Men are usually pretty good at looking after their cars, their families and their mates. But sometimes they need a little more encouragement to look after their own health.

So the aim of Men's Health Week (June 15 - 21) is to raise the level of awareness about men's medical issues, and encourage our fellas to look after themselves a little better and take more responsibility for their own health.

"Our concerns are that men don't look after themselves or go to their G.P. nearly as much as women," explains Dr Robert Walters - a Tasmania-based G.P with a special interest in men's health.

"They have particular problems in expressing their worries about mental health issues, yet can suffer with them exactly the same as everybody else.

"Women can help by listening when men do finally open up about matters of the heart and mind, and encourage men to seek help from their G.P. - even accompany them if needed.

"It's important to find a G.P. you can talk to and establish an ongoing relationship with."

Here Dr Walters answers some questions and shares his advice about some common men's health issues:

What should I do if...

…I notice chest pains?

A: If the pains are sudden in onset and severe, call an ambulance. If they're vague and inconsistent, still see your doctor urgently. If you feel you need to be seen that day, just say to the receptionist: 'I believe it's urgent and I need to be seen today'.

The pain could be the sign of a number of things, but your doctor needs to exclude heart attack or the onset of a heart condition, such as angina.

…I have a cough that just won't go away (and yes, I do smoke)?

A: This is something that requires medical attention relatively urgently. Your doctor will need to differentiate between a respiratory tract infection or something worse. You need to know the cause of the cough; and it may involve an x-ray to make the diagnosis - the worst case scenario being cancer.

So stop smoking! A chronic smoker's cough can be debilitating. In non-smokers, the lining of our airways contains microscopic hairs, and protective mucous is transferred by these into the bowel and disposed of. But in smokers, that system is destroyed and the mucous actually collects in the lungs and can only be cleared by coughing (hence 'smoker's cough').

…I'm having trouble urinating?

A: It's always a worry for men when things go wrong in that region. They should discuss this with their G.P. and talk about the possibility of prostate enlargement. Benign (non-cancerous) prostate enlargement is much more common than cancer, so there's no need to be afraid.

If it's required, your G.P. can do a digital prostate test in the office. This is recommended if anyone notices changes in their urination or if there's a family history of prostate problems.

…I'm putting on excessive weight?

A: Stop eating the wrong foods! Review your diet and cut-out in-between meal snacks, and high sugar and fatty foods; plus try to eat more vegetables and fruit. Also try to exercise more every day. The dangers of obesity are many-fold, and common ones are a higher incidence of osteoarthritis; type 2 diabetes; high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease.

Even a small loss, say 10kgs, will make a stunning difference to how you feel and can start to reverse much of the damage to your health.

…I just feel miserable sometimes, and so tired?

A: Try to establish a reason. Sometimes it's difficult to identify however and could indicate the onset of depression, something that's beyond your control. It's very important to talk with someone about this - preferably your G.P. because help is available. Also confide in your partner or spouse, because you can be sure they've noticed something's wrong. Medication for depression can be short or long-term and there are non-medicinal therapies available too. So you need to talk with someone and share your concerns.

…I can't get aroused?

A: This is definitely something men worry about but are also very reluctant to talk about. But in recent times, something can be done to assist. It might just be a relationship problem, but certainly in other cases there are physical factors that affect your ability to become sexually aroused.

Again, help is at hand and talking with your G.P. is the first step. It might also be that issues such as obesity, depression, smoking and heart disease are contributing … in that case, see above!

For more information about Men's Health Week, phone: 1300 300 817, or visit: www.menshealthweek.com.au