Health & Fitness Archive

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FAQ: Gay Men’s Health

By
Editor
– March 8, 2010Posted in: Advice & Editorials, Ask Amanda, Dr. Know, Gay FAQ, Health & Fitness, Let's Be Adult

Dear Dr. Know,
What (if any) special concerns should I have if I am a gay man?

Patient in PA

Dear Patient,
Yes, gay straight and bi men who have sex with men should observe the following health care screening:

HEALTH CARE SCREENING FOR MEN WHO HAVE SEX WITH MEN

  • Physical exam: every 3 to 5 years
  • Family history.  This should be reviewed/updated at every physical exam.
  • Lab screening: fasting glucose, cholesterol particularly
  • Be honest about your sexual practices:  are you top, bottom, versatile?  Are you monogamous in your relationship? In what sexual practices do you engage?  If your physician is uncomfortable with these issues, find another physician.
  • HIV test every 3 to 6 months depending on your sexual practices.  Do you practice safe sex? If not, get screened more often.
  • Syphilis test every 3 to 6 months.  Syphilis is rampant in this community, and condoms may not protect you.  This goes for herpes and venereal warts.
  • Venereal wart immunization.  Unfortunately, this immunization is approved only for men up to the age of 26, and it is very expensive:  $200 a shot for 3 shots.  60 to 75 % of men who have sex with men have venereal warts, and they can be anal, so you don’t necessarily know that you have them.
  • Anal pap smear if you have ever bottomed, no matter how remotely.  Anal cancer is more common in men who have sex with men than cervical cancer is in women.
  • Venereal wart anal screening for exposure to the strains of the venereal wart virus that are known to cause cancer.
  • Gonorrhea and Chlamydia screening:  as needed based on symptoms and sexual practices
  • Hepatitis A and B immunizations.  Get screened first.  Screening should also include hepatitis C.  Many of my patients have had hepatitis A, B and/or C and never knew it.  You don’t neeed the immunizations if you have already had the infection.  If you are HIV positive, you should receive a double dose of hepatitis B vaccine.  Ten percent of people infected with hepatitis B become chronic carriers, and can infect their partners; and a small percentage of the chronic carriers will develop liver cancer.
  • Herpes 2 screening.  Are you positive for exposure?  A simple blood test will answer the question.
  • Evaluation of nicotine use
  • Evaluation of drug and/or alcohol use
  • Screening for depression

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Don’t Go There!

By
Editor
– February 23, 2010Posted in: Cover Stories, Daily, Features, Foodies, Health & Fitness

by George Kovacik

Newswise — Shopping the perimeter of your local grocery store and avoiding the aisles will give you a head start on fighting the battle of the bulge.

“In most grocery stores, the aisles are filled with canned goods, frozen and boxed dinners that are loaded with fat and extra unnecessary calories,” said Gaye Lynn Hicks, RD, LD, with The Methodist Weight Management Center in Houston. “The perimeter features fruits, vegetables, lean meats and other healthy fair.”

If you simply cannot avoid going down the aisles, it’s important to be aware of food labels and find foods with the fewest amount of ingredients — three to four instead of 6 to 8.

“The top 5 ingredients listed make up the food, the rest are preservatives and additives to give it flavor. Many times this leads to additional fat and calories,” Hicks said. “It should be a red flag if you see they are adding a large amount of sugars and fats. Women only need 200 calories of added sugar per day and men 300 calories.”

Your body gets all the nutrients, sugars and fats it needs from the daily requirements of fruits and vegetables, lean meats, dairy and whole grains. All of these items are located around the perimeter of most grocery stores.

“If 90 percent of what is in your shopping cart is from around the perimeter of the store, you are eating a clean, healthy diet,” Hicks said.

For instance, she said, low-fat milk offers the same proteins and calcium as whole milk, but you are cutting out all the extra saturated fat. Lean chicken, without the skin, will give you the protein you need without the fat. Five to 10 servings a day of fruits and vegetables will also help you keep off unwanted pounds. Some healthy items will be found down the aisles such as brown rice, whole wheat bread, and some spices. In fact, when it comes to spices and seasonings, do it yourself. This way you have more control over what is being put into your food.
George Kovacik is the Sr. Media Relations Coordinator
The Methodist Hospital, Houston
(281) 841-7119
ggkovacik@tmhs.org

Follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/MethodistHosp and Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/methodisthospital. You can also log on to www.methodisthealth.com.

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Dr. Know on How the Penis Really Works

By
Dr. Know
– February 10, 2010Posted in: Advice & Editorials, Cover Stories, Culture, Dr. Know, Features, Health & Fitness, The Whole Man

Q: I am having erection problems.  What are my options?

Dr. Know replies:

I heard once in a lecture on erectile dysfunction that the penis is nothing more than a glorified vein.  After I stopped laughing, I had to agree with the speaker.  Basic penile anatomy is two corpus cavernosa, large vascular tubes that fill with blood.  Erections are mediated by the release of nitrous oxide into the corpus cavernosa, which leads to smooth muscle relaxation, allowing inflow of blood.

Treatment of erectile dysfunction can be chemical, surgical, or mechanical.  There are three oral drugs available:  Viagra, Levitra, and Cialis.  These medications work by inhibiting a chemical called phosphodiesterase type 5, which makes the nitrous oxide more effective.  All of these medications are most effective when taken on an empty stomach, which is one hour before food, or two hours after food.  Viagra and Levitra should be taken up to one hour before anticipated sexual activity, and are effective for up to four hours.  Some of my patients report some effect from these medications for up to twenty-four hours.  Cialis is the 36 hour pill.  I call it the weekend party drug:  good from Friday night until Sunday morning.  There is now daily Cialis as well, allowing you to always be ready for sex.

Muse is a urethral suppository.  You insert the suppository into the urethra, massage the penis, and you achieve an erection in 5 to 10 minutes that will last 30 to 60 minutes.

Caverject is an injectible medication.  It is injected directly into the base of the penis, producing an erection that can last up to 60 minutes.

An erection that lasts more than four hours as a consequence of using any of the above treatment modalities is an emergency.  You should get to an emergency room as soon as possible, or permanent damage to the penis can occur.  This condition is called priapism, and can be very painful.  The treatment is drainage of the corpus cavernosa with large bore needles.

Surgical treatment is an implant, some permanently firm, some inflatable.  Two implants are required, one for each side of the penis.  Complications can include infection, and erosion of the implants through the head of the penis.

Mechanical treatment is the vacuum pump device.  A cylinder is placed around the penis, and a vacuum is created which causes the penis to fill with blood.  Usually, a ring of some kind is used at the base of the penis to keep the blood in place.  These devices are frequently used by men who do not have erectile dysfunction.

Send your questions to Dr. Know to men@men4men.com

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Sperm Count Plunging

By
Editor
– November 4, 2009Posted in: Cover Stories, Features, Health & Fitness, The Whole Man

The last few decades have seen steady and dramatic increases in the incidence of boys and young men suffering from genital deformities, low sperm count, sperm abnormalities and testicular cancer.

At the same time, boys are now far more at risk of suffering from ADHD, autism, Tourette’s syndrome, cerebral palsy, and dyslexia.

The Disappearing Male takes a close and disturbing look at what many doctors and researchers now suspect are responsible for many of these problems: a class of common chemicals that are ubiquitous in our world.

Found in everything from shampoo, sunglasses, meat and dairy products, carpet, cosmetics and baby bottles, they are called “hormone mimicking” or “endocrine disrupting” chemicals and they may be starting to damage the most basic building blocks of human development.

Watch this video to learn more

Factsheet: Male Infertility

* There are more than 20 heavily industrialized nations where the birth of baby boys has declined every year for the past 30 years – amounting to 3 million fewer baby boys.
* The number of boys born with penis abnormalities and genital defects has increased by 200% in the past two decades.
* Boys have a higher incidence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, learning disabilities, Tourett’s syndrome, cerebral palsy and dyslexia.
* Boys are four times as likely to be autistic.
* The average sperm count of a North American college student today is less than half of what it was 50 years ago.
* The quality of sperm is declining. Eighty-five per cent of the sperm produced by a healthy male is DNA-damaged.
* Damaged sperm have been linked to a 300% increase in testicular cancer – a form of cancer that affects young men in their 20s and 30s.
* The chemical industry has developed more than 90,000 man-made chemicals in the last sixty years. Eighty-five percent of them have never undergone testing for their impact

Related: Eugenics and the Survival of Mankind
“…medical science might succeed in materially lengthening life without senility, though in a world of overcrowded population it is not very clear what would be gained. Looking a little deeper there is the possibility of substantially altering the intellectual and moral natures of individuals by some sort of hormonal injections; already great effects have been produced in animals. Finally, as the most curious speculation of all, it is not quite impossible that it may one day be feasible to select in advance the sex of each child that is to be born. Whether the decision is made by the parents, or by their rulers, this suggests that probability of a great unbalance in the populations of the world.” – Charles Galton Darwin, The Next Million Years (1952)

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THE WHOLE MAN Five Minute Stretches

By
Editor
– November 1, 2009Posted in: Cover Stories, Features, Health & Fitness, The Whole Man

Twists

Twists are beneficial for your neck, your upper back, your lower back, and for releasing overall tension.

1. Sit facing forward, with both feet firmly on the floor. Place both hands on the left arm of your chair. If your chair doesn’t have arms, hold the left side of the seat, and the left side of the back of the chair. Inhale, gently turn, and as you exhale, look to your left as far as you can. Take another deep breath, and as you exhale, turn just a little bit further, trying to look behind you. Inhale again, exhale, and return to the forward facing position. Repeat on the right side.
2. Sit facing forward and cross your left leg over your right. Hold onto your left thigh with your right hand, and inhale. As you exhale, turn your torso to the left, while pushing against your leg with your arm. Hold for a five to ten seconds, breathing normally. Exhale as you release and return to your forward facing position. Repeat on the right side.

Bends

Bends will refresh you and give you a burst of energy, by bringing blood flow to the head. They also relax and lengthen the back muscles.

1. Stand behind your chair, and place both hands on the back of it. Step slightly away from the chair, taking one or two steps backward. Bend forward at the waist, until you form a right angle. Keeping your hands on the chair back, rest your head on your hands. Continue to hold this position as long as it feels comfortable. Relax into it, and you will feel the tension melting away from your lower and upper back.
2. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart. Raise your arms overhead, and straighten them, reaching for the ceiling. Inhale deeply. As you exhale, gently lean over to the side, as deeply as you can, maintaining your balance. Inhale, then return to your standing position on an exhale.

Eyestrain

Your eyes will let you know when they’ve had enough of you staring at a computer screen. When you are working, your eyes do not blink as often as they do normally, and so they tend to become dry. Also, when you work for long periods of time in front of a computer or desk, your eyes do not have the same range of movement as they do in other activities. This exercise will help to relieve eyestrain resulting from these situations.

1. Open your eyes wide. Relax your face. Count the seconds out loud. As you do, look to your right one second, and to your left one second. Next look to your upper right for one second and your lower left one-second. Now look to your upper left for one second and your lower right one second. Last, look straight upward one second, and straight downward one second. Repeat this exercise again, beginning with the left side. Do this as many times as it feels comfortable.

Wrist and arm tension

If you suffer from tension in your hands and arms, this exercise will increase your flexibility while it is relaxing you.

1. Reach your left arm out in front of you. Reach to your left hand with your right hand, and stretch left hand backward, fingers pointing to the ceiling. Next, point your left hand fingers down to the floor, and press on the top of your left hand with your right hand. Switch arms, and do this exercise again.

When you use these stretches, they should make you feel more relaxed. At no time should you feel any pain or discomfort. Do the stretches to the point where you can feel it working, but not to the point where the stretch becomes uncomfortable. If you begin taking a regular break to do these exercises at your desk, you’ll feel an uplifting difference, beginning with the very first day!

Namaste!

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