Flomax and Cataract Surgery

If you’re in the United States or in many parts of Canada where you can watch U.S. television, you must have seen the Flomax (tamsulosin) commercials. The usual format is men are missing out on having fun (watching a sports event, golfing, etc) because they’re going to the bathroom all the time.

The medication is mostly for men who have benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH), although some women may be prescribed the medication for urinary retention (unintentional holding back of urine).

Anyway, if you see the ad, you may remember hearing, in the long list of cautions, that the men should tell their doctor that they’re taking Flomax if they’re considering having cataract surgery. Now, how does a drug for your prostate affect cataract surgery? You may be surprised.

Although it doesn’t happen often, men who have taken Flomax and had cataract surgery have a higher risk of certain complications, such as intraoperative floppy iris syndrome (IFIS), lens loss, retinal detachment, and inflammation, say researchers in an article published last year in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

This doesn’t mean that you can’t or shouldn’t have cataract surgery if you take Flomax – it just strengthens the warnings that you should mention it to your eye surgeon, so he or she can make adjustments to your surgery to reduce any risks that may be associated with the medication.

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Urinary Infections in Elderly Men

Elderly men who have urinary tract infections, who have lower urinary tract symptoms, have a higher risk of falling.

Researchers looked at almost 6000 men, 65 years old or older, for risk factors for falls. At the start of the study, 54% of the men had mild symptoms of infection, 39% reported moderate symptoms, and 7% reported severe symptoms.

The researchers found that the number of men who fell was higher among those who had moderate or severe symptoms, compared with those with those with mild symptoms. This is due to the urgency (strong, urgent need to urinate), frequency (frequent need to void) and nocturia (the need to urinate in the middle of the night). Each one of these problems can contribute to fall risks, but to have all three really increases that risk.

This study was published last year in BJU International.

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12 Ways To Help Dad Be Healthier

A happy fathers day is always better if you’re feeling well. And, what better gift can fathers give their kids than a healthy dad – and what better gift can kids give their dad than encouragement and ways to be healthy?

Ok, so I know kids don’t read this, but moms, you could put a bug in your kids’ ear….

Erika Schwartz, MD, Medical Director Cinergy Health, offers 12 tips for kids to help their dads live a healthier lifestyle:

1.  Take Dad for a morning walk after a healthy Father’s day breakfast (egg whites, berry smoothie, chicken sausage and Green tea).

2. Get Dad a set of 20 pound weights to use every day before dinner or at work, if that is feasible.

3. Get Dad a 5 pound bag of apples or other fruit and nuts he likes as snack basket he can enjoy every day for the next week.

4. Get Dad a six-pack of soda water to replace colas, other caffeinated drinks and beer.

5. Get Dad a muscle vibrator that will help relax his shoulders (a better after-work stress reliever than a cocktail)

6. Buy Dad golf lessons or a month’s membership at a gym

7. Find a hiking or biking group and join together (or just get Dad a bike)

8.  Clear Dad’s work materials from his bedroom so he can get a better night’s sleep.

9. Get Dad video on good nutrition

10. Go away for a weekend together on an activity trip (hiking, fishing, boating, camping)

11. Line up Dad’s father or brother to engage in family-designated physical activity days.

12. Give Dad hugs.

Any one of these can help make a Dad’s day and more.

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Male Pattern Baldness: What and Why?

Hair: curly, thick, long, thin, gray, brown – all types of hair does different things for different people. But what about those who don’t have any? Or those who are in the process of losing it?

Some men accept their balding scalps graciously and as a matter of course. Some even speed up the process, figuring if they’ve lost most of their hair, they may as well shave off the rest. Others fight it every step of the way, from growing it long and combing it over, to poofing it up as much as they can, to give the illusion of more hair. And, of course, there are the men who spend money on hair pieces, plugs, surgery and many different kinds of potions guaranteed to help regrow your hair.

But what is male pattern baldness?

Everyone who has hair loses it every day. You can see that in the hairbrush in your bathroom or on the shower floor after you’ve washed your hair. It’s estimated that we lose about 10,000 strands every day – after it’s been in your head for about five years or so.

Again, for most of us, the hairs are replaced and the cycle continues. For men with male pattern baldness, this doesn’t happen. The hairs fall out and aren’t replaced, which causes a gradual loss of overall hair. Usually, it begins at the temple (receding hairline) or at the very top (crown) of the head.

Doctors don’t know exactly why men lose hair in this manner, but it is genetic as it isn’t common in women. Testosterone, the “male” hormone, does play a role by combing with an enzyme, which then weakens the hair.

It’s important to understand that male pattern baldness isn’t the same thing as the baldness experienced by people who have an illness that causes hair loss, called alopecia. As well, hair loss from other causes, like chemotherapy, are much more sudden, with clumps of hair coming out.

If you’re concerned about your hair loss, the best thing you can do is speak with your doctor to be sure that it is simply male pattern baldness and if so, to see if there is anything that can be done.

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7 Tests for Men That Could Save or Improve the Quality of Your Life

Medical tests aren’t always invasive or embarrassing, sometimes they’re as simple as a quick blood test. Even then, it’s surprising how often some people will avoid them as much as possible.

While not all tests are fool proof, many routine tests could help detect a potentially severe or even fatal illness. Here are 7 tests that you should consider asking your doctor about. He or she may tell you that you don’t fall into the risk categories, but it doesn’t hurt to ask.

1- Cholesterol levels.

We hear about good cholesterol and bad cholesterol – which is which and what is what? The so-called good cholesterol is high-density lipoprotein , or HDL. You want to have this so remember that you want your H DL to be High . The low-density lipoprotein , the LDL, is the so-called bad cholesterol. You want the L DL to be Low . Read more

5 Common Vasectomy Myths

There are few things that can universally make men cringe – one of them is discussing vasectomies. If truth be told, women rarely have any sympathy for that because they’re used to having their sexuality and reproduction being part of medical and health care. But, it is understandable why men may be reluctant to discuss vasectomies and consider having them. One reason is the lack of knowledge and the myths that circulate.

Myth 1

A vasectomy can make you impotent.

The actual surgery, the vasectomy, has nothing to do with sexual function. The surgery involves disrupting the flow of sperm into the semen. That doesn’t mean that you may not experience sexual problems, such as erectile dysfunction if you have other problems – they are independent from the vasectomy itself though.

Myth 2

A vasectomy makes you less than a man. Read more

New Dad Depression Often Undiagnosed

Did you know many new fathers experience post-natal depression? However, most cases go undetected and untreated.

As many as 1 in 10 new fathers may suffer the baby blues, according to recent studies and medical literature.

While this rate is lower than that of new mothers, it is more than currently recognized, they told the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Lack of sleep and new responsibilities, or supporting a wife through post-natal depression are known triggers for post-natal dad depression.

The Eastern Virginia Medical School team based their findings on 43 studies involving 28,004 parents from 16 different countries including the UK and the US.

Source

FDA Warning: Stud Capsule For Men – Contains Undeclared Drug Ingredient

Kanec USA and FDA notified healthcare professionals of a nationwide recall of Stud Capsule For Men [Lot #060607-01/060108-01, Exp 6-2013], after being informed by FDA that laboratory analysis of a sample found the product to be adulterated with sildenafil, an FDA approved drug.

Use of this product may pose a threat to consumers because the analogue may interact with nitrates found in some prescription drugs (such as nitroglycerin) and may lower blood pressure to dangerous levels. Consumers with diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or heart disease often take nitrates. ED is a common problem in men with these conditions, and consumers may seek these types of products to enhance sexual performance.

The products are sold as a blister pack containing one capsule per unit of use 24-packs in a Box. Lot number and expiration date appears on the seal. Consumers who have this recalled product in their possession should stop using them immediately.

Read the complete MedWatch 2010 Safety summary, including a link to the firm press release, at:

http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch/SafetyInformation/SafetyAlertsforHumanMedicalProducts/ucm207630.htm

Heavy Drinking May Mean More Aggressive Prostate Cancer

Researchers have reported that men who drink heavily (at least four drinks per day, several days per week) increase their risk not only of developing prostate cancer, but have developing aggressive forms of the disease.

What’s worse is that it also may be that a medication called finasteride, which may decrease a man’s chance of developing prostate cancer, doesn’t seem to be effective in men who drink a lot and can’t undo any damage that’s been done.

To read more about the study findings, go to the article, Heavy drinking may boost prostate cancer risk .

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Low Testosterone Levels After Treatment for Male Cancers

Men who have been treated for male cancers (testicular, prostate) may have lower than normal (suboptimal) levels of the so-called male hormone, testosterone. The lower levels may contribute to a lower quality of life, say researchers in the United Kingdom. If this is the case, the researchers suggest that young men who are diagnosed with testosterone insufficiency after cancer would likely benefit from testosterone supplements. The results of the study were published recently in the medical journal, Cancer.

Researchers gathered information about 389 young men, 176 of whom had been successfully treated for a male cancer. The goal of the research was to find a connection between between testosterone levels and the men’s quality of life, self-esteem, fatigue and sexual function.

The results showed that the young men who survived after treatment for a male cancer did experience reductions in their quality of life, and they had lower energy levels and a lower quality of sexual function. However, these issues were found to be worse in the men who had lower levels of testosterone in their blood. This led the researchers to believe that administering hormone replacement therapy could improve the issues that may be problems for young men in this situation.

More research will follow.

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