Studies have shown that women are three times more likely to visit a doctor with regard to any medical issue as compared with men.

Perhaps they have a higher embarrassment threshold, or are just more used to focusing on their health.

In some cases, a man might also avoid going to the doctor because he is trying to hide his lifestyle choices, or not be nagged about them.

For example, men who smoke tobacco or drink alcohol, especially to excess, don’t want to be told off by their doctor.

They might even be concealing illegal drug use, or prescription or over-the-counter drugs overuse. They might be ashamed of their sexual history, orientation, and so on.

The important thing to remember is that doctors are there to help, so regular check-ups can keep men healthy well into their senior years.

So put your fears to rest, it is unlikely that you have anything your doctor has not seen before.