Genitourinary, Lifestyle, Medicine, Surgery
Kidney Disease Has No Good Ending
Will humans ever learn to care for their kidneys? Or will they live to count mixed blessings – staying alive but reliant on a machine to clean the blood. This, or a kidney transplant, is the result of end-stage kidney failure. Over 40 million North Americans are living with the precursor, chronic kidney disease. Astonishingly, nine in ten sufferers are unaware they have the problem. But the body knows, and as the disease progresses, other health problems including stroke and heart attack can result. A dialysis machine can remove waste products and excess fluid from the blood when kidneys stop working. Dialysis patients require treatment 3 to 7 times a week, for three or more hours per session, in a hospital, clinic,...Read More
Alternate Treatments, Genitourinary, Gynecology, Obesity, Surgery
What to Do When Things Fall Down
The law of gravity means our bodies are pulled down to Earth. This fact inevitably spells trouble over time. But for some women, it causes inconvenient and annoying issues, and sometimes surgery, to address what’s called vaginal prolapse. Not all women are born equal. Some inherit tougher pelvic tissues and do not experience prolapse, even after bearing several children. But the more pregnancies, the greater the risk in older age of weakened all pelvic structures leading to the sagging of the vagina, urinary bladder and often the rectum. The most common complaint is the loss of urine on coughing and sneezing. A large survey of women in North America revealed that four percent suffer from this annoying problem. Apart from pregnancy, what else...Read More
Genitourinary
Urinary Incontinence in Women
Some women say, “You only know a place well if you know where the restrooms are located.” They’re suffering from urinary incontinence (UI). They know if they delay too long, there’ll be an accident. But there are ways to correct this nerve-racking problem. A report from the University of California claims that only one in four women with this trouble seeks help. This is due to embarrassment and the common but illogical notion that it is part of aging. Another account from the Journal of the American Medical Association is hard to believe. It says that 17 percent of women ages 20 and older have moderate or severe UI. This number doubles for women over 60 years of age! There are two main...Read More
Genitourinary
Fixing the Leak of Untold Incontinence
Urinary incontinence is one of the most common problems of aging. It instills, needlessly, the prospect of embarrassment and a fear of leaving the house. Comedians quip, “If you don’t know when you need to go, by the time you find out, you’ve already gone!” But in fact, it’s no laughing matter when a sneeze, cough, or even just standing up causes urine suddenly to leak through your clothes. Stress incontinence occurs when pressure in the urinary bladder is greater than the ability of the muscles to hold back the flow of urine. In men, it may be associated with aging, or the result of a radical prostatectomy for cancer of the prostate gland. For women, it’s often due to repeated...Read More
Genitourinary
Treat Your One Million Nephrons With TLC
Why don’t we learn from history? Years ago, Australians began to use mixtures of powders containing Aspirin, codeine, phenacetin and caffeine to ease pain. By the 1970s, 25% of those dying of kidney disease had consumed too much of this powder. They also suffered hardening of arteries (atherosclerosis) and heart attack. Now, Dr. Richard Glassock, Emeritus Professor of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, says that more than half of North Americans over 75 have chronic kidney disease (CKD). Kidneys, he says, need tender loving care (TLC) to avoid this avoidable common problem. One must never forget the wise counsel of Sir William Osler who remarked, “The one thing that separates man from animals is man’s desire to take...Read More
Genitourinary
Be Careful What You Put in the Brown Paper Bag
Sir William Osler, professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University, remarked, “The one thing that separates man from animals is man’s desire to take pills.” Now, a report from the University of California, says 30 million North Americans, largely due to what I’ve labelled, “Pillitis”, suffer from chronic kidney disease (CKD) and 95 percent don’t know they have it. Kidneys are the master chemists in our body. They control water balance, keep the blood neither too acidic nor alkaline, help to control blood pressure, and filter every drop of blood in our body every 3 minutes. Unfortunately humans do not learn from history. Years ago Australians began to use mixtures of powders containing Aspirin and phenacetin to ease pain. By the 1970s,...Read More
Genitourinary, Vitamins
Why Humans Get Kidney Stones and Gorillas Rarely
Do large doses of vitamin C increase the risk of kidney stones? It’s a question I’m often asked, having reported the medical value of vitamin C in decreasing the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). So is this concern fact or fiction? Or does vitamin C, by making acid urine, combine with calcium and oxalate to form stones? I asked Dr. Linus Pauling this question. Pauling, a two-time Nobel Prize winner, had for years taken 20,000 milligrams (mgs) of vitamin C daily. He said, “Not a single case had been reported in medical literature. But some people who had a tendency to form oxalate stones might do so while taking large amounts of vitamin C, or those with a rare genetic problem.” Dr....Read More
Genitourinary, Women's Health
Mother’s Rx for Recurrent Urinary Infections
Is Mother sometimes right about medical treatment? This week a report in the Canadian Medical Association Journal shows that, at times, her batting average is better than that of doctors. Drs. Blayne Welk and Duane Hicklings report the case of a 35 year old woman with a 24 hour history of urinary frequency. She had experienced two previous urinary tract infections (UTIs) due to a common bladder infection caused by a bacteria called E coli. Doctors advised the usual recommendations, such as increased fluid intake and voiding after sex. But Welk and Hicklings say a large study showed these precautions had little effect on recurrent UTIs. Rather, it was the use of spermicidal jelly that was interfering with normal vaginal flora. The...Read More
Genitourinary, Infection
In Europe, Nobody Chides “We Know Where You’re Going”
Have you ever heard of UTI (urinary tract infection) Drops? I doubt it, as these natural herbal drops have just recently been imported from Europe to treat troublesome, acute and chronic E Coli urinary tract infection. UTI Drops have been used successfully in Europe for over 20 years and have now been approved by Health Canada. So why are these natural herbs so effective in combating E Coli, the bacteria that’s responsible for most cases of bladder infection (cystitis)? Every year 30 to 50 million North Americans, mostly women, the elderly, and those with compromised immune systems, suffer from cystitis. Few ever forget the first attack of severe pain on urination, fever and the constant rushing to the bathroom, or the...Read More
Cancer, Gastroenterology, Genitourinary, Miscellaneous, Nutrition
Do You Need a CT Scan?
How many people will die from excessive radiation exposure? Today, more patients get CT scans for a variety of problems. So how can patients decrease the risk of excessive exposure? “Consumer Reports on Health” says the number of CT scans in the U.S. in 1980 was under 3 million. Now in 2015 it’s 80 million. Experts claim that about one-third of the scans have little medical value. And the report adds that some doctors and technicians don’t take measures to reduce radiation exposure. In the past it’s been said that the radiation threat is greatest in children. But some research now suggests that certain radiation induced cancers place adults at risk as well, more than previously realized by doctors. So when is a...Read More
Cardiovascular, Genitourinary, Medicine, Sex
Mae West Knew When Men Were Men
As a male, have you lost the "tiger-in-the-tank"? Possibly you are more irritable, suffer insomnia, have problems at work, lost height, lack energy and lack erections? Now you wonder if testosterone therapy is what’s needed to restore your male vigour? Mae West, the movie sex queen of long ago, knew what made men, men. She greeted them with a sultry voice, "Is that a gun in your pocket, or are you happy to see me?" I first became interested in what’s often called "The big T" years ago when I interviewed Dr. Malcolm Carruthers at a Conference on Aging in London, England. Carruthers, a distinguished Harley Street specialist, was one of the early pioneers in testosterone therapy. During the interview with Carruthers,...Read More
Cardiovascular, Genitourinary, Lifestyle, Miscellaneous
Medical Tidbits
It's summertime and the living is easy" is a favourite expression at this time of year. But health hazards don't care what month it is. You can stub your toe at any time. And, for instance, how many parents worry that their children face a hazard simply by brushing their teeth, summer or winter? Can a roller coaster ride cause more than thrills? Can binge drinking result in more than a hangover? And, in summer, never mess around with 300,000,000 volts. Dr. Jurgen Kuschyk, a cardiologist at University Hospital in Mannheim, Germany, reports that anyone over 14 years of age should get a physical checkup before taking a roller coaster ride. This should include an electrocardiogram and, even better, an echocardiogram. Dr....Read More
Cardiovascular, Genitourinary, Lifestyle, Miscellaneous, Nutrition, Sex
What You Should Ask Before You Say, “I Do”
We've often heard a minister ask, "Mary MacTavish, do you take John MacDuff to be your lawful husband, to love and cherish, till death do you part?" But in 2014, hasn't life become more complicated for such a lifetime vow? Shouldn't Mary ask John, "Do you toss your dirty socks on the floor?" Or, "What is your risk of obesity?" She might demand "Before we go roaming in the gloaming, send me a copy of your sperm count and what you wear underneath your kilt." A report from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland, should make every prospective bride, who wants to be a mother, take a second look at her husband-to-be before she says, "I do". Scottish researchers now repeat what we...Read More
Genitourinary
Pumpkin Seeds for Ultimate Bladder Control
There's an old saying, "If you don't go when you gotta go, by the time you get to go, you've already gone!" Millions of North Americans, if they've never heard this expression, know all too well what I'm referring to, urinary incontinence. Now, Japanese researchers claim that pumpkin seeds are the answer to many urinary problems. But who hasn't carved up pumpkins and tossed the seeds away? Urinary troubles come in many ways to both men and women. Many women, following childbirth, suffer from weakened pelvic muscles. The complaint is that coughing, sneezing or even getting up quickly from a chair results in wetting themselves and they fear becoming a social outcast. But more people of both sexes are inflicted with OAB...Read More
Cancer, Genitourinary, Lifestyle
If Breasts Can Be Examined, Why Not The Testicles?
For years we've stressed to women the importance of an annual breast examination for the detection of cancer. Yet today little attention is paid to examination of the male testicles. It's time for women to remind their mates that what is good medicine for the goose is also good medicine for the gander. Routine testicular self-examination (TSE) is the answer. Dr. Joel Brenner, Assistant Professor of Sports Medicine at the University of Georgia, says, "There is a taboo about talking about the testicles, unlike breasts and mammograms that are discussed on prime-time television." Yet cancer of the testicles is one of the most treatable cancers. The case of Lance Armstrong is the best example. In 1996 this world class athlete and five...Read More
Genitourinary
How to Protect Yourself from AKI
Many North Americans will unknowingly fall into a trap during 2013. It results in the law of "unintended consequences". Moreover, as medical treatment progresses every year, more of such consequences are waiting to happen. This week, what you should know about acute kidney injury (AKI). The kidneys, not the bowel, comprise the body's main disposal system. Like a chemist, each day they control water balance, keeping blood neither too acid nor too alkaline, help in the production of red blood cells, and every 30 minutes filter all of our blood. A report from Johns Hopkins Hospital says that 20 million Americans suffer from chronic kidney disease. Kidney dysfunction can develop silently for many years. But AKI can appear suddenly and be life-threatening,...Read More
Cancer, Genitourinary, Surgery
Cooking the Prostate Gland
How many angels can dance on the head of a pin? No one knows. Nor has anyone, to this point, found the answer to treating prostate cancer. Now, a treatment called high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) is available. So could this procedure be the ultimate way to cure prostate malignancy? In North America, every three minutes, a man is diagnosed with prostate cancer and every 15 minutes a man dies from it. The major problem has always been, which men should be treated, and when should doctors follow a wait-and-see policy? Waiting to see what will happen has never been a logical move anytime cancer is diagnosed. The result is normally the spreading of the malignancy and eventually death. But prostate malignancy, unlike...Read More
Genitourinary
A New Treatment to Increase Urinary Flow In Men
In March 1958 The Journal of the Maine Medical Association reported, "A successful non-surgical treatment for enlarged prostate gland is cause for rejoicing among the thousands of mature men who yearly face the possibility of becoming a victim of this painful and dangerous affliction." Since that time there have been major advances in the non-surgical treatment of enlarged prostate glands (benign prostatic hypertrophy). Normally, during male urination, the size of the urinary stream is about one-quarter of an inch. But as men age the prostate gland enlarges, squeezes the urethra (urinary tube), and may reduce its size to one-sixteenth of an inch. And if it reaches zero, emergency surgery is required. Benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH) is almost like getting gray hair. In...Read More
Genitourinary, Sex
A Mighty Fighter’s Worst Sexual Nightmare
What does a mixed martial arts fighter (MMA) worry about before a fight? I've interviewed boxers, never an MMA fighter, but I suspect losing the match is the first concern. Or possibly breaking an arm, leg or sustaining other serious injuries. But I'd bet one MMA fighter, even in his wildest dreams, never envisioned he'd encounter this sexual nightmare. Ray Elbe, an Ultimate Fighter Season 9, was on a training tour in Southeast Asia. Like any other testosterone driven male he too realized there's more than just training all the time. So why not arrange for a little "amour"? But although his sport is dangerous, vigor in the ring provides the win. The bed has different hazards. In this case, the...Read More
Genitourinary, Infection, Miscellaneous
What You Should Know About Toilet Seats and Pigs
Was Mother right when she advised to never sit on a public toilet seat? Vancouver believed it had solved this "pottie" fear by installing automated toilets. But they proved we still need to teach humans to behave as well as pigs. "How well do you know Toronto?", I once asked a new-comer to the city. "Well" she replied, "I now know the location of the pubic toilets". This topic will not win the Noble Prize in Medicine, but it's vital knowledge if you suffer from urinary or bowel problems. Vancouver believed it had solved pottie paranoia by installing hi-tech potties. Touch a button and the door slides open, followed by voice instructions. Then, after each use, the facility is automatically cleaned and...Read More
Genitourinary, Pediatrics
Male Circumcision : What Would Newborns Say?
Why are so many male circumcisions still performed when we all agree that female circumcision is a barbarous act? Now, the American Academy of Pediatrics says the benefits of male circumcision outweigh the risks. But, if newborns had a say in the matter, they would use the following reasons to shout a big "NO" to this mutilating procedure, unless religious or cultural reasons require it. One Circumcision doesn't just snip off a small piece of skin. Rather, it removes a large surface of foreskin measuring three to five inches in length, about half of the total skin of the penis! Also, inside the foreskin there's a band of tissue that acts like an accordion. Its gliding motion is needed to trigger sexual...Read More
Genitourinary, Gynecology, Women's Health
Do Not Teach Your Dog This Trick
Why did this patient and her partner repeatedly suffer yeast infection in spite of treatment? It’s often said there is nothing new under the sun. But just when you believe you’ve seen everything, something new and surprising turns up. So please don’t teach your dog her specific trick! It can give you more than you bargained for. Studies show that 75 percent of women suffer at least one yeast infection during their lifetime and up to 50 percent face repeated episodes. Anti-fungal vaginal medicine used to be available only by doctor’s prescription. But in the mid 1990’s common medications such as Monistat and Canesten cream became over-the-counter items (OTC). This resulted in huge sales. But millions of dollars may as well have been...Read More
Alternate Treatments, Cardiovascular, Cholesterol, Diabetes, Genitourinary, Infection, Nutrition
How NEO40 Fights Multiple Health Problems
Feeling tired? Falling asleep in the afternoon? Losing your keys or interest in sex? Are you concerned about cardiovascular disease, hypertension, osteoporosis, high cholesterol, diabetes and its complications? Or want to limit the pain and swelling of arthritis, calm the inflammation of asthma and assist the immune system in fighting infection? If so, you may need a new revolutionary natural remedy NEO40 to increase your level of nitric oxide (N0). My initial reaction to this news was, “It’s too good to be true!”. But three researchers received the prestigious Nobel Prize for this discovery. Louise J. Ignarro, one of the prize winners, says, “There may be no disease process where this miracle molecule does not have a protective role.” Dr. Nathan S....Read More
Genitourinary, Pain
Think Twice About Hernia Surgery
A reader asks, “Is it necessary to get a hernia repaired quickly?” The time-honoured tradition has always been to fix it. But is this approach always the right one? Or is “tincture of time”, namely watchful waiting, the best way to treat this common condition? A hernia is a protrusion of bowel through a weak spot in the abdominal wall near the groin. But there is no sexual fairness in this condition. As one of my surgical professors used to say, “Sometimes you get the big brown egg”. In this case the egg goes to men, as 90 percent of hernias occur in males. In the past, surgeons believed that failing to return the bowel to its natural location inside the abdomen was...Read More
Genitourinary
Darling, Did The Doctor Measure Your Anal-Scrotal Length?
How would you react if your doctor said, “Remove your pants and bend over”? Then picked up a ruler and measured the distance from the middle of the anus to the base of the scrotum, the anal-genital distance (AGD). You might decide this doctor is wacky, and quickly find another physician. Dr. Shanna Swan, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Rochester, New York, reports an unusual finding in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives. Swan and her colleagues discovered that pregnant rats, exposed to phthalates, commonly used chemicals suspected of having adverse effects on hormones, produced infertile offspring. But Swan obviously has a fertile brain. She also noticed that the baby rats had a decreased anal-genital distance. It’s not a...Read More
