Routine maintenance for the human body can help prevent many of life’s unpleasantries, and just as women have health concerns that should be addressed
in regular doctor visits, so do men. For men, those concerns include blood pressure, cholesterol levels, the health of their hearts, their activity levels, and as they reach middle-age and late-life years, specific tests to detect prostate cancer, colon/rectal cancer and heart disease.
In addition to an electrocardiogram or heart stress test, blood pressure monitoring, cholesterol blood test, immunization, and counseling and discussion, which all follow the same guidelines as women’s checkups described earlier in this chapter, men should also perform a monthly testicle self-examination for soreness, lumps and swelling. Starting at age 40, men should also have a digital rectal exam— a physical exam of the rectum and prostate to detect signs of cancer or prostate disease—every year.
Doctors recommend that men between the ages of 20 and 40 should perform a self-examination of their testicles about once a month to look for lumps or swellings that may indicate cancer. Self-examination (in addition to your doctor’s periodic examinations) is important because testicular cancer, which is the most common cancer in young men, is one of the most easily curable of all cancers if detected early. The best time to perform the examination is during or after a bath or shower when the scrotal skin is relaxed. Here’s what to look for:
1) A lump in either testicle.
2) Pain, swelling or tenderness of either testicle.
3) Ulceration of the scrotal skin.
Here are the steps involved in the self-examination procedure:
1) Standing in front of a mirror, look for obvious lumps or swelling of the scrotal sac.
2) Examine each testicle thoroughly and gently with the fingers of both hands by rolling the testicle between the thumbs and the fingers. Feel for any lump or abnormality in texture or contour. A normal testicle is oval and firm, but not hard, and has a regular surface.
3) Locate and identify the epididymis at the top and back of the testicles (the ropelike structure which collects the sperm). The structure may feel firm but should not be confused for an abnormal lump. Consult your doctor if it is tender or swollen.
Other danger signals to report immediately include a heavy feeling in the testicles, a dragging sensation in the groin, or a sudden accumulation of blood or fluid in the scrotal sac.
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Diabetes is a wide-spread disease that effects more than 11 million Americans. Diabetes comes in two forms — both with a major symptom of excessive urination. Diabetes Mellitus is by far the most common form and about 1/2 of all sufferers do not know that they are diabetic.
A diabetic person cannot make normal use of sugar. The kidneys discharge some of the excess sugar into the urine. Severe cases of diabetes also cause problems with the use of fats and proteins.
Diabetes cannot be cured. The serious form (Type I) requires that the patient take insulin. About 80% of diabetic cases are of Type II, these cases can often be controlled by diet alone. Diabetes can lead to blindness, kidney failure, nerve troubles, and circulatory problems.
Recent research has shown several ways for Type II diabetics to help control this disease and its effects. There are 3 major aspects for controlling diabetes: nutrition, exercise, and weight control. Some diabetics have eliminated many symptoms by following a careful plan worked out with their doctor.
The American Diabetes Association has determined what the best diet is for diabetics. Of course each person’s diet must be tailored to his or her particular lifestyle. No diet should be undertaken without consulting a doctor.
(1) The ADA recommends that a Type II person’s diet provide 50 to 60 percent of his or her calories from carbohydrates.
(2) Cut your fat intake. Try to use foods with polyunsaturated fats.
(3) Limit your intake of protein to 15-20 percent of your total calories.
(4) Eat high fiber food. These include vegetables, barley, oats, whole wheat products, fruit, and legumes.
(5) Cut your cholesterol by limiting your meat intake.
A diabetic should not make any drastic diet changes except under the supervision of a doctor. Make gradual changes, sudden changes could upset your body’s chemistry and cause major problems.
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Balloon angioplasty—surgery to open blocked arteries—is performed on over 280,000 Americans’ each year. While the operation, which brings about unrestricted blood flow by expanding the arteries, is highly successful, it may also damage the vessel walls. And, if the body tries to repair the injury, cells at the site multiply, often creating a new blockage. Recent research at the University Of Washington School Of Medicine may have discovered a way to prevent the new blockages from developing.
Earlier studies have suggested that a natural substance, platelet-derived growth “factor (PGDF), plays an important role in the development of new blockages in angioplasty-repaired arteries. In order to put that theory to a test, researchers first had to find an antibody to PGDF They obtained the antibody by injecting goats with PGDF taken from humans. The goats’ immune systems then produced antibodies against PGDF.
Armed with the PGDF antibody, scientists then performed angioplasty surgery on about 40 rats. The balloon was inflated in an artery, causing damage to the vessel walls—the same thing that happens in human angioplasty. Researchers then injected half of the rats with the goat-produced PGDF antibody. The other rats were injected with a different goat-produced antibody. The results showed a 41 percent reduction in arterial thickening at the angioplasty site in all the rats who had received the PGDF antibody. There was no such reduction in any of the rats who were injected with a different antibody.
Scientists believe that if the PGDF antibody can eventually be successfully applied to humans, they will be making a great step forward in preventing some cases of clogged arteries.
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This type of diet consists of calorie-controlled meals which are made up of a wide variety of low-fat foods. In order for a low-calorie diet to be effective it must provide at least 1,000 calories per day. It should also include a variety of nutrient-rich foods. It’s also essential that good eating habits continue after the initial weight-loss, otherwise the new weight will not be maintained. A low-calorie diet that meets all of the above requirements is highly recommended as a safe and effective means of proper weight control.
Many people think of low-calorie diets as bland and boring and because of that, fall back into old eating habits. Actually, a successful low-calorie diet doesn’t have to be unappetizing or extremely low in calories. The important thing is that you lose weight on the type of diet you will continue to follow, even after you reach your desired weight.
Several ways you can reduce your caloric intake and still enjoy mealtime:
1) Cut down on the serving sizes of (or eliminate altogether) these foods: Meats, including all meat with visible fat, bacon, sausage, salami, and lunch
meat.
Dairy products, including butter, whole milk, cream, most cheeses, and ice
cream.
Other foods, such as fried foods, potato chips, gravies or sauces, sweetened cereals, pastry, candy, chocolate, and beverages with added sugar. You should also limit your daily intake of alcohol to the equivalent of one ounce of 80- proof whisky—12 ounces of beer or 4 ounces of wine— or none at all.
2) Replace the above foods with small portions of the following:
Meat— lean beef, lamb and pork, skinless poultry (except duck or goose) and
liver.
Fish—oily fish such as mackerel, sardines, herring, and salmon or tuna canned in oil. Also nonoily fish, such as cod, haddock and shellfish.
Vegetables— legumes, such as beans (lima, pinto, kidney, navy and soy), and all other vegetables, including potatoes.
Dairy products— eggs, 2% or skim milk, plain low-fat yogurt, and low-fat cheese.
Other foods—Crackers, nuts, dried fruit, bread, unsweetened cereals, pasta, rice, and polyunsaturated soft margarine and vegetable oils.
If you fail to lose weight following the above menu suggestions, then try cutting down on the foods in the above group and increasing your intake of the following:
Meat— all poultry (except duck and goose) with skin removed, and liver.
Fish— nonoily fish such as tuna and salmon soaked in water, shellfish, haddock, and cod.
Vegetables— all vegetables
Dairy products— skim milk and plain low-fat yogurt.
Fruit— fresh fruit and unsweetened fruit juices.
Other foods— bran and whole-grain, pasta, cereals and bread.
Before you modify your menu to accommodate a low-calorie diet such as suggested above, consult your doctor for his or her recommendations.
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Aspirin May Lead To A 20% Reduction In The Occurance Of Migraine Headaches
A five-year study has shown that minimal doses of aspirin—about 325 milligrams every other day—may lead to a 20% drop in the occurance of migraine headaches among acute migraine sufferers. This information does not mean that migraine sufferers should begin taking aspirin on their own, however. Even in low doses, aspirin is a powerful drug which can cause bleeding in the stomach and aggravate other conditions as well. However, with the guidance of a doctor, many migraine sufferers can try out this new way for alleviating headache pain.
What To Take For A Headache If You Take Aspirin For Arthritis
If you take aspirin for arthritis pain, you should take acetaminophen for headaches and other nonarthritis pain. If you take only aspirin for all those afflictions, you run the risk of overloading your system with anti- inflammatories.
Nasal Spray And Migraines
A new nasal-spray pain reliever, marketed by Mead Johnson Laboratories, offers relief for people who suffer from migraines and post-surgery pain. Stadol, the brand-name drug which has been available for about 15 years as an injectable pain reliever, is now available in a nasal inhaler. The new nasal spray can be administered at home by the patient.
According to Mead Johnson, the new nasal spray can be used when narcotics are not recommended. The drug Stadol is an analgesic and not a narcotic. It is not a federally controlled drug. Ask your doctor for more information about Stadol and the new nasal spray.
Sex And Headaches
The old joke “not tonight dear, I have a headache” isn’t all that funny to the many people who suffer from sex-induced headaches. However, according to a new Danish study, such “post-orgasm” headaches may be just a temporary problem, so be patient.
While headache specialists have long been aware of benign coital headache, or orgasmic cephalgia, knot much is known about why orgasms trigger headaches or the likelihood of recurrences. But the study, which involved 26 people who suffered sex-related headaches, suggests that the discomfort will eventually stop recurring as long as the person also does not suffer tension headaches or migraines.
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