Dear Savvy Senior,

Any suggestions on how can I get my 55-year-old husband to see a doctor? He’s got some personal health issues he needs to address, but he’s stubborn and embarrassed, and keeps putting it off.

Nagging Nancy

Dear Nancy,

When it comes to their health, many men take the John Wayne approach. They tough it out! That’s one of the reasons men die more than five years younger than women. Here are some facts and resources that may help you motivate your husband.

The Facts

In every stage of life — from infancy to the teen years to middle age — men (on average) are 40 percent more likely to get sick and die than women. (Current life expectancy for a man in the U.S. is 75.2 versus 80.4 for a woman.) Why? The reasons are complex, however most experts agree that biology, such as the different ways men and women react to stress, likely plays a role. And men, taught since boyhood to be stoic in the face of pain, often are their own worst enemy, avoiding doctors and engaging in risky health behaviors like excessive alcohol consumption, unhealthy eating habits, reckless driving, and overexposure to sun which all threaten health. Men’s health issues also get less public attention and funding at a time when women’s health concerns (like breast cancer) are in the national spotlight.

What to Do

Doctors say that by paying attention to just a few key areas like blood pressure, cholesterol, waist size and sexual function (which can be an early indicator of heart disease), men can make dramatic improvements for their overall health. If you’re have a difficult time getting your husband to see a doctor, try motivating him with relevant health information, including treatment options, along with the consequences of doing nothing. The Web is a good place to start with a growing number of user-friendly resources dedicated to men’s health issues. Here are some good ones to check:

• Mayo Clinic: Provides a special men’s health section (see www.mayoclinic.com – click on the men’s health link under Healthy Living Centers) that offers information on prostate health, sexual health and diseases, including a “Find It Fast” link to sections on issues like erectile dysfunction and infertility. Mayo experts offer up guidance on issues ranging from male depression to the dangers of belly fat, along with screenings and self-assessment quizzes.

• WebMD: At men.webmd.com you find a wide variety of information and videos on issues ranging from hair loss and plastic surgery for men, to sex and intimacy. It also provides information on diseases and conditions, an interactive symptom checker, discussion boards on exercise and fitness, and support groups on weight loss and prostate cancer.

• MedlinePlus (www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/menshealth.html): This comprehensive health site links users to men’s health resources from the National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Center for Disease Control and other government and health-related organizations. It provides easy-to-find information on hundreds of diseases and conditions, along with extensive information on medications and links to thousands of clinical trials. It also offers a senior specific health site (nihseniorhealth.gov) that makes age-related health information easy to get.

• Prostate Cancer Foundation (www.prostatecancerfoundation.org): Provides comprehensive information on risk factors, detection and screening, diagnosis and treatment, questions to ask the doctor, and guidelines on how to live with the disease.

• Men and Depression (www.menanddepression.nimh.nih.gov): Part of the National Institute of Mental Health, this site offers personal stories from men suffering from depression as well as the signs and symptoms, treatment, and when and how to seek help.

• American Academy of Family Physicians (www.familydoctor.org/men.xml): This consumer friendly site allows users to search by symptoms for possible diagnosis, suggestions for self care, and when it might be necessary to see a doctor. It also offers help finding a family doctor by zip code, a body-mass-index calculator, and sections on subjects ranging from prostate health to athlete's foot.

Savvy Tip: The Medical Library Association offers a consumer’s list of 100 top health-related Web sites including a men’s health section at www.caphis.mlanet.org/consumer.

Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit www.savvysenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.