When Things Aren’t Quite Right
Nobody likes being sick. But feeling sick down there can add embarrassment to the misery.
Here’s a list of a few common problems of the genital and surrounding areas in case you were too embarrassed to ask about them.
MALE CONDITIONS
_Enlarged prostate: The condition is seen in men as they age, but not all men show symptoms, said Dr. Neyssan Tebyani, urologist at Saddleback Memorial Medical Center.
An enlarging prostate is a natural process that occurs as a result of testosterone, which stimulates the prostate gland to grow. As the prostate enlarges, it blocks the flow of urine out of the bladder, which can cause symptoms.
Symptoms can start in the 40s and include weak urine stream, frequent urination and an increase in urgency to urinate.
Treatment can include taking saw palmetto for milder symptoms, and taking medications like alpha blockers (which treat symptoms) Proscar and Avodart (which can decrease the size of the prostate) for moderate or severe cases. If those don’t help, there are more invasive surgical options available.
_Prostate cancer: A cancerous growth of the prostate gland, this condition is the most common non-skin cancer affecting men in the United States, said Tebyani.
The majority of patients show no symptoms, but some may suffer from urinary frequency and difficulty. Risk factors include increased age and a family history of prostate cancer. African-American men are more at risk.
Screening for prostate cancer includes a rectal exam and blood test.
Treatment includes radiation, surgery, lowering testosterone levels via injections, and freezing the prostate gland (cryotherapy).
Prevention tip: Avoid eating excessively fatty foods, since high-fat diets have been linked to prostate cancer.
_Erectile dysfunction: This refers to the inability to initiate or maintain an erection, said Dr. Aaron Spitz, urologist at UCI Medical Center. Most of the time, the underlying cause of ED is poor circulation because of elevated cholesterol, hypertension, diabetes, etc.
Younger men who are otherwise healthy probably suffer from psychological causes leading to anxiety.
Treatment includes oral medications like Viagra, Cialis and Levitra, injected medications, vacuum devices, and surgical implants.