July 26, 2000-- A recent study says an alarming number of men often ignore medical symptoms that seem simple on the surface, but could actually signal a very serious problem.

Today's Family Now report talks about what men should look for.

A few months ago, Lon Wallace thought he had a bad case of the flu and like most men, he avoided the doctor's office.

Lon Wallace: "YOU DON'T REALLY GO TO THE DOCTOR UNLESS YOU'RE REALLY SICK."

But Wallace was wrong. He ended up in the emergency room.

And what he thought was the flu turned out to be congestive heart failure.

Albert Ray/Family Practitioner: "PEOPLE ARE REALLY PLAYING SORT OF A RUSSIAN ROULETTE, IF THEY DON'T COME IN TO BE CHECKED EARLY."

And men are the worst offenders.

A recent study by the Commonwealth Group found that more than half of American men had not had a regular check-up in the last year.

And when they did fee pain or sickness, a quarter of them waited as long as they could before seeing a doctor - sometimes too long.

There are a number of symptoms that could mean a more serious, underlying problem.

• Excessive sweating, even if you're excercising or stressed. Too much sweat could mean an impending heart attack.

• Unquenchable thirst can lead to a diagnosis of diabetes.

• Slurred speech can often signal a stroke.

Albert Ray/Family Practitioner: "THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT A LOT OF THESE SYMPTOMS WE'VE MENTIONED DON'T ALWAYS CULMINATE IN THE DIAGNOSIS THAT PEOPLE FEAR."

Wallace did face a serious situation, but it's allowed him to adopt some healthy new habits, including regular visits to the doctor.

Lon Wallace/Heart Failure Patient: "IF ANYONE'S GOING TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR MY HEALTH, IT HAS TO BE ME."