It’s the responsibility of the patient to know their own body and get themselves to see a physician as soon as they experience any change in their health. You’ll need good common sense and self-motivation.
Men often say, “I’ll wait until I see a doctor because I can’t believe that anything is wrong.”
“I’ll wait until after the holidays or my children’s birthdays to see a doctor.”
“I can deal with it for now, it will go away in time on its own.”
Doctors have heard this scenario thousands of times. They are hoping you will do what is right for your health. Men are like this. They tend to put off going to the doctor, but once they get there they discover that their disease has advanced to a point at which it is even more difficult to treat and manage than if they had seen a physician at an earlier stage.
A visit to the doctor could have prevented that. Later, when it is more difficult to treat, the cost is often much greater.
If you are experiencing a change in your health, call your physician to schedule an appointment for a checkup or medical test.
What are the advantages of early disease detection?
Being aware of early signs of disease can make a huge difference in how serious the disease will be or who it will affect. You are in charge of your health care. Your actions now can prevent illness from becoming worse and more expensive later on.
For example: prostate cancer is most often diagnosed when men experience symptoms such as frequent urination and pain in their lower back area.
If you are experiencing these symptoms, see your physician. If you wait too long and the cancer becomes advanced, it could spread to other parts of your body and become more difficult to treat.
Early detection is vital to treatment success. Don’t wait until later. See a physician now. You are in charge of your health care decisions — don’t let people know that you will wait for illness until after your child’s birthday or the holidays or the start of a new year before deciding to go see a doctor.
The earlier a disease is diagnosed, the more likely it can be cured or successfully managed, learn here How do you find health problems early?