Do Men Know Their Medical History?

Gentlemen! We've all heard that our body is our temple. That is ever so true. Your temple may need a little inspection more often than not. When was the last time you had a complete physical examination? I mean complete, with MRI, EKG, blood work and prostate check? Age doesn't matter anymore. Younger cats are shockingly dropping to sneaky and vicious conditions more frequently than in times past. Even those who appear to be the epitome of good health could easily be at risk. If you're young and don't think you need a complete physical, you may be sitting on a condition that could have been detected sooner. Get checked out.

Another matter that we often take for granted is medical history. Not only knowing your personal history is crucial, but knowing family health history is vital too. Parents, siblings, grand-parents, aunts, uncles are all from the same seed. Genetics can have an endless voyage from generation-to-generation, carrying a payload of potentially menacing health conditions. If your parents are available, ask them about your childhood conditions if any, and their own. Your children can be at risk too if you can't tell the pediatrician any family medical history for you and the child's mother. I have three healthy children. Mommy and I have discussed our personal medical histories with each other, and also what we know of our families. It was a fun exchange of caring.

Tell you a little story. My wife gave birth to our child several months ago. It was a very smooth pregnancy, with no complications. Mommy and baby are healthy. Thank God. While nursing she developed Mastitis, which is an infection of the breast. She was very uncomfortable for a few days, and we decided she should see her doctor. The treatment is usually an antibiotic. We informed her OB-GYN that she was allergic to penicillin, so he prescribed an alternative antibiotic that was sulfa based, and as it turns out, she was allergic to that too. She was miserable for several days. It took nearly a week for the allergic reactions to fully exposed itself. Needless to say, we had to return to the doctor for Benadryl injections to counteract the allergic reaction to sulfa. The doctor then prescribed her a safe alternate med. Now we know what to tell any doctor that may treat her in the future. I plan to purchase a medic alert bracelet with the allergy information etched in. You may consider one too. The bracelets are stylish now, made from from a variety of precious metals e.g., silver, gold, platinum and titanium, so you can maintain your Joe Dapper image.

One last observation. Before you permit your youngster or teen to play strenuous competitive sports, request an EKG, at the least from their pediatrician. Don't rely on the clinic that is recommended by the school or team organizers to provide a thorough physical.