Men's Health. Discover daily stories on the latest in men's health from Dr. David Samadi. Learn about top global and national health issues related to men's health such as common cancers, prostate cancer, exercise tips, male body issues, male health screenings and prevention methods. Explore healthy solutions for men's health.
It is not a decision to make on the spur of the moment and you want to be completely positive that you are done making babies or do not have the desire to become a parent.
Read MoreLess than 1 man in 100,000 each year is diagnosed accounting for less than 1% of cancers of men in the United States.
Read MoreErectile dysfunction linked to opioid use in men
(Author – Cheryl Mussatto MS, RD, LD for use by Dr. David Samadi)
Men with chronic pain using opioids to deal with the discomfort should reconsider that decision. Pain-killing medications known as opioids may relieve the pain, but they also can shut down your sex life. This fact is not necessarily well-known among the medical community but should be discussed with men before automatically prescribing these drugs.
A study back in 2013 which was published in the journal Spine found that men who were prescribed medications for erectile dysfunction (ED) or low testosterone levels were more likely to be taking an opioid medication for chronic back pain. Men with persistent pain should be informed of this potential side effect of long-term opioid use. Since the study was an observational study, it limits the ability to make a cause-and-effect inference. While opioid use and ED seem to go together, it can’t be said that one causes the other.
Around 11,000 men were included in this study that all had back pain. Out of this group, more than 900 men received medications for ED (Viagra, Cialis, or Levitra), or testosterone replacement. Generally, those men were older than those who did not have a prescription for ED. These same men were also more likely to have depression and other health conditions.
Commonly used prescribed opioids include hydrocodone, oxycodone, and morphine. For this study, men who used an opioid for more than 120 days, or more than 90 days if more than 10 prescriptions were filled for the drug, as long-term use.
The most significant factor for the men in getting a prescription for ED was their age. Men between ages of 60 and 69 were 14 times more likely to receive a prescription for ED than men who were between 18 and 29.
When the data was adjusted for other possible factors, including age, the researchers found that men who took opioid pain medications for long periods, were about 50 percent more likely to have ED medications or testosterone replacement therapy. Again limitations with the study do not prove that opioid use causes ED as ED could be related to the pain the men were experiencing. However, there is evidence that men who stop taking opioids after using them for a short time will see an improvement in erectile dysfunction but it’s not clear if the same is true after long-term use.
In recent years, there has been growing evidence and much concern on long-term use of opioids on overall health of anyone taking them for pain. The body compensates for taking long-term pain medications, due to changes in the brain and spinal cord making people more sensitive to them.
There can be other contributing factors to ED besides possibly opioid medication use such as diabetes, heart disease, peripheral vascular disease, and alcohol use. In the meantime, all doctors treating any man for chronic pain should discuss with them if they are also experiencing ED.
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For men who have gout, they may also find they are having trouble with erectile dysfunction or ED.
Read MoreBesides seeking help from their doctor to treat the physical condition of their disease, many men rarely open up with other men to discuss prostate cancer’s side effects and how they are dealing with it.
Read MoreWomen who live with these men are also affected as they are tired of being woken up in the middle of the night by their husband’s trips to the bathroom.
Read MoreMen have no idea how much power they have over the health and vitality of their sperm. Sperm are essentially a window on a man’s overall health and are nature’s means of a continuation of the human race.
Read MoreAs men get older, many changes can occur one of which is their risk for developing an enlarged prostate gland. This condition is known as BPH which affects about half of men between the ages of 51 and 60 and up to 90 percent of men over the age of 80.
Read MoreNearly half of all men by the time they reach age 50 will have some form of a condition called prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia. Prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia or PIN is a condition in which cells from the prostate begin to look and behave abnormally. Pin has no symptoms therefore men are not aware they have it unless they undergo a prostate biopsy, which in most cases is done because of an elevated prostate specific antigen (PSA) level.
Read MoreLet’s take a look at medications affecting a man’s sexual performance which might be the real reason why action in the bedroom has toned down.
Read MoreA normal PSA level is considered to be between 1.0 and 4.0 ng/ml. If the number is above 4.0, the level is considered abnormal or elevated.
Read MorePossible problems associated with administration of TRT
Read MoreSince prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in men after skin cancer, men would be wise to know certain facts about prostate specific antigen or the PSA test. PSA is a protein produced by the prostate gland and is found in the blood. The blood sample taken is used to monitor the level of PSA being produced by the prostate.
Read MoreA diagnosis of prostate cancer is not only upsetting for a man but if his knowledge of prostate cancer is limited, this can possibly set him on the wrong track of knowing how best to fight it.
Read MoreMen can contract breast cancer same as a woman, although the number of cases are very, very rare. It is much more common in older men, although young men are in danger from it as well.
Read MoreThere are many reasons why use of counterfeit PDE-5i can be dangerous. They can result in the following situations:
Read MoreWhat's going on? Is everyone who undergoes this therapy really benefiting from it?
Read MoreHere are 10 signs telling a man it is time to see a urologist:
Read MoreAndropause, also known as male menopause, is a result of a gradual decrease in testosterone. Testosterone is an androgen. Male menopause is not the same as the type of menopause that women go through.
Read MoreTesticular cancer is the most prevalent type of cancer in younger men.
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