Health is the kind of topic that nobody worries about until something goes wrong. Day in and day out you take it for granted that your body is in proper working order, that the legs will move as you indicate, that your hands will grasp firmly, your vision is clear, and the occasional heartburn you experience is nothing more than chicken chimichangas. Yet as age progresses, health becomes more and more a topic of conversation, namely because it is beginning to fail.

What in the past was considered to be a badge of honor – namely for a man to never have visited a doctor’s office except on the day he was born – is now turning into a serious conversation of men’s health and the risks of failing to have certain exams done that can save lives. Similarly, the once rarely discussed issues surrounding women’s health are now openly posted on the Internet and the topic of much health news disseminated on the evening news. Breast cancer, ovarian cancer and Lupus are not longer illnesses nobody spoke of. In addition to the foregoing, alcoholism is no longer sagely nodded at and ignored by family members who use little euphemisms to describe the fact that grandpa is once again in his cups – instead, there is now help available and friends and families are requested to step up and intervene!

Who has not watched a Discovery Health special on unfortunate individuals that were disfigured by gigantic tumors growing on their faces or other body parts? You might have found yourself wondering how an individual might have neglected her or his health for such a long time – and granted, many of these sad cases occur in places where the health care system is by far inferior to the American one – yet before you shake your head, consider that most every skin cancer begins with a small red dot that most everyone sees but ignores. Numbers from the World Health Organization show that many diseases and illnesses could be avoided if patients would simply resolve to take better care of their bodies, get the medical care they require, and visit the doctor’s office annually, rather than waiting until something is seriously wrong.

Health is not something that should be disregarded, and taking care of your men's health or women's health is vital in order to live your golden years in comparable health, or reach them in the first place. Do not entrust your health questions to questionable Internet sites or friends and family; instead, visit your doctor and keep your body healthy!