June is Men’s Health Month which raises awareness for men’s health issues. The official goal of the awareness campaign as stated by Men’sHealthMonth.org, is to encourage early detection and treatment of diseases in men and boys. Throughout the month of June, there will be health screenings, health fairs, media appearances, and health education opportunities for men and their families in communities nationwide.

Most of these targeted issues are preventable and can be taken care of with a simple health screening. According to the men’s health department at NYU, 63 percent of men do not go to the doctor unless they are bleeding or are in serious pain. In addition, one- third of men claim that they are motivated by their wife or significant other to visit the doctor. Heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, kidney, and liver disease are all among the top causes of death for Americans; which men are more likely to die faster from than women. Today, on average, women outlive men by five years. Also, “the biggest problem that men have is not so much a specific disease…but the diseases are the result of lack of health care monitoring earlier in life,” WebMD says.

A common health problem in men is low testosterone. This is related to being overweight, having high blood pressure, diabetes, and depression. The American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine’s BHRT symposium in Boston this September will feature discussions on Andropause- testosterone monitoring and treatment, hormone therapies, and hormones and the brain.

Tobacco kills over six million people every year worldwide, according to World Health Organization (WHO). 600,000 of those six million people are non-smokers poisoned by second-hand smoke. For 26 years, WHO has been celebrating World No Tobacco Day on May 31^st. This day serves the purpose of bringing attention to the many negative effects that tobacco use can have on the body. WHO is encouraging people all over the world to abstain from all tobacco consumption for this 24 hour period. The theme of 2013’s World No Tobacco Day is “ban tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship.” World Tobacco Day awareness includes public marches and demonstrations, ad campaigns, and educational programs.

Any form of tobacco can be harmful to the body. Cigarettes and cigars, hand-rolling tobacco, pipes, chewing tobacco and snuff are all common types of tobacco used every day, worldwide. The most well- known and most critical effects of smoking are lung cancer and heart disease.

According to the CDC, smoking increases the risk of coronary heart disease by 2-4 times, the chance of stroke by 2-4 times, men increase their risk of developing lung cancer by 23 times, women increase their chance of lung cancer by 13 times, and the risk of dying from chronic bronchitis and emphysema increases by 12-13 times.

Quitting smoking or other tobacco use can help save your life. Seeking counseling, drug treatment such as nicotine patches or gum, and slowly reducing the amount of smoking can all assist with ridding someone’s life of tobacco products, making them and those closest to them healthier.

Dogs and cats can be more than ‘man’s best friend’ or just someone to keep you company when you’re alone. For over 25 years, studies have shown that people who are pet owners have overall increased health.

Physical Health
Pediatrician James Gern, MD of the University of Wisconsin- Madison found that kids who grow up in a home with pets develop a stronger immune system, especially when it comes to fighting off allergies and asthma.

According to Animal Planet, researchers at the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the National Institute of Health (NIH) say that pet owners have decreased blood pressure and cholesterol. Both of which minimize the risk of a fatal heart attack. Simply petting a cat lowers blood pressure and in 4,500 people, owning a cat lowers heart attack risk by over 40 percent, according to care2.com.

Pets require exercise as well. Walking or running with pets can keep the owner and the pet active and make weight a lot more manageable.

Mental Health
Owning pets can be very positive for the elderly and people with serious illnesses. WebMD states that Alzheimer’s patients who own pets have fewer outbursts and less anxiety. Having a pet, cats or dogs in particular, require attention, care, and love. Most of all, a pet-owner relationship results in companionship. Pets can also be a sense of stability for people with emotional issues.

Another care2.com study showed that 55 percent of people surveyed felt relaxed after spending time with their pet and 44 percent were less worried about specific problems including job security and finances. One in six women said “they confided their deepest thoughts in only their dog,” and 25 percent of women said their dog was their best friend.

Having a pet reduces stress and anxiety and therefore protecting against cardiovascular disease. There have been reports of doctors prescribing “pet prescriptions” to patients suffering from serious illnesses like cancer. Sick people are motivated by pets to take better care of themselves knowing they have a responsibility to another being.

In addition to generally owning a pet, adopting an animal can benefit both the owner and the pet. Saving an animal by adoption will make the owner feel good by helping make a difference for the pet and the pet will benefit the owner by improving their mental and physical health.