June is Men’s Health Month, a great time to find ways to help the men in your life improve their health. Men have a reputation for skipping annual well visits and seeing a doctor only when they’re sick, but building a relationship with a primary care physician (PCP) has many benefits for men.
Listen up, guys: The top five causes of death for men are heart disease, cancer, unintentional injuries, chronic lower respiratory diseases, and stroke. Although some risk factors for these conditions cannot be controlled, your risk of dying from one of them is affected by choices you make.
WHAT DOES A PCP DO?
Your PCP is your primary resource for discussing how likely you are to be affected by these common problems. If you have an uncontrollable risk factor, such as a family history of heart disease, your PCP can provide information about early warning signs and help you manage the ones you can control.
Many early red flags, such as high blood pressure and cholesterol, have no symptoms until the underlying condition becomes life threatening. Your PCP will help you decide what screening tools are best for monitoring your risk factors and for increasing the chances of early detection.
WHEN DO YOU NEED A SPECIALIST?
PCPs can help you decide if you need specialized care. For example, your PCP may advise you to see a urologist due to your personal risk for prostate cancer.
“Prostate problems, kidney stones, urinary tract infections, and erectile dysfunction are all problems I deal with on a regular basis,” says James Brennan, M.D., urologist with Summit Healthcare Regional Urology Center, a graduate of the Mount Sinai Medical School in New York who completed a residency in urology at Boston University. “I’m ready and willing to address these issues in a compassionate way and communicate with the PCP to ensure continuity of care. I spend time with patients to make sure their questions are answered and be a real partner in their care.”
UROLOGISTS AT SUMMIT HEALTHCARE
The specialists at Summit Healthcare Urology treat a variety of issues related to the urinary tract for all kinds of patients, male and female, young and old.
James Brennan, M.D.—male and female urology, kidney stone disease, prostate disease
Chad Chesley, M.D.—endourology (kidney stones), voiding dysfunction, hypogonadism, erectile dysfunction
Patrick Lassen, M.D.—laparoscopy, urologic cancer, pediatric urology, vasectomy, vasectomy reversal, kidney stone disease
John Mansfield, M.D.—pediatric urology, women’s health and urinary incontinence, kidney stone disease, male incontinence
