Having an enlarged prostate gland isn’t necessarily a threat to your health but it can seriously restrict your life.

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) affects 50 per cent of men by the age of 60. But there is help at hand for those who suffer the side-effects.

The prostate gland is about the size of a walnut and is situated at the base of the bladder in men. As a man gets older the gland gets larger. There’s no way to prevent this and it’s not known why some men get symptoms while other don’t.

The prostate is a compound tubuloalveolar exocrine gland of the male mammalian reproductive system.

What Are The Symptoms?

When the prostate gets bigger it can obstruct the normal flow of urine from the bladder. You might have to go to the toilet more often, especially at night.

It may be difficult to start to pee and when you do, the flow isn’t as strong as it used to be. Finally when you think you’ve emptied your bladder you find you have a little bit left over.

If the gland gets really big then it can stop you peeing altogether which is very painful.

If you think you have a problem then see your doctor who will examine you and may send you for a scan.

Treatment

An enlarged prostate can be treated by tablets that relax the prostate muscle or others that stop the growth of the gland.

Some herbal remedies, like rye grass pollen or saw palmetto may help too, although their usefulness hasn’t been proven.

For patients with mild cases of BPH, or those in the early stages, physicians will usually recommend a “watchful waiting” approach.

Some men with BPH do not experience any interference with bladder function and may live out their lives without treatment. Doctors will, however, recommend regular checkups.

Initially, BPH patients may be able to reduce symptoms by making lifestyle changes such as limiting beverages in the evening; limiting caffeine, alcohol or diuretics; and limiting decongestants or antihistamines.

Staying active and warm can also help, because inactivity and colder temperatures can cause urine retention. Quickly responding to the urge to urinate is also important, because waiting too long may overstretch and damage the bladder muscle.

Alpha-blockers, drugs that relax muscles, may be prescribed to ease constriction around the neck of the bladder, which can be pinched when the prostate grows. For BPH patients, these alpha-blockers may be prescribed: tamsulosin (Flomax), alfuzosin (Uroxatral), terazosin (Hytrin) or doxazosin (Cardura).

Another class of drugs, DHT blockers such as finasteride (Proscar) and dutasteride (Avodart), may also be helpful because they prevent testosterone from being converted to the hormone DHT (dihydrotes-testosterone), and can help shrink the prostate.

Research by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases has found that using a two-drug combination of finasteridewith doxazosin can be more effective than using either drug alone to relieve symptoms and prevent BPH from progressing.

Conventional surgery may also be recommended to treat BPH. One procedure, transurethral resection of the prostate, involves scraping or removing part of the prostate that may be blocking the urethra.

Surgery

If your symptoms are very bad then surgery may be the best option. This usually involves cutting away some of the prostate gland so that urine can flow more easily from the bladder.

Newer techniques use lasers or microwave technology and have fewer side-effects.

Causes of Erectile dysfunction:

• Too much intake of alcohol is one big reason for erectile dysfunction. Alcohol widens your blood vessels. If you manage to get an erection, the alcohol keeps the blood vessels to your penis open, the blood drains out and you’re left hanging in limpland.
• Diabetes which many people suffer is the most common cause of sexual dysfunction in men. About more than 60% of diabetic men suffer from erectile dysfunction. Due to some other diseases too there is damage to nerves, arteries, smooth muscles and fibrous tissues that often cause of ED such as kidney disease, chronic alcoholism, multiple sclerosis, atherosclerosis, vascular disease, and neurologic.
• Men with Multiple Sclerosis also have erectile dysfunction. Bladder dysfunction can be also associated with the erectile dysfunction in multiple sclerosis.
• Parkinson’s disease and temporal lobe abnormalities are risk factors for impotence.
• Stress of any kind from financial problems, relationships, family to work cause problem in erection performance. It is seen that stress in many cases cause erectile dysfunction men.
• Aging is a common risk for erectile dysfunction, with age the men become less sexually active and have the problem of erectile dysfunction.

The intake of medicines and drugs used for different diseases such as high blood pressure and cardiac problems cause erectile dysfunction. Surgery, especially radical prostate and bladder surgery for cancer can injure nerves and arteries near the penis, causing ED As a result of injury to the penis, spinal cord, prostate, bladder, and pelvis can lead to ED by harming nerves, smooth muscles, arteries, and fibrous tissues of the corpora cavernosa are harmed causing erectile dysfunction.

Erectile Dysfunction Causes and Treatment ‘ Maintain Full Erection

Causes of Erectile Dysfunction

Erectile dysfunction generally refers to a situation where one is unable to maintain full erection suitable for sexual satisfaction. It is most common in men and has at times been associated with old age. However, there are several causes of erectile dysfunction, the most common ones being stress due to fear of malfunction, fatigue and at times due to health conditions like hypertension, cancer and STDs. This should not be taken to mean that everyone with these conditions will experience erectile dysfunction. It does mean however, that someone may have erectile problems as a result these factors. As noted earlier, there are erectile dysfunction treatments. Let us look at them in detail.

Erectile Dysfunctional treatments

Erectile dysfunction treatments are best arrived at by looking at the causes of erectile dysfunction. Like all other problems, we need to understand what causes it if we are to fully come up with a solution.

Let us point out at the onset that for any erectile dysfunction treatment to be effective, the person having the problem must believe that it can be solved. In most cases, erectile problems have psychological causes. For example, if a man does not trust in own his ability to satisfy his partner, he may likely experience erectile dysfunction. So, the first erectile dysfunction treatment is to work on your mindset. A man is what he believes in his own mind. If you think you are a sexual failure, then you may have a dysfunction, but if you convince yourself that you can do it, then you will do it.

As a man moves into old age, he often loses trust in his sexual capability. In fact, it is normal for men to have doubts. This shows that you are concerned about the satisfaction of your partner. Young men have also been noted for worrying about such issues as the size of their penis, their understanding of styles of intercourse, and other petty issues which may pre-occupy their minds prior to intercourse, causing stress which may result into erectile dysfunction. Therefore, to solve erectile dysfunctional problems, you have to work on your mindset. The first step is to acknowledge the problem, believe it can be solved and above all,
trust your ability to function normally.

The other erectile dysfunction treatment is the cooperation of one’s sexual partner. Women must know that a man may be turned off by commenting at his ability to provide full sexual satisfaction. Nothing is as fragile as the male ego. Very few men can stand putting their sexual ability to question. If a woman makes remarks that seem to mean the man may not fully satisfy her, he is likely not to maintain a full erection due to fear of the same.

In the case where a woman notices that her partner has an erectile problem, she should help him come to full erection by sexually exposing herself, caressing, and re-assuring him of her love. It should be noted that erectile dysfunction is not restricted to men. Even women may experience the problem and in this case the treatment is pretty much the same. The man should not hurry sexual activity until he is convinced his partner is in the mood of having intercourse. Compliments about her beauty can be of help.

Erectile dysfunction treatments are not only behavioral. There are also food supplements which can act as erectile dysfunction treatments. It has been noted among both health and non-health practitioners that coffee products can be of help. Chewing dry coffee seeds, and drinking regular coffee leaves mixed with hot water and some little sugar can help reduce erectile dysfunction.

Regularly eating fish has also been recommended as an erectile dysfunction treatment. The head of a fish has strong nutrients that can help reduce erectile dysfunction.

In addition to the food items above, regular exercising like jogging, riding, playing soccer, rugby and other vigorous sports activities has also been cited as an erectile dysfunction treatment. Regular exercise releases tension, relaxes the muscles, joints and limps and helps execrate excess sweat and other waste products from the body. This is important in mind relaxation and certainly, maintaining full erection.

Therefore, experiencing erectile dysfunction is not the end of the road. The existence of erectile dysfunction treatments means it can be cured, and if it needs more emphasis, the first step is to think positively about your sexual ability.

Food Safety

It is upsetting to think about, but the foods you eat to stay healthy can make you sick. Fortunately, there are many things you can do to protect yourself and your family from foodborne illness. There are things you can do in the grocery store, like avoiding cans that are bulging or jars that have cracks or loose lids. At home, you should

1. Be sure that your refrigerator and freezer are the right temperature for storing food
2. Refrigerate or freeze perishable foods right away
3. Throw away anything that looks or smells suspicious. If you think a food might be bad, don’t taste it!
4. Wash your hands well before preparing food
5. Keep your work area, wash rags and utensils clean
6. Cook meats thoroughly

Food safety is usually taken for granted by the buying public but everyone’s attention was recently directed to food poisoning involving some meat that was undercooked. It was determined that the problem never would have happened if the meat had been cooked properly. E.Coli 0157.H7 is a potent virus, but it can be completely destroyed when the meat is fully cooked.

The Department of Food Safety, Zoonoses and Foodborne Diseases (FOS) strives to reduce the serious negative impact of foodborne diseases worldwide. Food and waterborne diarrhoeal diseases are leading causes of illness and death in less developed countries, killing approximately 1.8 million people annually, most of whom are children.

Recent trends in global food production, processing, distribution and preparation are creating an increasing demand for food safety research in order to ensure a safer global food supply. FOS works with other WHO departments, Regional Offices and WHO collaborating centres as well as other international and national agencies. In particular, WHO works closely with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to address food safety issues along the entire food production chain–from production to consumption–using new methods of risk analysis. These methods provide efficient, science-based tools to improve food safety, thereby benefiting both public health and economic development. FOS endeavours to help all WHO Member States, both developing and developed, through the approaches outlined in the WHO Global Strategy for Food Safety.

It is important for consumers to take an all-around safety approach to purchasing, storing and preparing both traditional and new meat and poultry products. Ultimately, consumers and food handlers bear the responsibility for keeping food safe once it leaves the store.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, about 85 percent of foodborne illness cases could be avoided each year if consumers would handle food properly. The most common foodborne illnesses are caused by a combination of bacteria, naturally present in the environment, and food handling mistakes. Ironically, these are also the easiest types of foodborne illnesses to prevent. Proper cooking or processing of raw meat and poultry kills bacteria that can cause foodborne illness.

When you’re out, grocery shop last, take food straight home to the refrigerator. And never leave food in a hot car! Don’t buy anything you won’t use before the use-by date. Don’t buy food in poor condition. Make sure refrigerated food is cold to the touch. Frozen food should be rock-solid. Canned goods should be free of dents, cracks or bulging lids which can indicate a serious food poisoning threat.

The performance and maintenance of your refrigerator is of the utmost importance. Check the temperature of your refrigerator with an appliance thermometer. To keep bacteria in check, the refrigerator should run at 40 degrees F; the freezer unit at 0 degrees F. Generally, keep your refrigerator as cold as possible without freezing your milk or lettuce. When you prepare food, keep everything clean and thaw out any frozen food you plan to prepare in your refrigerator. Take it out of the freezer in advance and place it in the refrigerated section of your refrigerator. Always wash your hands in hot soapy water be_fore preparing and handling any food as well as after you use the bathroom, change diapers, handle pets, etc. Remember, too, that bacteria can live in your kitchen towels, sponges and dish cloths. Wash them often and replace the dish cloths and sponges you use regularly every few weeks.

Be absolutely sure that you keep all raw meats, poultry and fish and their juices away from other food. For instance, wash your hands, your cutting board and knife in hot soapy water after cutting up the chicken and before dicing salad ingredients. It is best to use plastic cutting boards rather than wooden ones where bacteria can hide in grooves. Don’t take your food out of the freezer and leave it on the kitchen counter to thaw. This is extremely dangerous since the bacteria can grow in the outer layers of the food before the inside thaws. It is wise to do your marinating in the refrigerator too.

¹ Contains sorbitol.
² Contains saccharin.
³ Contains methylparaben.
⁴ Contains sucrose.
⁵ Contains lactose.
⁶ Contains alcohol.
⁷ Contains sugar.
⁸ Controlled substance.

Combination Drugs

1. Respiratory Combination Products
2. Upper Respiratory Combinations
3. Antibiotic Combinations
4. Gastrointestinal Anticholinergic Combinations
5. Narcotic Analgesic Combinations
6. Nonnarcotic Analgesic Combinations
7. Diuretic Combinations
8. Migraine Combinations

Antiasthmatic Combinations

Antiasthmatic combinations contain xanthine derivatives and sympathomimetics for bronchodilation. Many products also contain expectorants to facilitate mobilization of mucus.

Upper Respiratory Combinations

Upper respiratory combinationsare used primarily for relief of symptoms associated with colds, upper respiratory infections, and allergic conditions (eg, acute rhinitis, sinusitis).

Ingredients

Antihistamines: Antihistamines are used for symptomatic relief from allergic rhinitis (hay fever) including runny nose, sneezing, itching of the nose or throat, and itchy and watery eyes. The anticholinergic effects of antihistamines may cause a thickening of bronchial secretions; therefore, these agents may be counterproductive in respiratory conditions characterized by congestion. Antihistamines may cause drowsiness.

Xanthines: Xanthines, primarily theophylline, relieve bronchial spasm by direct action on the bronchial smooth muscle in bronchospastic conditions such as asthma and chronic bronchitis. Some xanthine-containing combination products are available over-the-counter, but asthmatic patients should use them only under physician supervision.

Sympathomimetics: Sympathomimetics are used for their vasoconstrictor/decongestant or bronchodilator effects.

Decongestants: Decongestants are used for temporary relief of nasal congestion due to colds or allergy. Given orally, they are less effective than topical nasal decongestants and have a potential for systemic side effects. Frequent or prolonged topical use may lead to local irritation and rebound congestion.

Bronchodilators: Ephedrine is common in these combinations; however, it stimulates cardiac (b₁) receptors. Bronchodilation is weaker than with the catecholamines: a-adrenergic effects may decrease congestion of mucous membranes. Other b-active agents are effective bronchodilators, but pseudoephedrine is not.

Analgesics: Analgesics (eg, acetaminophen, aspirin, ibuprofen, sodium salicylate) are frequently included for symptoms of headache, fever, muscle aches, and pain.

Anticholinergics: Anticholinergics are included for their drying effects on mucous secretions. This action may be beneficial in acute rhinorrhea; however, drying of respiratory secretions may lead to obstruction. Traditionally, anticholinergics have been avoided in patients with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD); however, some patients respond well to these agents. Caution is still advised in this group.

An anticholinergic for oral inhalation is available as a bronchodilator for maintenance of bronchospasm associated with COPD, including chronic bronchitis and emphysema.

Papaverine HCl: Papaverine HCl relaxes the smooth muscle of the bronchial tree.

Barbiturates: Barbiturates are included for their sedative effects as “correctives” in combination with xanthines or sympathomimetics, which may cause CNS stimulation. The sedative efficacy of low doses (eg, 8 mg phenobarbital) is questionable.

Caffeine: Caffeine is included in some combinations for CNS stimulation to counteract antihistamine depression and to enhance concomitant analgesics.

¹ Contains sorbitol.
² Contains parabens.
³ Contains sucrose.
⁴ Contains saccharin.
⁵ Contains lactose.

Combination Drugs

1. Respiratory Combination Products
2. Upper Respiratory Combinations
3. Antibiotic Combinations
4. Gastrointestinal Anticholinergic Combinations
5. Narcotic Analgesic Combinations
6. Nonnarcotic Analgesic Combinations
7. Diuretic Combinations
8. Migraine Combinations

This listing is included to alert the health care practioner about oral dosage forms that should not be crushed or chewed and to serve as an aid in consulting with patients. Refer to the end of the table for a complete explanation of references.