General practitioners around the country have teamed up with the AFL Coaches Association this week to encourage men to become more proactive about their health and find out about the help available from their local GP.

Men’s Health Week, from 14-20 June, aims to promote awareness of important male health issues while acknowledging and celebrating the contribution men make at work, home and in the community.

Coaches from all 16 AFL clubs, including our very own Brisbane Lions, have agreed to visit a local GP for a health check-up to help promote the message that all men, and especially older men, should have a check-up with their GP at least once a year.

The unfortunate reality is five men die every hour in Australia from conditions that are preventable. The leading cause of death in men is coronary heart disease, which accounts for almost one in five male deaths, while lung cancer and stroke are the two next most common causes.

Other major health risks include depression, type 2 diabetes and prostate cancer, now the most diagnosed cancer in Australia.

Booking an annual appointment with a GP will allow men to be checked for all age appropriate health risks and provide them with an opportunity to have any health questions answered to ensure they remain fit and well for many years to come.

Regular health monitoring and sharing information with their GP about their family’s medical history gives men their best chance at catching any health issues early and surviving a potentially life-threatening illness, many of which don’t always have obvious symptoms in their early stages.

Sometimes the challenge facing men can be related to their mental health. It is often difficult for men to realise when they are becoming overwhelmed and know how to seek help.  

Around one in eight men experience depression in their lifetime, but symptoms in men may not appear as sadness. Rather they will manifest as tiredness, irritability, sleep disturbance, or loss of interest in work or other activities. Once again, proactive and early medical assistance is the remedy.

The main message for men this week is that their health is important, and even super-fit AFL coaches know a visit to the GP at least once a year is an essential part of looking after it.