Research shows that men are less likely than women to visit their doctors regularly. And they may have a harder time talking about health concerns once they're in the door.
We asked an expert what men are most afraid to ask and why opening up is worth it.
We asked a Mayo Clinic expert: What's the number one question men are afraid to ask?
Sevann Helo, M.D., Urology: Men tend to wait till the last minute to ask the question that's really pressing and on their mind. That's what we call the doorknob question: when you're reaching for the doorknob to walk out of the room and they say, "I have one more thing I want to bring up." And oftentimes that is the issue that brought them in to begin with.
The most common thing they're hesitant to ask is "Is this normal? Is what I'm feeling normal?" And sometimes I think they're afraid of what the answer might be. They're worried that whatever they're experiencing is a sign of a bigger problem. They're worried that it's related to cancer or they're worried that it could be related to some sort of heart problem.
Just having open lines of communication with your team is really helpful to hear that you're not alone, this is a common problem and here are the solutions we have for it.
Young men are afraid of feeling vulnerable. They're used to being strong and healthy. And having to admit that there's something that maybe isn't right is hard for them to do.
So I would encourage men to be open from the beginning and ask those questions early on so that you have plenty of time to discuss it at your visit. We can't fix something if we don't know what the problem is. No one is going to value your health more than you.
Guys will ask, "Is there something we can do to fix this or treat this?" And the answer is almost always yes.
Dr. Helo helps hundreds of men get answers to their most important health questions each year.
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