dto adolescents, in order to be able to timely recognize small disturbances with potentially serious repercussions, such as varicocele, prostatitis and urethritis, recurrent infections, erectile dysfunction. After the age of 40, for early diagnosis. First of all, prostate cancer (the most common in men, affecting about 600,000 men a year in Europe, 36,000 in Italy). But also benign prostatic hypertrophy (affecting up to one in two males) and rarer diseases such as testicular cancer (affecting over 63,000 men in Italy). About 1 out of 6 Italians suffers from a urological problem: a check-up is therefore an appointment not to be missed for every man who takes care of his own health and November is the “blue” month dedicated precisely to urological visits and awareness initiatives for this good practice.
Urological visits for men: women teach
“Men are still reluctant to undergo a urological examination,” he explains Giuseppe Carrieri director of the Department of Urology of the Policlinico Riuniti and of the University of Foggia, full professor of Urology, president of the Italian Society of Urology (Siu): “Often it is the wives who drag their husbands, the mothers who accompany their children”. Going to the urologist and andrologist should become a routine for men, as it is for women to go to the gynecologist. «Without waiting to have any symptoms: the symptoms appear only when the disease, namely prostate cancer, which is very widespread, is in an advanced stage. It is a tumor with a very slow evolution, and the treatment changes a lot depending on the moment in which it is intercepted». But even erectile dysfunction can be a sign of an as yet undiagnosed cardiovascular problem. Prevention and early diagnosis are therefore very important.
At what age is the first urological visit?
“Especially after the age of 45, at least once a year, a urological visit and a blood check of the PSA dosage, which is an index of prostate health and a marker of prostate cancer, is a must,” explains Carrieri. «The first urological visit should instead be done after the age of 18 and is no less important». Once upon a time there was a military visit: the young man’s encounter with military healthcare allowed for the diagnosis of many ailments at an early stage. «Urological control is useful for detecting varicocele (varicose veins in the testicular venous drainage system that can cause a modest local increase in temperature, which damages the sperm cells), from which many men suffer and which can cause infertility. But also to teach kids self-examination of the testicle: like breast self-examination for women, a very important prevention tool».
November initiatives: discounted and free andrological visits
Lots of opportunities for a check. Like the one offered by the San Donato Group with the proposal for urological prevention visits at a discounted rate of 10%. (Just go on the San Donato Group website and, at the time of purchase, enter the code “HEALTHY MAN22”)
There Next weekend (November 19 and 20), the Lombardy Region will instead make available to citizens over 40 free urological visits for prevention in the main health facilities in the area. At the San Gerardo hospital, for example, the clinic will be open by appointment from 9 to 13 (Palazzina Accoglienza 1st floor room 101). To make an appointment, the dedicated telephone number is 039 233 3648 (Urology Secretariat), active from Monday to Friday from 10 to 12.
The association We and Cancer Will to Livetogether with Urological Clinic of theAgency hospitaland University of Paduathey propose “The aperitif of urological prevention. Women talking about men…”: Wednesday November 16that 17.30in Elderly roomto Moroni palace. A conference, preceded by a welcome aperitif, which aims to stimulate the growth of a culture of prevention also in the male sphere.
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