While many men get the health care they need from their primary care provider, sometimes you have concerns that you might not want to discuss with your family doctor. Often, you also need a specialist to deal with the unique concerns surrounding male sexual health and similar issues. That’s where a men’s health clinic comes in.
Especially as you grow older, you’re likely to find that a men’s health clinic has the expertise you’re looking for when it comes to answering your questions and dealing with your whole-body health. Finding the solutions you need can make all the difference.
What Is a Men’s Health Clinic, Anyway?
Men’s health clinics typically focus on health concerns that are specific to men. These often include issues surrounding sexual health, such as testosterone deficiency and erectile dysfunction, as well as concerns regarding overall health and well-being. They treat only men, employing specialists in urology and men’s health concerns.
Because of this specialization, men often feel more comfortable seeking help and treatment at these clinics. This is important because, as many studies show across ages and cultures, men are far less likely to seek medical care than women.
Men’s Health Clinic Specialties
Men’s health clinics typically focus on issues surrounding sexual health, typically including men’s hormones and sexual performance concerns. In some cases, they may also address issues involving fertility, offering infertility treatment and vasectomies. Some men’s health clinics also offer specialized care in hormonally driven weight loss or mental health care.
Testosterone Replacement Therapy
While you can find all sorts of shady websites touting testosterone supplements, men who truly care about their health are more likely to head to a men’s health clinic if they suspect something’s off with their testosterone levels. Male testosterone production peaks in the 20s, with a slow decline in testosterone levels beginning after age 30. Even though men lose only 1% of their testosterone production per year on average, that number starts to add up. As a result, many men find themselves experiencing testosterone deficiency by their 50s or even their 40s, with up to 45% of men showing low testosterone levels by age 45.
Because the symptoms of testosterone deficiency overlap somewhat with the typical symptoms of aging, many men don’t even realize there’s a hormonal basis for what they’re experiencing. Among the most common symptoms of low testosterone levels are:
- Mood swings and irritability
- Erectile dysfunction
- Weight gain, especially around the belly
- Loss of energy
- Fatigue
- Loss of libido or sex drive
- Depression
- Loss of muscle mass
- Brain fog and loss of concentration
- Memory problems
Most primary care providers don’t really know how to treat low testosterone levels, so it can be difficult for men to get the diagnosis and treatment they need. Heading to a men’s health clinic is one surefire way to know you’re seeing a specialist who understands your concerns. At Boston Vitality, we offer a wide range of treatment options so you can choose the one that best fits your lifestyle and your comfort level.
Erectile Dysfunction Treatment
Most men’s health clinics also offer treatment for erectile dysfunction. If the erectile dysfunction is caused by low testosterone levels, this may include testosterone replacement therapy. However, erectile dysfunction can stem from a wide variety of reasons, so treatment may also include oral or injectable medication, surgery, lifestyle changes or the use of medical devices.
Benefits of Using a Men’s Health Clinic
Your overall health and well-being are likely to benefit greatly when you visit a men’s health clinic. Even if you visit for a very specific reason, your men’s health care doctors are experts at recognizing symptoms that might baffle other health care providers and can often help set your health and lifestyle choices on the right path as a result. If you can catch a health problem early, you’re likely to get treatment that’s more effective (and potentially less invasive).
Your men’s health care providers can also answer questions you might feel uncomfortable bringing up in another medical office. They have the expertise to provide the answers and solutions you’re looking for, and they can steer you away from the many myths surrounding men’s sexual health. (And if there’s any area of your life where you want straight answers, this is it!)
You can also get the specialized care you need — care that’s often unavailable (or shunted to the side) at general health care facilities that treat women and children. Not only do you get the personalized care you want, but you can also address sensitive health concerns in a discreet setting and discuss them with other men who understand what you’re dealing with.
How to Tell if Your Men’s Health Clinic Is Legit
You know that a website selling testosterone supplements that has a weird URL and misspellings everywhere is probably not legit. But how can you tell if the men’s health clinic near you in Boston is providing the high-quality medical care you need and deserve?
Ask a few questions to ascertain whether you’re dealing with a legitimate men’s health clinic (as opposed to just an in-person version of that shady website). Among the questions you’ll want to consider are:
- Does the clinic offer a wide range of services targeted specifically to men (or is it just pushing testosterone supplements)?
- Is the clinic run and staffed by licensed medical professionals, including specialists in urology or endocrinology? (At Boston Vitality, we’re proud to have as our lead practitioner the noted, board-certified urologist Dr. Michael Zachareas, whose medical credentials are impeccable and who has devoted himself to helping men improve their overall health.)
- Does the clinic specialize in the medical issues you’re concerned about?
- Does the clinic perform full medical tests, including blood tests, before reaching a diagnosis and beginning treatment?
- Does the clinic monitor your health while you’re undergoing treatment?
- Does the clinic teach you how to administer certain treatments (such as injectables) on your own (as opposed to requiring you to return for every dose and charging you for those visits)?
When to Visit a Men’s Health Clinic
With new treatments hitting the market all the time for everything from testosterone deficiency to weight gain, there’s never been a better time to make an appointment at a men’s health clinic. You should do so whenever you feel that the services provided by the clinic would make your life better, whether it’s through improving your sex life, wiping away your persistent fatigue or helping you lose weight and get fit. And if any of your concerns revolve around your sexual health, a men’s health clinic really should be your first stop, as it’s the best possible place to find the expertise you need.
What to Expect at Your First Visit
You should feel just as comfortable at your first visit to a men’s health clinic as you’ve ever felt at an appointment with your primary care provider — and even more so. That’s because when your men’s health care provider asks you questions that can feel awkward, they’re coming from a place of expertise, experience and understanding you won’t find at many other health care facilities.
Expect to go through your family medical history and your personal history, focusing on the male-related and sexual health issues that probably brought you to the clinic in the first place. They may focus on medical history related to heart disease, sleep issues (including sleep apnea), prostate cancer (as well as other prostate issues), diabetes, alcohol or substance abuse and mental health concerns such as depression, anxiety, brain fog and fatigue. They’ll also want to know about your sexual history, if relevant to your issues, and they’ll ask the standard questions about allergies and current medications. All the information is crucial for your health care provider to get to the root of your symptoms.
Yes, your new health care provider will take all your vital signs, such as blood pressure. They may perform other tests as well and will almost certainly run a variety of blood tests, including tests for your testosterone levels. They’ll perform a medical exam using the latest in medical technology. In addition, they’ll listen very closely to your concerns and help you understand how various symptoms that may seem unrelated on the surface are closely linked.
Once your test results are in, your doctor will then talk through your diagnosis to make sure you understand exactly what’s going on with your body. They’ll explain all possible treatment options and help you make the right choices. At a good men’s health clinic, you become a full and equal participant in your own health care, making an informed decision about how you want to proceed with any treatment. Of course, we’ll also answer any remaining questions you have and provide the medical information and explanations you need to make these important decisions.
Men’s Health Guidance and Treatment for Men in Boston
At Boston Vitality, our medical team, headed by Dr. Zachareas, has the expertise you’re looking for when you want to find partners to accompany you on your journey to health and well-being. We offer a wide range of treatment options to help you achieve your wellness goals, including in the sometimes delicate area of sexual health.
We know that you take your health seriously — and we take it seriously, too. That’s why we stay up to date on the latest medical advances in urology, endocrinology and other aspects of men’s health. We present you with realistic, evidence-based information and treatment because we know you expect (and deserve) the best health care available in Boston. We believe that you deserve better than an anonymous order of supplements from a questionable website, better than treatment at a medical spa that primarily exists to sell Botox. That’s why we exist in the first place.
We also approach issues surrounding male health with the discretion and confidentiality that you’re looking for. We know your concerns may be difficult to discuss, but we come to you with years of experience, having treated thousands of men for the same issues you’re facing now. Whether you’re concerned about weight gain, loss of vigor and energy, problems in the bedroom or even a loss of your sex drive, we have answers and solutions. You don’t have to keep living the way you’ve been living.
If you’re a man in Boston who has wondered where you can find the specialized, personalized health care you want, it’s time to consider visiting a men’s health clinic. It’s time to take control of your health and well-being and be proactive about your body and your future (and your sex life). Contact us today at Boston Vitality to make an appointment and see how we can help you step forward into health and vitality now.
Boston Vitality brings peace of mind to men’s health care with comprehensive services and experts in men’s health concerns, including urology and endocrinology.
