Men’s Care

Every patient has their own unique health concerns, and one factor that can influence an individual’s health is their gender. Men and women have different risk factors for many conditions, and as a result, their healthcare must be specialized to fit their needs. Below are several of the services we provide to help men achieve and maintain optimal health.

Erectile Dysfunction Diagnosis and Treatment
Occasional erection problems aren’t necessarily a cause for concern, but they occur regularly, you may need to be evaluated for erectile dysfunction. Erectile dysfunction (difficulty getting and/or keeping an erection, or decreased sexual desire) can be caused by a number of factors, some physical and some psychological. A diagnosis is typically reached as the result of a physical exam and possibly blood tests and urine tests to determine if an underlying health issue is to blame. Erectile dysfunction treatments can be dependent on the condition’s cause, and range from oral medications to injections and hormone therapy to home use devices.
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Depression
While depression can occur in anyone, men and women tend to experience the disorder differently. For men, symptoms of depression can include consistent and long-lasting irritability, feeling excessively tired despite getting enough sleep, loss of interest in the activities one used to enjoy, inability to concentrate, and a persistent feeling of sadness, hopelessness, or “emptiness.” We evaluate patients for depression by obtaining a history of symptoms and potentially administering medical tests to rule out other conditions that have similar symptoms. For most patients, treatment for depression includes antidepressant medications, therapy, or a combination of both.
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High and Low Testosterone
Testosterone is often called the “male hormone,” and the body produces the hormone in peak levels around age 20, with a slow decrease each year thereafter. However, abnormally high or low testosterone can be cause for concern. At Abraham Family & Geriatric Medicine, we can utilize blood tests to evaluate a patient’s testosterone levels to determine whether this is the cause of a man’s risk-taking behavior (high testosterone) or his low libido/sexual dysfunction, lack of energy, limited strength and stamina, or aches in the bones and joints (low testosterone). While high testosterone rarely requires treatment, low testosterone typically requires the patient to use testosterone-containing topical medications, patches, or injections.
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PSA (Prostate-Specific Antigen) Testing
Prostate-Specific Antigens are proteins produced by the prostate, and these PSA levels often increase in patients who are suffering from conditions like prostate cancer, prostate inflammation, or prostate enlargement. Testing the levels of PSA in a patient’s blood can be done as a routine test for men (especially for those over the age of 50, or for younger men who have a family history of prostate cancer), or as a way to determine whether certain symptoms could be caused by a prostate condition.
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Blood Pressure and Cholesterol Testing
Blood pressure tests and cholesterol screenings are rather routine and simple tests, but can be life-saving by detecting and treating a health hazard before it becomes more serious. Blood pressure tests only take about a minute to administer during a physical exam and can identify whether a patient’s blood pressure is too low or too high, which can increase the risk for conditions like heart disease and stroke. A cholesterol test analyzes the amount of total cholesterol, “good” cholesterol, and “bad” cholesterol, which can also affect a patient’s risk for heart disease.
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Annual Male Exams
An annual exam can be a highly beneficial preventative health measure by catching warning signs before illnesses or conditions become more serious. Beyond the basic elements of any physical exam (like checking the vital signs, listening to the functioning of the heart and lungs, and examining the abdomen and other areas for sensitivity or abnormalities), a male exam also includes screening for any warning signs or abnormalities of the testicles, penis, and prostate, as well as hernia detection.
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