For Men: Health Checks After Age 50

The advances of modern medical care are truly astounding. If some of the medications and surgeries that are available now had been around several years ago, my own father might still be around walking 18 holes of golf. Heart surgeries that were only available at a few locations in the country back in the 1970's are quite commonplace now, and are successfully performed in smaller communities every day. Cancer treatments are more precise and less damaging to healthy tissue. Gall bladder removal is conducted with hardly a scar to show for it. New techniques are developed to make health care easier every year.

Still, our bodies do have a tendency to age, and some of the illnesses and diseases that we never thought about when we were 35 suddenly become issues to consider once we have passed that 50^th birthday. Keeping fit with a good diet and exercise is a key part of living the good life after 50. However, just like our cars need an occasional tune-up, our bodies should also be given a regular once-over by a physician to make sure that, if there are any problems popping up, they are discovered at the earliest possible moment. Going to your doctor for a yearly health check is as important after age 50 as at any other time of your life. A review of your family health history, a quick physical examination, and a blood test may be the best birthday present you can give to yourself when you reach that big 5-0 milestone.

Having a health check once a year is probably not as involved as you might think. After reviewing your own personal health records, and your family health history, your doctor will outline a plan for you to follow on a regular basis. Here are a few of the things that he/she may recommend.

a) Health Check for Skin Cancers. Your doctor will no doubt do a lot of poking around to see if you have any unusual swelling, areas that are tender, muscles that may be sore, joint deformities, etc. During this part of your visit, he/she will be checking to see if there is any evidence of a skin cancer. It is essential to catch melanomas, basal cell carcinomas, and squamous cell carcinomas when they are very early in development in order to have the best chances for containing the problem. Over the years, as we are constantly exposed to the sun, the opportunities for those types of health problems to arise tend to become more pronounced. We are most vulnerable in those sections of our bodies that are frequently uncovered outside, such as the ears, neck, face, arms, etc. Give your physician a helping hand by checking your own body for skin changes on a regular basis, paying particular attention to the shape and color of moles or freckled areas. If you do notice changes, bring them to the attention of your physician without delay.

b) Health Check for Prostate Cancer. Probably one of the more unpopular parts of a physical exam for a male is the doctor's digital examination of the prostate. This digital rectal exam (DRE) is not always the most comfortable. Hearing a physician snap a latex glove into place can be an unsettling moment. Still, the check is over in a second or two, and can be extremely important to a man's health. By doing a digital exam, the doctor can determine if your prostate gland is of normal size and is not creating problems for the flow or urine. He/she may also order a blood test called a PSA (prostate specific antigen test). If the blood test detects elevated levels of PSA, your doctor may want to do some follow-up testing, and watch for trends. Elevated PSA levels can be an indicator of prostatitis, or of more concern, of prostate cancer.

c) Health Check for Hypertension. It's rather natural for your blood pressure numbers to get a bit higher as you age. That doesn't necessarily mean that it is something that you should ignore, however, as high blood pressure (hypertension) can lead to a stroke and other problems. Your regular exam will probably include a check of your blood pressure with a pressure cuff. As blood pressure cuffs are available at many different health stores, and can be purchased for home use, your doctor may ask you to do a routine check of your own blood pressure between exams, and record the value so that he can review your data. Blood pressure problems can be controlled to some degree by medication, and to some degree by diet and exercise.

d) Health Check for Colon Cancer. Colorectal cancer is dangerous, and is managed easiest when caught very early, before it has had a chance to go into all of the layers of the bowel wall, or get into the lymphatic system. If you have a family history for colon cancer, your doctor may insist on a complete colonoscopy every year or two. This is an outpatient procedure, but will require you to be off work for a full day. Even if a colonoscopy is not in the doctor's plan for you, he/she may still insist on you doing a blood stool exam at home. There are various forms of the FOBT (fecal occult blood test), but each of them is designed to be an early indicator of a potential colon problem. You gather the sample in your own privacy, and then deliver it to your health care provider or the lab. Your physician will review the results and provide further instruction, if any are necessary.

e) Health Check for High Cholesterol Levels. As part of your blood test, the doctor will be able to check your levels of cholesterol, both the high density (the good kind), and the low density (the undesirable kind). If your doctor finds numbers that are not a good ratio, he/she may recommend diet changes or a long-term medication.

f) Health Check for Heart Problems. If you have had breathing or energy problems, or if you have a family heritage that is positive for heart disease, your doctor may ask you to do a cardiopulmonary stress test. The "treadmill" test, as so many refer to it, is able to detect your abilities under slight exertion. If your performance is not on par with your age group, additional studies may be required.

g) Other Health Checks. There will be other things that your doctor will want to monitor regularly, including your vision, hearing, etc. He/she will also be able to focus on any areas of pain or discomfort that you bring to his/her attention.

Obviously, I'm not a doctor, nor do I play one on TV. But your own primary care physician will be glad to lay out a schedule for regular health checks that would be appropriate for your own health history and your familial history. Being 50 isn't old, but it may be the age where annual health checks become part of your lifestyle.