“Health” is defined as a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. So, in theory, anyone could suffer from a disease but still be considered “healthy”, and in my book…HOT! You can have diabetes or high blood pressure, but if you take your meds and take care of yourself, you are healthy. You can even have hepatitis or HIV, but under appropriate care, you can also be healthy.
Our lifestyle plays a very important role in our overall well-being. Do you exercise? Have you visited a doctor in the past year? Do you read the nutritional labels of the food you buy at the store? Even if the answer to all these questions is yes, there are multiple other questions about our own health that may remain unclear: Do I need to take a daily multivitamin? Should I drink eight glasses of water a day? Do I need a tetanus or yearly flu shot? These questions may be confusing because the answers may vary from person to person.
Health is achieved or improved not only by knowledge and the application of answers to questions like these, but also by intelligent lifestyle choices. Simple, and for the most part controllable, decisions in our life can make huge strides in improving our health. Exercising, getting enough sleep, maintaining a healthy weight, limiting alcohol use, and avoiding smoking are prime examples. Some people might think that healthy living is expensive, but there are important lifestyle modifications that can actually save money (ask anyone who smokes what the price of a pack of cigarettes is these days.) Once improvement of our health is achieved, maintaining good health is an ongoing process also strongly linked to healthy social relationships and a positive attitude.
There are also other variables than can greatly impact our overall health. Genetics may play a significant role by predisposing us to the very illnesses that we are trying to avoid through healthy living, for instance in the case of diabetes. Socioeconomic factors are also of concern. Some people have no access to proper care so they cannot benefit from preventive programs, or resolve minor health issues before they lead to more serious problems.
Something as simple as hygiene can have a huge impact on your health. Hygiene is the practice of keeping the body clean to prevent infection and illness, and the avoidance of contact with infectious agents. It is one of the major factors in maintaining long term health. It includes something as basic as washing your hands often, properly maintaining your finger/toe nails, and regular dental care among others!
The fact that you may feel well and that you may practice things that are considered healthy living does not mean that you can ignore your routine doctor visits. Modern medicine is based more on prevention than on treatment and there are a lot of diseases that can be detected early with a quick visit or screen. The benefits of incorporating prevention into medical practice have become increasingly apparent over the last few decades, as formerly common and debilitating conditions have declined in incidence following the introduction of effective clinical preventative services. As we age, there are well-defined routine tests that we should begin to do regularly to screen for conditions that we may be at a higher risk to develop. Some examples include high blood pressure, diabetes, lipid screening, cardiovascular diseases, and some types of cancer.
But what about the younger and/or more wild crowd? Whether you “party” or not (use any definition here for the word “party”) there are significant benefits you may gain and knowledge you can achieve about your health by establishing a strong patient-doctor relationship. Here are a few examples:
Syphilis: It is a sexually transmitted disease that you may catch without noticing any initial symptoms. You can harbor this infection inside your body for many years without knowing it. Both the screening and the treatment are very simple.
Herpes: Many people go through life suffering from recurrent and painful herpes sores that can easily be treated and sometimes prevented with simple and safe medications.
Hepatitis: There are mainly three different types of hepatitis: the so-called A, B and C. Hepatitis A is very common in the gay population because it can be easily contracted via oral sex. Infection with both hepatitis B and C requires more intimate contact. There is a vaccine for hepatitis A and B, but no vaccine to prevent Hepatitis C at this time.
HPV: (Human Papilloma Virus): Both men and women are at risk for anal HPV and anal cancer. Just as important as a cervical PAP smear is for women, an anal PAP can identify patients at risk for these complications.
HIV: People unaware of their HIV infection are mainly responsible for driving this epidemic and unknowingly infecting others. Most of our newly diagnosed patients have no symptoms and are surprised to learn that they have been infected in the past; so get tested!
Overall good health depends greatly on your own choices. Be aware of their impact and take action now, instead of later. You will not believe how much of an improvement you will see in your quality of life…AND THAT’S HOT!
Dr. Edwin DeJesus is Board Certified in Infectious Diseases and specializes in HIV and Hepatitis care. He is the Medical Director for Orlando Immunology Center (OIC) located in Orlando, FL.
