Health Conditions Archives | Page 2 of 3 | UNC Men’s Health Program

Read about Mr. Trymaine Lee's, a correspondent for MSNBC, experience with coping with stress and a heart attack before reaching his 40s.

Tobacco use is particularly worrisome for young adults because of the addictiveness of tobacco products. Those who start consuming tobacco at a young age are more likely to become addicted and to continue using tobacco for long periods of time. We know e-cigarette use has increased among youth and young adults at alarming rates and are now the most commonly used tobacco product among youth in the US.

Diabetics who smoke are at higher risk for serious health complications such as heart and kidney disease, peripheral neuropathy (damage to the nerves in the arms and legs), and circulation problems that are sometimes so severe they lead to amputation. The American Cancer Society estimates that smokers may try to quit eight to 10 times before they are successful. This is very common; according to data gathered by the CDC, nearly 70% of smokers report wanting to quit completely.

The decision to quit smoking is one of the most important choices you’ll ever make. It literally can save your life. It’s important to remember that only about 5 percent of people who quit become tobacco-free unassisted. Don’t hesitate to ask your doctor about cessation medications, counseling, and ways to reduce your physical withdrawal symptoms.

Low-intensity therapy offered by Doctors, combined with either medication or specialized behavior therapy, can effectively treat alcoholism, making treatment more readily available to people who need it.

A practice called dry January (no drinking alcohol for a month) has gained popularity in recent years on social media and in real life. People say they do it to give their bodies a rest after holiday partying, to lose a few pounds and to improve sleep.

Prostatitis is a benign but painful condition that causes inflammation of the prostate or surrounding area. While half of all men will experience it, many don’t know what it is. There are three main types of prostatitis; the severe kind is a “rip-roaring" infection with pus. This is a serious condition associated with a high fever. The discomfort is usually so severe that you feel like you need to go to the emergency room.

The International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) is an eight-question written screening tool used to screen for, rapidly diagnose, track the symptoms of, and suggest management of the symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).

50% of men 50 and older have problems with urination because of BPH. That number increases to 80-90% for men older than 70. In BPH, the prostate becomes enlarged to the point that men have problems such as difficulty starting urination, a weak flow, an urge to urinate again soon after urination or the need for frequent urination.

The American Diabetes Association reports 1.4 million Americans are newly diagnosed with diabetes each year. If you have questions or concerns about diabetes, talk with your doctor and ask about getting your blood glucose checked.

Are You At Risk? Find out by taking the American Diabetes Associations [A.D.A] 60-Second, Type 2 Diabetes Risk Test right at home on your phone or computer.

Calculate your 10-year risk of heart disease or stroke using the ASCVD algorithm published in 2013 ACC/AHA Guideline on the Assessment of Cardiovascular Risk.

1 in 7 men will learn they have prostate cancer; the third-leading cause of cancer death in men. While those statistics may sound frightening, they don’t tell the whole story. For the great majority of men diagnosed with prostate cancer, the prognosis is excellent.

In the past, men in their 40’s and 50’s received a simple message: Get screened! In recent years, that message has gotten more complicated. That’s because there’s been a debate among medical professionals about whether the benefits of screening outweigh potential harms. What harms? False positives, unnecessary surgery or radiation, and complications such as erectile dysfunction or urinary problems as a result of treatment.

ED can signal health problems beyond your genitals. Men who have trouble getting and maintaining erections should see a doctor as ED is sometimes caused by serious cardiovascular issues, among other conditions. It’s very important to get to the bottom of what’s causing it.

As the general understanding of male infertility has grown over the years, the myth that fertility issues are a female problem has been debunked. But, he says, there is still a wide gap in the number of men who are evaluated for infertility. While it may be an uncomfortable subject for men, talk about it with your doctor long before you end up in his office because, fertility is a barometer of a man’s health.

Multi Generational Male Family Portrait. Side View Of African American Son, Father And Grandfather Standing In A Row

Too many men don’t have a family physician and don’t get regular checkups, says Culley Carson, MD. This problem is especially bad among younger men. Between ages 18 and 30, healthy men should see a doctor every two to three years. Men 30 and older should go annually. [Read More]

Peyronie’s is the formation of scar tissue, or plaque, in the erectile tissue of the penis that causes painful, curved erections. Men can only get Peyronie’s through trauma or injury, though Brad Figler, MD, an assistant professor of urology at the UNC School of Medicine, says most men don’t report either.

Peyronie’s disease is a disorder in which the penis bends or curves due to plaque, or lumps, that form inside the penis. Depending on where the plaque is located, the penis can bend in a variety of ways. In some cases, plaques develop on both the top and bottom of the shaft causing the penis to become “dented” and shortened.

Urinary incontinence is not an inevitable part of aging, yet many men suffer in silence in part because they believe there are no effective treatments or they are embarrassed to discuss it. The truth is, the loss of bladder control affects approximately 13-17 million American adults, and there are a variety of treatments available.

Low testosterone (male hypogonadism) is a condition in which the testicles do not produce enough testosterone (the male sex hormone), which is essential in men to help them maintain and develop: Sexual features, Muscle mass, Adequate levels of red blood cells, Bone density, Sense of well-being, Sexual and reproductive function.

Diabetes mellitus is a disease that prevents your body from properly using the sugar from the food you eat. Diabetes occurs in one of the following situations: Either the pancreas produces too little insulin or no insulin at all -Or- the pancreas makes insulin, but it does not work correctly (insulin resistance).

Prostate cancer: The most common cancer found in men, and the second leading cause of cancer deaths among U.S. men. Over 80% of men who reach the age of 80 will have prostate cancer. More than 180,000 U.S. men will be diagnosed this year and more than 40,000 will die from the disease this year alone.

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is the inability to get and keep an erection firm enough to engage in sexual intercourse. ED is not considered normal at any age. In most cases, ED is a symptom of another, underlying condition that can include a lack of desire and problems with orgasm and ejaculation.

Benign (noncancerous) enlargement of the prostate, known as benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH, is the most common prostate issue affecting men. As men age, almost all will develop some degree of enlargement to their prostate leading to slowness or dribbling of urine, hesitancy or difficulty urinating, frequent urination, and other symptoms.

Category: Health Conditions

NY Times: My Life After a Heart Attack at 38

What You Need to Know About Your Teens and Vaping

Trying to Quit Smoking, Again

7 Strategies for Quitting Smoking

Low-Intensity Therapy Plus Medication May Provide More Accessible Treatment for Alcoholism

Should You Take a “Dry January”?

The Tension Headache of the Groin

Calculator: International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS)

Relief from Prostate Enlargement, Without Surgery

10 Silent Symptoms of Diabetes

American Diabetes Association Diabetes Risk Test

Calculate Your 10-year Risk of Heart Disease or Stroke

What Are My Treatment Options for Prostate Cancer?

Should You Get Screened for Prostate Cancer?

Don’t Ignore Erectile Dysfunction

Male Infertility: What You Need to Know

Men’s Health Timeline

Scar Tissue Can Lead to Painful Erections

Peyronie’s Disease

Urinary Incontinence

Low Testosterone (Male Hypogonadism)

Diabetes Mellitus

Prostate Cancer

Erectile Dysfunction (ED)

Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH)