“Men don’t want to be looked at as being sick in society,” says Dr. Josh Zyss, a family doctor who also serves as Regional Associate Medical Director at Clinica Monseñor Romero.
A “macho” attitude, cultural and societal beliefs, and a distrust of doctors often prevents Latino men from going regularly to see a physician.
But a regular check up, especially for those in families with a history of heart disease and diabetes in their families, or whenever unexplained pains and changes appear in their bodies and psyche may not only lengthen their lives but save it.
“Men don’t want to be looked at as being sick in society,” says Dr. Josh Zyss, a family doctor who also serves as Regional Associate Medical Director at Clinica Monseñor Romero.
In his three years there, Dr. Zyss has noticed what national studies confirm: men don’t go to the doctor.
It’s a worrying trend because postponing or delaying care can have dramatical consequences when it comes to health.
In the U.S., according to the National Center for Health Statistics, life expectancy for American men in 2022 was 74.8 years versus 80.2 for women—a difference of 5.4 years.
“Catching things early on can prevent so much suffering down stream,” he notes.
Chronic diseases are the major culprit causing the divide in life expectancy. In the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), men are more likely than women to die of cancer and chronic diseases of the heart, blood vessels, lungs, kidneys, and liver. Data also shows that men are also much more likely than women to die from COVID- 19, opioid overdose, alcohol use, suicide, accidents, guns, and assault.
MENTAL HEALTH
Mental health is a particularly thorny issue for men, because admitting a problem in this respect “it’s not socially accepted in society,” Dr. Zyss says.
“It’s looked at as being soft,” he adds.
So men tend to ignore their mental health, which can worsen and lead to potential death risks.
“There is a much higher rate of men who attempt and go through suicide than women,” he notes.
But if a man comes to see him with mild depression, they can start seeing a therapist and put on medication (if needed) to lessen the problem.
Heart disease, diabetes, and colorectal cancer are some of the leading causes of death for men, and preventative screenings to detect these problems early can make a big difference in health outcomes.
All of these services are offered at Clínica Romero, where its Behavioral Health department consists of bilingual licensed therapists and students from social work and psychiatry services who work with each patient individually to tailor the most beneficial treatment for them. Couple’s counseling and family therapy are also available, as are services for substance use disorder that have helped countless individuals.
PHYSICAL HEALTH
Equally important is for men to take care of their physical health.
Heart disease, diabetes, and colorectal cancer are some of the leading causes of death for men, and preventative screenings to detect these problems early can make a big difference in health outcomes.
While some may associate these health conditions with older men, the reality is that they can happen at any time. Used to be a test for colorectal cancer was recommended for men age 50 and up, but “it’s happening earlier,” says Dr. Zyss, and now the test is recommended to those age 45 and over. But if your father suffered from colon cancer, a colonoscopy is recommended 10 years before that, at age 35.
“We’re seeing colon cancer in people 30 and 40 becauase of a poor diet with foods with a lot of additives that we consume in the U.S.,” says Dr. Zyss.
“It may say ‘high fiber’ and ‘low sugar’, but it has other carcinogens in them that increase the incidence of cancer that we see,” he adds.
Proof of this earlier trend of colorectal cancer is James Van Der Beek, the actor known for the 90s teen drama “Dawson’s Creek.” Van Der Beek recently revealed that he was diagnosed with stage 3 colorectal cancer at age 46 and was getting treatment.
If the presence of cancer is detected early on, it can be removed without the need for chemotherapy and radiation.
Dr. Zyss cautions that men who experience any unexplained weight loss and difficulty urinating should seek care just to be on the safe side. He also recommends that men who smoke should be screened for cancer in the lungs.
Heart health is another prevalent problem in men that often results from genetic and environmental factors.
“If your father suffered from heart disease and you probably grew up eating the same food as them, it means you’ll be at risk too, so it does run in the family,” Dr. Zyss says.
The thing to be on the lookout here are cholesterol levels, as cholesterol causes blockage of the arteries that can lead to heart attacks.
A LDL (bad cholesterol) level under 100 is optimal, while anything over 130 is considered high; a level above 190 is considered very high.
Cholesterol level tests are recommended every five years for those under 45-years-old and every one to two years for those over that age, and annually when you reach 65.
Preventing a heart attack is important because the quality of life after one is highly diminished.
Knowing men’s reluctance to go see a physician, Dr. Zyss says he tries to make “their first visit as welcoming and friendly as possible and not put too much stress or be hard on them.”
For those who don’t see the doctor often, he usually recommends a blood test to check for good and bad cholesterol; an A1C test, which measures the average blood sugar level in the body for the past three months with the results indicating diabetes (normal is less than 5.7%, prediabetes is between 5.7% to 6.4%, and diabetes is a measure of 6.5% or higher).
STDs
For men who are sexually active with different partners, Dr. Zyss—who oversees the HIV primary care department at Clínica Romero—also may recommend a test for HIV and sexually transmitted diseases.
Contrary to the early days of the HIV epidemic in the 1980s and 1990s, those with HIV can now live a relatively normal life thanks to once-a-day medication that has very few side effects.
The new medicines to treat HIV are so effective they can lower the presence of the virus in the body to levels where they can prevent transmission to other people.
“They can have sexual relations with others without the risk of transmission,” Dr. Zyss says.
Individuals may be HIV positive for many years without knowing it, so catching it early is imperative for healthy living.
However, there are many other STDs to look out for, including syphilis, which if caught early can be cured with a simple penicillin injection. Just like with HIV, some patients with this disease can be asymptomatic for years and without treatment, it can cause irreversible damage to many organs, including heart, liver, brain, and eyes.
Other common STDs are gonorrhea and Chlamydia, which men can spread to women, causing infertility problems.
While people may think that an STD test is recommended to younger men, Dr. Zyss recommends it to anyone “who remains sexually active with more than one partner and they’re not in a monogamous relationship.”
Treatment for all of these issues is part of what Clínica Romero offers, where no one is turned away, regardless if they have insurance or not, and with personnel that understands the community it serves.
“We have very compassionate, caring, and knowledgeable doctors and clinical staff,” Dr. Zyss says. “All of our clinical staff have the outmost respect for all of our patients.”
They care for people with an unbiased, non-judgmental and culturally-sensitive perspective where we “truly want to improve your health,” the doctor adds.
“We have gynecology, optometry, dental; a patient can come in and can get many of the same services under one roof.”
And every decision about health is shared with the individual, explaining the benefits and risks so the patient can make up his mind.
General recommendations:
Stay as active as possible (an hour a day of walking can be enough)
Avoid the processed foods as much as possible, as well as juices and sodas
Get enough and adequate sleep
Go to the doctor if you notice a change in physical or mental health
Symptoms to look out for:
Changes in bowel movement
Changes in stool caliber
Blood in the stool
Generalized abdominal pain that doesn’t go away
Unexplained weight loss
Difficulty urinating
Chest pain
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