Men like house cleaning more than going to the doctor. That's a problem for preventing diseases

(FOX 2) - For many men, cleaning the bathroom, or mowing the lawn, is more appealing than going to the doctor, according to a recent Cleveland Clinic survey.

Dr. Ryan Berglund says results show this 'doctor dread' is deeply rooted.

"Almost half of patients reported that they were taught as children that men didn't complain about their health," he says. 

Over 80 percent of men take care of themselves to be there for family and friends, but about two-thirds admit to waiting as long as possible before seeking medical care for symptoms or injuries.

"Many diseases, if they're caught early, are fairly treatable and fairly straightforward to treat. Prostate cancer, which I take care of, if you catch it early, it's a curable disease with very low mortality rates," says Dr. Berglund.

Sixty-five percent of men try to self-diagnose before going to the doctor, and many turn to the Internet, but Dr. Berglund says nothing beats seeing an expert face-to-face.

"When I hear something weird going on in my car, I have no idea what's going on under the hood - I call my mechanic who I trust, who has years of experience taking care of that. And we're talking about a similar kind of concept with seeing your doctor."

Only half of men surveyed consider an annual check-up part of taking care of themselves, but it's often key to maintaining good health.

"We recommend that you establish a relationship with a primary care physician, even as early as your twenties. They can identify genetic risks, predispositions to heart disease, or cancers for instance. An initial screening of blood pressure, perhaps blood lipids and then just establishing that relationship so that if a problem occurs down the road, you have a primary person you can make contact with."

About 60 percent of men who aren't already seeing a doctor regularly said they'd be more likely to do so if it was more convenient.

Here the convenience - the 9th annual MIU Men's Health Event is happening at Ford Field on Saturday, Sept 21. The event has free health screenings valued at more than $2000, including screenings for skin, oral and colon cancers, EKG testing, hearing, dental exams and more. Attendees can also get lunch and free haircuts.