Most men, regardless of age, do not go to the doctor unless something is badly wrong. However, according to Dr. William James Pickard, an osteopathic doctor at Christus’ Trinity Clinic in Port Arthur, the purpose of a family medicine physician is to prevent probable ailments from becoming serious.
As a result, Pickard intends to meet male patients at least once a year beginning in their twenties, in the hopes that they will become more comfortable discussing concerns that can be handled.
Pickard spoke with the Beaumont Enterprise as part of Men’s Health Month to address some of the challenges he encounters with local patients.
“There’s a lot of high blood pressure, diabetes, and colon cancer in the neighbourhood,” Pickard added. “Because our diet down here is high on fatty foods, Mexican food, and high carbohydrate meals, we see a lot of heart disease and diabetes in this area.” Prostate cancer is also a big issue in this area. As the population ages, so will the number of individuals with prostate cancer, as it is mostly a disease of older men.”
Some of these risks are exacerbated by locally popular recreational activities.
“We just know smoking is bad for us.” It is harmful to our health. “Smoking does not kill you, but it does lead to things that will kill you, such as heart disease and cancer,” he explained. “I believe it is frequent in this area because there is a lot of building and refinery activities.” As a result, patients go outside to smoke.”
He also observes a lot of alcohol consumption in the area, which raises blood sugar and blood pressure and damages the liver. Men who consume more than 14 alcoholic beverages each week put their bodies at risk for diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, and heart disease. He defined one drink as one 12-ounce beer, one 4- or 5-ounce glass of wine, or one 1.5-ounce shot.
While seeing a doctor on a regular basis can help discover early indicators of sickness before they become more serious, Pickard also provided a list of symptoms to look out for.
