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Enlarged Prostate Symptoms: How to Tell When a Man Has BPH

July 23rd, 2008 by admin | No Comments | Filed in Uncategorized

Enlarged prostate symptoms rarely manifest before the age of 40. For some men, symptoms might not even occur at all. However, the condition called BPH or enlarged prostate affects almost 90 percent of men in their seventies and eighties, while more than 50 percent of men who reach their sixties experience symptoms.

Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) or Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy is a condition characterized by the enlargement of the prostate gland; a common occurrence since it is quite normal for men’s prostates to enlarge as they age. The growth of the prostate has two main phases; the first is during puberty, when the size of the gland doubles; and the second is at around age 25, when the gland starts growing again. The second growth phase often results in BPH years later. Some of the more common enlarged prostate symptoms include weak stream of urine, difficulty in starting urination, dribbling and leaking of urine, a strong and sudden desire to urinate especially at night, a feeling of not emptying the bladder, and in some cases, blood in the urine.

As a man’s prostate enlarges, the layer of tissue surrounding it prevents the gland from expanding which causes the gland to press against the urethra. The bladder wall becomes thicker and irritable resulting in contraction which causes frequent urination. Eventually, the bladder becomes weaker and might not be able to empty itself which could result in urine being trapped in the bladder. The narrowing of the urethra and the inability of the bladder to fully empty itself cause many of the problems associated with enlarged prostate.

The cause of enlarged prostate has yet to be fully understood. Since BPH occurs in older men and does not develop in those whose testes were removed during puberty, researchers believe that factors related to aging and the testes contribute to the development of the condition. Some studies have also theorized that BPH occurs because the amount of testosterone (male hormone) in the blood decreases as a man ages, leaving a higher proportion of estrogen (female hormone) which results in the increased activity of substances associated with cell growth.

Majority of BPH symptoms stem from urethral obstruction and gradual loss of bladder function. The extent by which a man’s prostate has grown does not always determine how severe the condition is. Some men with greatly enlarged prostate experience little problems and manifest few symptoms, while others whose prostates are less enlarged may have severe obstruction, more blockage and experience more discomfort or pain.

Despite similarities between and enlarged prostate symptoms, having the latter does not mean that chances of getting the former are increased. Researchers have not found any direct connection between BPH and , but it is still highly imperative that men over the age of 40, whether they have or do not have enlarged prostates, undergo a rectal exam to screen for .

Mensglands.com provides you with info on

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Peritoneal Mesothelioma

July 23rd, 2008 by admin | No Comments | Filed in Uncategorized

Peritoneal is one of the deadliest and most painful forms of cancer. Fortunately it is also one of the rarer forms of a relatively uncommon cancer, though that is small comfort to the thousands of people that must endure it every day. This terminal condition begins when a person ingests the microscopic jagged asbestos fibers. Asbestos is a naturally-occurring, fibrous mineral that has been used in fireproofing and insulation for millennia, and even since these ancient times those that worked with asbestos tended to die even earlier than other people did.

During the manufacturing process asbestos fibers are often released into the air, where their light weight and small size allows them to settle in the mouths and throats of anyone nearby, and they can even be carried home where they can contaminate the friends and family of the original worker.

Peritoneal begins when asbestos fibers enter the digestive track and slice through the tissues of the stomach and intestines. These fibers shred through these organs and protrude through them and puncture the peritoneal mesothelium, the delicate membrane that secretes the lubrication that allows them to move during digestion. Without this vital lubrication the organs could not process food properly. Some of the symptoms of peritoneal include:

• Abdominal pain

• Abdominal mass

• Weight loss

• Abnormal bowel function

• Fluid buildup in the abdomen

• Expanding waistline but losing weight

• Blood clots

Unfortunately, peritoneal does not usually present symptoms until it is extremely advanced, and by that time it is usually impossible to treat. Further complicating diagnosis of peritoneal is the nature of the disease itself; the symptoms are often confused with less dangerous conditions such as indigestion or heartburn.

Peritoneal is always fatal. By the time it is diagnosed it is usually so advanced that the only treatment available is to make the victim as comfortable as possible and relieve as much pain as they can. Most victims usually succumb within six to eight months after diagnosis; a few cases manage to survive longer than a year, but few if any survive longer than five years.

There is hope for victims of peritoneal . New treatments include photodynamic, gene, angiogenesis, and immunotherapy that could hold the key to turning the tide on this deadly, debilitating, and tragic disease.

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Testosterone and Prostrate Cancer - Understanding Men’s Health

July 23rd, 2008 by admin | No Comments | Filed in Uncategorized

There are many causes of prostrate cancer and testosterone is one of them. It is also often misunderstood. When testosterone is metabolized in the body it produces Dihydrotestosterone (DHT). DHT is responsible for muscles and erections. In other words, DHT is either burned up in the gym or during sex.

Problems arise when all the DHT present in your body is not burned up. It has been stated that the leftover DHT is the main cause of prostrate problems. However, one cannot burn up all the DHT present in the body no matter how much you work out or how much sex you have.

Misconceptions

Relating testosterone to prostrate cancer in this way has generated a lot of misconceived notions. There is a group of people who believe that more sex will solve prostrate problems. The fact is that prostrate cancer is the leading cancer killer of males and all these men cannot have been celibate. Most of them would have had an active sexual life.

One might thus conclude that prostrate cancer has little to do with sex or testosterone. Understanding of prostrate cancer is linked with our understanding of how we deal with the excessive DHT in our bodies. One of the reasons for excessive DHT in our system is the meat and hormone-filled diets that we live on. You might be aware that the pro-hormone supplementations are not recommended for men with prostrate problems.

Remedies

One should learn to manage the DHT in our bodies. What we eat determines to a great extent the level of DHT in our bodies. One should cut down on animal fats. A proper diet would include a lot of fiber, which is available in fruits and vegetables. Doctors also recommend anti-prostrate foods, like soy products, rice, green and yellow vegetables, oysters, bran, pulses, garlic, pumpkin seeds, etc. To protect against and deal with prostrate cancer, one should cut down on alcohol and meat and maintain a healthy weight.

Cutting down on the risk of prostrate cancer means eliminating the levels of DHT in the body. Prepare for a management of DHT and you can lead a cancer-free existence.

Click here to understand more about prostatecancer-facts.com/prostrate-cancer-treatments.html treatments. Read useful prostatecancer-facts.com/facts-information-prostate-cancer.html facts on online here. Also learn how to prostatecancer-facts.com/find-help-prostate-cancer.html find a help for from the Internet community.

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Breast Cancer Recurrence

July 23rd, 2008 by admin | No Comments | Filed in Uncategorized

Anxiety feelings after treatment are common and occur partly because the end has come to the frequent visits with your doctors, which can serve to comfort - giving you the tangible notion that someone is watching over you and your health. However, you may be struggling with the fear of recurrence that many women experience after their treatments. Remember that during the treatment planning process, you want to develop a plan to optimize your chance of cure and to carry out that plan. When, this is done, it is time for you to go on with your life. For some women, this means putting the whole process behind them, not even allowing the experience to enter their thoughts, but, for most women, life can’t ever be the same again. These women feel that they must do something to give cancer meaning in their overall life experience - such as becoming an advocate for other women who may be suffering. Breast cancer enables many changes to take place in your life, whether they come in the form of helping a new friend or whatever other activity may create that meaning or sense of purpose for you.

Once a woman has , most often, there is an underlying fear of cancer recurrence. Unfortunately, some women have recurrences, even after they have done everything they are supposed to do to prevent this. Tremendous controversy lies in regard to how much and what kind of surveillance is necessary after therapy. How one should be followed up for recurrence and by whom should be given some thought. Since you are most likely being treated by several medical personnel, once your treatment is complete, you should discuss with your team who is the leader and who will offer future tests for you.

At the very least, you should be examined by a physician, usually the same examiner, every six months or so. If breast surgery with radiation, or lumpectomy alone, has been your form of treatment, you should undergo mammography approximately six months after completion of radiotherapy or surgery. This will serve as a new baseline that future tests can be measured against. Mammography should then be repeated annually. If you have had a with or without breast reconstruction surgery, the tissue just beneath the skin and armpit are the areas of possible recurrence and a physical examination is all that is necessary for follow up in your case. Although uncommon, it is essential to diagnose local recurrence as soon as possible.

Controversy also exists about how much testing is necessary to look for a systemic relapse. If you are on protocols testing new drug regimes, there is a set of schedules for doing blood analysis, chest x-rays and bone scans. Bone scans, computed tomography scans and magnetic resonance imaging as routine follow up are not recommended for three reasons: these tests are quite expensive; they expose you to radiation; and studies show that finding a systemic recurrence a few months early, as these test allow, does not affect further treatment or response.

Once you have , you join a huge group of women, well over 2 million strong, who are cancer survivors. Your life will have changed in many ways forever. How you cope with being a survivor and dealing with the fear of recurrence head-on will largely influence the quality of the rest of your life.

Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to breast-cancer.treatment-and-guides.com/ Breast Cancer

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