Men's Health
Today, more than ever, men want to take an active role in living the healthiest life possible. BAPTIST HEALTH Men’s Services wants to help you do just that. For more than 80 years, the people of Arkansas have turned to us for not only the best in care, but also the best in prevention. No matter where you live, you’re within easy reach of a BAPTIST HEALTH facility.
Whether it’s a physician clinic, therapy center or medical center, BAPTIST HEALTH can serve all of your healthcare needs with state-of-the-art medical treatment along with an array of educational and preventative services.
Bariatric Services
Obesity is the second leading cause of preventable death in the U.S., 90% of individuals with type 2 diabetes are overweight or obese. The age group with the highest prevalence of overweight and obesity among men is 65 to 74 years.
Source: CDC, National Center for Health Statistics, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Health, United States (Table 70) 2002.
When exercise and nutrition aren’t enough, BAPTIST HEALTH offers you a comprehensive surgical and multi-disciplinary approach to weight loss for people who have clinically severe obesity. We combine teaching from registered dieticians, emotional support from counselors, an exercise physiologist, and follow-up support which provides you with a significant advantage over other programs.
< Click Here for more information on BAPTIST HEALTH Bariatric Services >
Behavioral Services
An estimated six million men in the United States have a depressive disorder or suffer from some type of substance abuse illness every year. Although these illnesses are highly treatable, many men do not recognize, acknowledge, or seek help for them.
BAPTIST HEALTH offers comprehensive psychiatric inpatient and outpatient services through a multi-disciplinary team of psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses, psychotherapists, social workers, drug and alcohol counselors among other healthcare professionals, all in one place, all with the goal of helping you restore your life.
Diabetes
Diabetes is the sixth leading cause of death for men in the United States. Approximately 8.7 million of all men over the age of 20 in the United States have diabetes. However, almost one-third of them do not know it. The most life-threatening consequences of diabetes are heart disease and stroke, blindness, kidney disease, and amputations.
BAPTIST HEALTH’S Diabetes Self Management Program provides comprehensive diabetes education for patients and their family members. The staff provides individual and group educational sessions for diabetic patients and their families to help them learn how to control the disorder and how to prevent medical complications associated with diabetes.
Ear, Nose and Throat
The aging process affects the five senses. The ability to hear clearly, and to taste and smell usually declines as people age. Sensory loss of any kind, if not corrected or minimized, can adversely affect your overall health and well-being. Throat ailments can make it hard to eat, breathe and talk.
The otolaryngology department features the latest in advanced medical technology with an emphasis on endoscopic sinus surgery, mastoid surgery and laser laryngeal surgery. Our otolaryngologists often see patients in conjunction with neurologists and pulmonary physicians, and will coordinate with your primary care and other physicians to ensure the highest level of care and consistency in your otolaryngological treatment.
Heart Center
Millions
of American men have heart disease and don't even know it. In fact,
it's the leading cause of death for men in the United States and
in Arkansas, accounting for 29% of the state’s deaths in 2002.
[National Vital Statistics Report 2004;53(5)].
BAPTIST HEALTH Heart Center offers the latest in cardiovascular prevention, diagnostic and treatment technologies. Our heart center is located in the midst of a comprehensive health system and we are partners with many of the finest CV specialists. In addition, we offer a customized cardiac rehabilitation program.
Oncology
Testicular cancer is the most common form of cancer in men 15-35 years old. The National Cancer Institute advises men to begin testicular self-examination at an early age, usually 15 – 34 years of age. Men should conduct a testicular self exam monthly to check both testicles for changes in size, shape or consistency, and report any abnormalities to their physician. Physicians should perform a more detailed examination every 1 to 2 years.
Orthopedics
Most of the time our body movements do not cause problems, but it’s not surprising that symptoms develop from everyday wear and tear, overuse, or injury.
The Orthopedic Center of Excellence at BAPTIST HEALTH Medical Center-Little Rock is far more than just a place. Rather it is a philosophy, which inspires each member of the team to provide the best and most innovative care available to patients with joint pain, especially those who are facing joint replacement surgery. As part of the “Orthopedic Center of Excellence”, the “Joint Replacement Team” is our specialized program, which provides patients with extensive preoperative education designed to communicate to patients and their family members precisely what to expect throughout the surgery, recovery and rehabilitation.
Prostate Screenings
Each year, approximately 2,000 Arkansas men will be told they have prostate cancer. More than 300 will die from it. Doctors diagnose prostate cancer in American men more often than any other non-skin cancer. It occurs more often in men 50 and older and is most common in men over 65. In general, men 50 and older should receive annual prostate cancer screenings. However, African-American men and men with close family members who have had prostate cancer are at greatest risk. These men should begin prostate cancer screenings at age 40.
Screening tests can often detect prostate cancer early, when treatment is more likely to be successful. A complete prostate exam usually includes a digital rectal exam (DRE) and a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test. The Foundation sponsors free screenings for prostate cancer. However, prostate cancer screenings can be performed by several kinds of doctors: urologists, oncologists, or any primary-care physician (family physician, general practice physician, internal medicine doctor or geriatrics physician)
Click Here for a list of Free Prostate Cancer Screenings in Arkansas.
Pulmonary Rehabilitation
As of 2004, in men’s age group 55 to 74 years, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease became the fifth leading cause of death in the United States.
BAPTIST HEALTH offers an individually tailored, multidisciplinary program formulated through accurate diagnosis, therapy, emotional support, and education. This program stabilizes or reverses both the physio- and psychopathology of pulmonary diseases and attempts to return the patient to the highest possible functional capacity allowed by his pulmonary handicap and overall life situation.
Screenings
Many of the major health risk factors that men face can be prevented and treated with early detection. BAPTIST HEALTH provides educational resources to help you better understand and manage illnesses, injuries and disease processes. Screenings, including those that are unique to Men’s Health, are offered at our Community Wellness Centers and Clinics. Information about our screenings can be accessed by calling BAPTIST HEALTH HealthLine or by Clicking Here.
What can you do to stay healthy? You can get certain screening
tests and practice healthy behaviors. The Men's
Get It Checked! screening checklist serves as a reminder
of your need to take responsibility for your health.
| CHECKUP AND SCREENINGS |
WHEN? | Ages 20-39 |
Ages 40-49 |
Ages 50+ |
| PHYSICAL EXAM: Review overall health status, perform a thorough physical exam and discuss health related topics. | Every 3 years Every 2 years Every year |
*
|
|
* |
| BLOOD PRESSURE: High blood pressure (hypertension) has no symptoms, but can cause permanent damage to body organs. | Every year | * | * | * |
| BLOOD TEST & URINALYSIS: Screens for various illness and diseases (such as cholesterol, diabetes, kidney or thyroid dysfunction) before symptoms occur. | Every 3 years Every 2 years Every year |
* | * |
* |
| EKG: Electrocardiogram screens for heart abnormalities. | Baseline Every 4 years Every 3 years |
Age 30 |
* |
* |
| RECTAL EXAM: Screens for hemorrhoids, lower rectal problems, colon and prostate cancer. | Every year | * | * | * |
| PSA BLOOD TEST: Prostate Specific Antigen is produced by the prostate. Levels rise when there is an abnormality such as an infection, enlargement or cancer. Testing should be done in collaboration with your physician. | Every year |  |
* | |
| HEMOCCULT: Screens the stool for microscopic amounts of blood that can be the first indication of polyps or colon cancer. | Every year | * | * | |
| COLORECTAL EXAM: A flexible scope examines the rectum, sigmoid and descending colon for cancer at its earliest and treatable stages. It also detects polyps, which are benign growths that can progress to cancer if not found early. | Every 3-4 years | * | ||
|
SELF-EXAMS: |
Monthly by self | * | * | * |
| TESTOSTERONE SCREENING: Low testosterone symptoms include low sex drive, erectile dysfunction, fatigue and depression. Initial screening for symptoms with a questionnaire followed by a simple blood test. | Discuss with a physician | * | * | |
| DEPRESSION: If you’ve felt down, sad or hopeless, or felt little interest or pleasure in doing things for 2 weeks straight, talk to your doctor about whether he or she can screen you for depression. | Discuss with a physician | * | * | * |
| SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES (STDs): Talk to your doctor to see whether you should be screened for STDs. | Discuss with a physician | * | Discuss | Discuss |
African-American men and men with a family history of prostate
cancer may wish to begin prostate screening at age 40, or earlier.
Sleep Disorders Center
According to the National Sleep Foundation, two thirds of the population suffer from some form of sleep disorder, ranging from sleep apnea to narcolepsy or insomnia. Obstructive sleep apnea is estimated to affect about 4% of men before age 50. While sleep disorders are a universal problem that strikes across the board, men are particularly vulnerable for a variety of reasons. Fully accredited by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, the Sleep Disorders Center diagnoses problems such as sleep apnea, narcolepsy, night seizures, and restless leg syndrome, among others. The Center’s technology and staff provide expert testing and analysis of problems.
Click Here for more information on the BAPTIST HEALTH Sleep Disorders Centers.
Stroke Services
Stroke is the third leading cause of death for men, and men are 30% more likely to suffer a stroke than women. In Arkansas, strokes accounted for 8% of the state’s deaths in 2002. (National Vital Statistics Report 2004). The good news is that 80% of strokes are preventable.
Living a healthy lifestyle is one of the easiest ways to preventing strokes. However, if a stroke does occur, speed is of the essence. It is critical that you be evaluated within the first hour of the onset of warning signs to minimize the damage and maximize your potential for rehabilitation. There is a unit in each of our medical centers devoted to your treatment and recovery, staffed with nurses and therapists trained specifically to prevent stroke related complications and to address any problems that may arise.
Urology
Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed non-skin cancer in the United States. One in six American men will develop prostate cancer in the course of his lifetime. African American men are more likely than any other male racial group to develop prostate cancer. A little-known fact is that a man is 33% more likely to develop prostate cancer than an American woman is to get breast cancer.
BAPTIST HEALTH's highly-skilled urology team is fully prepared to diagnose and treat prostate cancer, as well as supplying information and helping you to better understand your diagnosis and treatment plan, and utilizing the most up-todate techniques, such as da Vinci™ Prostatectomy. Available only at BAPTIST HEALTH Medical Center-North Little Rock and BAPTIST HEALTH Medical Center-Little Rock, the da Vinci™ Prostatectomy incorporates a state-of-the-art surgical system (complete with robotic technology) that not only helps your surgeon see vital anatomical structures more clearly, but also allows your surgeon to perform a much more precise procedure.
< Click Here for more information on the da Vinci™ Prostatectomy >
Weight Management
Over the three decades between 1971 and 2001, nine out of 10 American men were overweight or became overweight, and more than a third were obese or became obese. Being overweight or obese increases the risk of osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis occurs more frequently, as men age, usually before age 45. Diet and exercise can help with weight control and minimize the stress on weight-bearing joints, such as your knees.
BAPTIST HEALTH offers comprehensive programs designed to help you lose weight and improve your overall health and well being. Medically sound nutritional principles and exercise instruction are key components of our programs along with supervision by our experienced medical staff.