Men’s Health Month: Five Medical Tests Your Dad Should Be Asking About

How often does your dad see his doctor? Men’s Health Month occurs every June. It’s a time for men to focus on their health and learn more about what they can do to stay healthy. Doctor’s visits are just one of the things your dad should be doing for himself.

Men should see their doctor each year. During those visits, there are specific tests he should undergo. Here are five medical tests he should be getting or asking his doctor if he should, and how elder care can help.

Abdominal Aortic Ultrasound

If your dad is a smoker, he needs to ask his doctor about an abdominal aortic aneurysm screening. This ultrasound looks at his aorta for signs of an aneurysm. If there are signs of the aorta bulging or at risk of a rupture, it can be taken care of before it does.

Blood Pressure

At every doctor’s appointment, your dad’s blood pressure needs to be checked. He wants it to be below 130 over 80. At the same time, the nurse or doctor will take his pulse.

Cholesterol and Blood Tests

The doctor will draw a vial or two of blood to examine your dad’s blood for signs of kidney disease, liver failure, and check his cholesterol levels. There are blood tests that can also check his sugar levels, which is an indicator of diabetes or pre-diabetes.

Colonoscopy

Some doctors offer alternatives to a colonoscopy, such as a stool DNA test or a fecal occult blood test. If that’s your dad’s preference, they will be done yearly or every couple of years. A colonoscopy is recommended every 10 years, which makes it a little more appealing to some.

A flexible camera is inserted into the rectum during a colonoscopy to check for polyps and signs of colorectal cancer. It involves your dad drinking a medication that clears his colon and then going to the hospital or clinic where the test is completed under sedation.

Eye Exam

Each year, make sure your dad sees an eye doctor. He needs to have his vision checked and undergo tests to ensure he doesn’t have glaucoma, cataracts, macular degeneration, or other eye diseases that can worsen his vision.

What if your dad sees his doctor and finds out he has something wrong? He has high blood pressure and needs to change his diet and start taking medications. Have you looked into the cost of elder care aides?

Elder care aides can help him with medication reminders. If he needs to schedule appointments, they can help him and make sure he has a ride that day. They can also take him shopping for the foods he needs, pick up his prescriptions, and make sure he follows recommended exercise programs. Call to learn more.