Here is why more men avoid going to the doctor

Tell if this sounds familiar. While it takes relatively less effort to convince your mother to see the doctor, it seems like an impossible task to get your father to the clinic. It does not matter what the situation is, the men in the family usually have a negative attitude about seeking medical help.

Yes, a lot of men put off visiting the doctor for as long as possible. The reasons can range anywhere from the old “ignore-it-and-it-will-go-away” approach to “I don’t like getting tests done.”

According to the new research of 1000 men, it was found that while 80 per cent of the men remembered the model of the first car they ever bought, they could not recollect the last time they visited a doctor. This is especially scary because there are a lot of medical conditions that do not exhibit any particular symptoms and regular checkup is the only way for proper diagnosis.

Additionally, a survey by the Cleveland Clinic probed men about their attitude towards seeking medical help. It was found that 72 per cent of the men preferred indulging in household chores than getting an appointment with the doctor.

Here are the other eye-opening findings of the survey:

65 percent participants admitted to procrastinating medical help for as long as possible

20 percent shared that they weren’t always honest about their symptoms with the doctor

37 percent said that they are used to hiding or withholding information from their medical care experts

These are some common excuses men tend to make to avoid scheduling their appointment. The reason could range from the twisted notion of ‘masculinity’ that prohibits them from talking about their health, the attitude of “I don’t need to see a doctor” or even nagging fear of “bad diagnosis.”

As per the Orlando Health survey, about 24 per cent of participants asserted that they are too busy to make medical appointments. In reality, if they don't have time, it is because they have not put it on their priority list.

Another common reason why men withhold information is cause they are nervous about the news that they might receive after the examination. More often than not, they know that they need to improve their lifestyle and hence, hesitate to hear things they are not ready to change.

Men always portray themselves as strong and capable of handling anything. They consider going to the doctor as a weakness and do not like being vulnerable. They even do it because of the stigma that they should be strong enough to handle things on their own.

It has been witnessed that most of the time patients miss out on early warning signs of a serious condition, especially for diseases which do not show any symptoms like pre-diabetes and prostate cancer. By avoiding medical help at an early stage, men just might be making their condition worse. The delay in seeking treatment may also turn fatal in certain cases. Men, are you listening?