Comprehensive men's sexual health information, tips and news about men's sexual health.

PLATELETS IN MIGRAINE

admin — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 15:28:00 +0000

During a migraine attack, the lessening of blood flow may not be entirely due to narrowing of the blood vessels since the blood itself may become more sticky and liable to sludge. Platelets are constituents of blood that have the ability to stick together and form clumps, an essential first stage in the familiar clotting reaction which plugs the gap in a cut vessel and stops bleeding. Occasionally these clumps can produce disease, as in certain forms of stroke, when they pass through the circulation to the brain and cause loss of function. This is not to say that an attack of migraine is like a stroke, but there are certain similarities as far as platelets are concerned. The platelets of migraine sufferers clump together more easily than those of other people. But since many factors can alter platelet aggregation, this finding might be a secondary effect of the migraine attack. It is possible to measure the aggregation of platelets, either by the response to certain chemicals or by measuring the proportion of clumped platelets in a blood sample. These techniques have been used in migraine patients and it was found that some patients have an increased number of clumped platelets; this is present all the time but becomes worse during a migraine attack. This suggests that platelets in migraine subjects are on ‘red alert’, awaiting only the slightest stimulus to clump together. This abnormality has also been found in relatives of migraine sufferers. Research is now being directed at the alteration of platelet function in the hope that this might eventually be used to prevent migraine attacks.What makes platelets clump together? Various chemicals can do this, for example substances such as collagen found within blood vessel walls, and vaso-active amines such as adrenalin, noradrenalin, histamine, and serotonin (5HT). But the most potent platelet aggregators are substances called prostaglandins. Discovered about 15 years .ago, they have marked effects on blood vessels and smooth muscle as well as participating in the inflammatory reaction. One of their actions is involved in the contraction of the uterus during labour. Until recently, only the stable members of this family could be studied, but a substance has just been found which lasts only about half a minute and which has a powerful effect on platelets. It is produced by platelets themselves and, when platelets stick together, a sort of cascade process occurs, each platelet producing more of this substance.Interestingly, the vessel wall itself produces a substance with the opposite effect. This substance, prostacyclin or PGX, in addition to preventing platelets from aggregating, also has a marked action on vessel walls, causing them to dilate. These findings are exciting in their potential but are too recent to have been fully studied in connection with migraine.When platelets clump together, they produce serotonin, or 5-hydroxytryptamine (5HT), which has a marked constricting effect on blood vessels. During attacks of migraine the amount of 5HT in the platelet clump decreases, while the excretion of the breakdown products of 5HT increases. Experiments suggest that under certain circumstances, 5HT can cause both dilatation of the extracranial carotid artery and constriction of the intracranial carotid artery.
*32/152/5*

WHAT ARE COITAL MOVEMENTS? HOW THESE MAY BE USEFUL TO REACH ORGASM?

admin — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 15:09:47 +0000

More than the sexual positions, coital movements can bring pleasure to the partners.Pelvic thrusts are a mamalian characteristic . These start from the very beginning of penetration, build up movement and result in male orgasm at least. Both male and female partners can control the speed and depth of thrusts upto some extent except at the time of orgasm.Movements are of different variety. The inital thrusts are slow, deliberate and progressively deeper. Both man and woman can thrust and withdraw. Movements can be rhythmic or regularly irregular. One partner may remain active and another inactive while at the time of orgasm generally both partners take interest and thrust and counter thrust exist.To enjoy upto full extent there should be an element of surprise and there should be a change in speed and style. There can be rolling and circular movements. Sometimes male organ may be thrust completely and may be rotated inside.*105\301\2*

AIDS DEMENTIA COMPLEX: HIV AND THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM-MENTAL CHANGES: DIFFICULTY CONCENTRATING

admin — Sat, 09 Jul 2011 14:55:27 +0000

Another change in people’s mental abilities is difficulty in concentrating. People’s attention spans become short, and they have to work harder to follow the situation in a TV show or the plot in a book. They reread paragraphs and pages over and over. Conversation jumps from topic to topic with no transitions, or just stops in the middle. People seem not to be paying full attention to the conversation or seem to lose the train of thought in mid-sentence. They say their minds wander no matter what they’re doing. Difficulty with concentration also means that people become confused easily. They can’t think of the time or the date. They can’t seem to work out the steps of doing something. Mental tasks that were once routine—like balancing a checkbook or giving directions—take longer to do or become impossible to do. Someone may want to apply for disability insurance but not be able to think through how to do it. Someone can be worried about making plans for young children but be unable to make the plans. Difficulty with concentration can be helped in several ways. One is by taking in only a limited amount of information at a time. When Lisa’s husband wanted to read, he read only short pieces—newspaper articles, short stories, even the TV Guide. “If there’s a book he wanted to read,” she said, “I read it to him, one chapter at a time. After each chapter, we’d sit and talk about it. That would seem to get it into his mind.” Dean noticed that if a doctor asked him several questions at once, he could not answer or his answer would be wrong. Lisa’s husband had a similar problem: if she talked too fast, he couldn’t understand. Instead, she’d talk slowly, sometimes write it down for him to read, and break up what she was saying into small parts. “He’d need me to have just one thought per sentence, not three or four thoughts per sentence,” she said. “If I wanted to say to him that our friend called and wants to come over and borrow the lawnmower, I’d have to break it up. First I’d say, ‘Barbara called.’ Then I’d say, ‘She’s going to come over,’ and we’d talk about that for a minute. Then I’d say, ‘Her lawnmower’s broken,’ and we’d talk about that too. Then I’d say, ‘She wants to borrow our lawnmower.’ By that time, he could respond reasonably, something like, ‘When will she bring it back?’ If I didn’t talk to him that way, he’d be lost.” Lisa’s solution was a good one: talk slowly, in sentences with no more than one thought in them; discuss the thought a little to let it sink in, then go on to the next thought. In fact, Lisa even used the same method to have arguments with her husband. “One time I wanted to buy a new sofa,” she said, “and he didn’t. He couldn’t argue with me very well, so one by one, I said all his reasons for not wanting one—I thought of it as starting his thought processes for him. Then I said all my reasons for wanting one. All this took two or three days. Then he finally said he didn’t want a sofa, and I felt he really meant it and I had to go along with him.” Another effective way of helping someone with concentration problems is repetition and reminders. Repetition helps people understand something that seems complex and confusing. Lisa’s husband used to watch John Wayne movies repeatedly; Lisa said she thought repetition was his way of understanding the movie. Dean was talking to his insurance agent one night and couldn’t follow what the man was saying. Dean said to him over and over, “I can’t picture in my mind what you’re saying. Please tell me again.” The agent repeated until Dean understood. People having trouble concentrating also have trouble with generalizations; they need their information to be specific. “I’ll see you this afternoon and we’ll go out” is too general, leaves too many possibilities open. “I’ll come to your house at 2:30; I’ll drive you to the museum” is much clearer.*146\191\2*

CHRONIC HEPATITIS

admin — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 08:50:20 +0000

СInfection with the hepatitis С virus (HCV) is one of the leading causes of liver disease. This disorder was initially recognized in the mid-1970s and was categorized as “non-A, non-B hepatitis. HCV was subsequently identified as an RNA virus in 1989 and was found to account for the majority of cases of non-A, non-B hepatitis. The virus can cause persistent infection in susceptible hosts after parenteral or percutaneous transmission. Progression to chronic disease occurs in the majority of HCV-infected people, and infection is a major cause of cirrhosis, end-stage liver disease, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Infection with HCV also accounts for the main indication for liver transplantation.Chronic HCV is a growing health care concern. The primary care physician plays a key role in the management of these patients by (1) identifying those chronically infected with HCV, (2) educating, such individuals about the nature of the disease (particularly transmission, progression, and interaction with alcohol), and (3) assisting in treatment decisions.*77/348/5*

MENSTRUAL DISORDERS: DIETARY CONSIDERATIONS

admin — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 08:39:36 +0000

Many hormonal and metabolic changes occur before and during menstrual periods, which can cause such unpleasant symptoms as depression, tension, cramps, fainting spells, melancholia, tenderness of breasts, water retention, tachycardia, backache, etc. Although these symptoms are common, they are not normal. Healthy women, living close to nature and eating good diets of natural foods (such as women in Hunza, China, Russia, and Central American Indians) do not suffer from the monthly ordeal that women in Western countries do. Most menstrual symptoms are caused by nutritional deficiencies which lead to deficiency and/or improper metabolism of female sex hormones which abound during menstrual period. Vitamins E and B6 are particularly involved, as well as minerals calcium and iodine.
Dietary considerationsDiet should contain an adequate, but not excessive, amount of high quality proteins, preferably from raw, unpasteurized milk and sour milks, such as yogurt, kefir, clabbered milk, etc., plus one cup of kvark, homemade cottage cheese, daily.Whole grains, nuts and seeds, especially in sprouted form, should form the basis of the diet. Almonds, buckwheat, millet, oats, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds – these will supply not only high quality proteins, but also essential minerals and vitamins, particularly the all-important vitamins E and B-complex.Brewer’s yeast (or food yeast), cold-pressed vegetable oils, kelp, rose hips, lecithin and vitamins E and B6 are important supplements.Iron-rich foods should be emphasized: blackstrap molasses, apricots, milk, eggs, whole grains and nuts. Plenty of raw vegetables and fruits, particularly grapes and red beets. Vitamin С helps to absorb iron from food sources. Eat frequent small meals, instead of few large ones, to prevent low blood sugar, which is common during menstruation.
*3/103/5*

TREATMENT MODALITIES

admin — Sun, 05 Jun 2011 15:20:06 +0000

It seems as if the newest treatment for psychiatric disorders will eventually be derived from computerized tomography (CT), an unobtrusive, acceptable radiologic ‘view of the living brain which will probably increase the use of drugs in understanding the relationship between brain physiology and behavior. As yet, however, brain scan techniques have done more for stimulating brain-behavior research than for providing immediate practical applications (Serafetinides, 1985; Wyatt:1984). The most popular treatment today for a given category is the administration of psychopharmica. Group therapy^ is probably the next most popular treatment of choice for city disturbers. Group therapy champions the integration of the client into the rest of the community. This form of therapy is linked with systems theory and family therapy, both of which work with the communication problems within the client’s original milieu. The theory behind it is the assumption that the client’s problems are supported indirectly by the world he comes from.Neopsychoanalytic therapies seek an understanding relationship with the client, whom, it is hoped, will eventually achieve insight into his condition (Karon and Vandenbos, 1981). A Jungian development based upon empathetic understanding and patience is governed by the concept that the client is experiencing an archetypal drama which needs appreciation and understanding (Perry, 1974). More recent therapies such as dance therapy are aimed at enabling the client to express his condition more completely (Marion Chace, 1975; Schoop and Mitchell, 1974).*13\227\8*

ACUTE GROUP A STREPTOCOCCAL PHARYNGITIS

admin — Wed, 25 May 2011 14:32:22 +0000

By far the most common bacterial cause of acute pharyngitis is group A streptococci (Streptococcus pyogenes), commonly called “strep throat.” Treatment is important to decrease the risk of rheumatic fever, reduce the incidence of suppurative complications, and decrease spread of infection. Several clinical predictors for the diagnosis of group A streptococcal pharyngitis exist. The presence of tonsilar exudates, fever exceeding 101°F, anterior cervical lymphadenopathy, and a history of recent exposure all increase the likelihood that group A streptococcal pharyngitis is present. If three or four of these elements are present, the likelihood of group A streptococcal pharyngitis is high, with a positive predictive value of 40% to 60%. If two or fewer are present, group A streptococcal pharyngitis is less likely. Children under the age of 3 years or those who have had prior tonsillectomy may not present with many of these elements.A throat culture or group A streptococcal rapid antigen detection test can confirm the diagnosis of pharyngitis due to S. pyogenes. In children and adolescents, the rapid antigen test can be used as an initial screen; however, current recommendations suggest that if the rapid antigen test result is negative, it should be followed up by a throat culture. Because of the low incidence of S. pyogenes infection in children and adolescents presenting with pharyngitis, some investigators have suggested that rapid antigen testing may not be cost effective in this population. It is reasonable to initiate therapy on an acutely ill child with clinical features suggestive of group A streptococcal pharyngitis while awaiting results of the throat culture. Antibiotics should be discontinued if the cultures do not reveal evidence of S. pyogenes.In adults older than 20 years of age, the incidence of group A streptococcal pharyngitis is even lower, as is the risk for subsequent development of rheumatic fever. Thus, less rigorous evaluation is necessary. A reasonable management strategy for adults with pharyngitis is outlined below.1. Empirically treat all patients with four clinical predictors. 2. Withhold treatment and testing in patients with one or no clinical predictors.3. Perform rapid antigen testing for patients with two or three clinical predictors and prescribe antibiotics only if the test result is positive.An accepted alternative approach is to test patients with two or more clinical criteria empirically and reserve treatment for patients with positive group A streptococcal rapid antigen. Antibiotics are given to patients with two clinical criteria if they have a positive rapid antigen test result. These recommendations hold only for adults and do not apply to patients with history of rheumatic fever, valvular heart disease, immunosuppression, or chronic pharyngitis. They also do not apply during an epidemic of group A streptococcal pharyngitis or rheumatic fever.Once the decision to treat the patient for group A streptococcal pharyngitis has been made, an appropriate antibiotic regimen must be decided upon. Penicillin is considered to be the first choice. Adult dosage is penicillin V 500 mg PO bid or 250 mg PO qid for 10 days. If poor patient compliance is suspected, a one-time intramuscular dose of benzathine penicillin 1.2 million units can be given, but pain at the injection site may occur. Erythromycin, azithromycin, clindamycin, or second-generation oral cephalosporins are acceptable alternatives if the patient is allergic to or intolerant of penicillin. A shorter duration of therapy (4 to 6 days) is likely to be effective with use of a second-generation cephalosporin.Patients with either viral or bacterial pharyngitis should be offered supportive care. Oral fluid intake should be encouraged, and inability to swallow due to severe pain should trigger immediate evaluation. Antipyretics and analgesics should be recommended. Patients may have some symptomatic relief with warm salt-water gargles or over-the-counter throat lozenges that contain a mild topical anesthetic.*36/348/5*

EPILEPSY, EMPLOYMENT AND THE LAW: DRIVING REGULATIONS IN THE UK

admin — Mon, 16 May 2011 13:45:56 +0000

The risk of accidents is the reason that every country imposes some driving restrictions on people who have epilepsy. If you are diagnosed as having epilepsy, the realization that you will not be able to drive for at least two years may be one of the hardest blows. For many people, losing their driving licence is losing their independence. Recent research suggests that people with epilepsy who drive have the same road traffic accident rate as the average driver, but that they have a higher rate of crashes involving injury. Drivers with epilepsy are also more often involved in fatal road traffic accidents.No one who suffers from seizures is eligible for a driving licence. In most countries, however, your licence can be renewed once your epilepsy is controlled and you have been seizure-free for a certain length of time. The seizure-free interval required before a driving licence can be issued varies from country to country. In several countries, including Japan, someone with epilepsy is prohibited forever from being granted a driver’s licence. In others, the seizure-free time required varies from six to thirty-six months. In the USA each state has its own requirements, varying from six months to two years.The regulations in the UK have recently been changed to bring us into line with the EC, reducing the fit-free period that is required before a licence can be granted from two years to one. You are now allowed to hold an ordinary driving licence if you satisfy two of the following three conditions:1You must have been free of fits for at least one year (with or without treatment); or 2 You have had attacks only whilst asleep for at least three years (with or without treatment); and 3 Your driving is not likely to be a source of danger to the public.
If you are taking anticonvulsant drugs, it may be that although the treatment means that you satisfy conditions 1 or 2, the drugs themselves impair your driving ability so that you do not satisfy condition 3. Sometimes the side-effects of medication — drowsiness, double vision and slowing in reaction time – mean that even though you are seizure-free there may be risks involved if you are in charge of a vehicle.Your fitness to drive will be assessed by your doctor, and he or she will take into account the effects of the drugs that control your seizures as well as the degree of seizure control that you have achieved. In the UK (though not in some other countries, for example some states in the USA) your doctor has no legal responsibility to inform the Licensing Authority that you have epilepsy. It is up to you to do this, though your doctor must make sure that you know you have to do so. Your doctor will only break confidentiality and inform the Licensing Authority if he or she believes that is in your or the public’s best interests, and if you consistently refuse to inform the Licensing Authority yourself.The type of epilepsy you have or the severity of your seizures makes no difference; any seizure symptoms (apart from seizures during sleep) can prevent you gaining a licence. However, it is the Director of the Driving Licence Authority at Swansea who has the last word. If he rules against you, you can, if you wish, appeal, and your case would be heard in front of a magistrate. It is highly unlikely that a magistrate would overrule Swansea unless there were exceptional circumstances.If a licence is granted, it will be made dependent on your continuing treatment. If your treatment is altered, or stopped, then you will have to stop driving until your doctor and the Driving Licence Authority are again satisfied that it is safe for you to drive. You will also be required to apply for a new licence every three years. However, under a recent new policy, drivers with epilepsy who have been seizure-free for six years and who are not at risk of progressive epilepsy can now be granted licences until the age of 70.The regulations for drivers of buses and heavy goods vehicles are more strict. Driving is not permitted if a person is ‘liable to epileptic seizures’. This wording is generally interpreted as meaning that the person should have been free from seizures for at least ten years; that during this seizure-free period they should not have taken anti-epileptic medication; and that there should no longer be any likelihood of them having seizures. This would exclude anyone who has any brain damage which has previously caused seizures.Train driversThe restrictions are even more severe for train drivers. No one who has had even one fit after the age of five can become a train driver. In the case of London Underground, anyone who has ever had a fit is excluded.InsuranceMost types of insurance are available for people with epilepsy, but the premiums may be higher.*63\193\2*

EXAMINE YOUR LIFE AND REACH BOTH YOUR WEIGHT-LOSS AND LIFELONG GOALS: DO YOU NEED A LABEL?

admin — Thu, 05 May 2011 13:36:04 +0000

We have an identity problem in this society, and we think we need labels to solve it. What’s more, we all want to have the “right” label.School starts the process. In school there is one right answer, and we base our sense of self-worth on what other people identify as right. Then too, it’s in school that we first learn whether we are “high achievers” or in “the slow group.” And this labeling process is repeated ad nauseam every day of our life. Are we working class or middle class? Lower-middle class or upper-middle class? Are we black or white? Jewish or Christian? Catholic or Protestant? Perhaps we’re Hispanic or Pacific Islander. We’re supposed to know what boxes to check off in the questionnaire of life.A friend of mine tells me of an experience she had looking for an apartment in a New York suburb. A prospective landlady seemed ready to rent her a place, but she had a question first.”What are you?” she said.Hoping that her status as a human and a female were obvious, my friend said, “I’m an American.” But of course the landlady still looked puzzled, because what the woman really wanted to know was what religious or ethnic label she could attach to this person. To attach “person” to her just wasn’t enough. My friend thought it was, and she didn’t take the apartment.”Person” isn’t enough for a lot of people. Did you ever go to a Mets or Yankees game and see how some of the fans have to grasp at an identity that isn’t really theirs? Some of them are fanatics who dress up like the athletes and live through them. It’s one thing to enjoy a sport or participate in one. But when we begin to identify with something that is totally outside of ourselves, we can lose part of our real selves in the process. We are a culture that’s learned that copying styles, copying language, copying slogans, and copying rituals can give us our identity.Brand names are big deals in our society. People use these to identify themselves as having good taste or as having money. They actually wear brand names emblazoned on their clothes in a way that would have been considered crass until a few years ago. Instead of wearing a name tag that says “Hi! My name is John,” people wear a company name or logo on their clothes that says “Hey! I’ve got the sense and the bucks to buy such-and-such a brand. In fact, it’s part of who I am. Admire me.”But is that shirt company really part of who you are? Once you’ve paid your money to the department store, the shirt company cares about you about as much as that athletic team whose hat you’re wearing does once you’ve paid for game tickets. They don’t identify with you; why identify with them? Instead, let your own unique assets and characteristics define who you are. We’re looking for identity in all the wrong places.*289\257\8*

SKIN IN ADOLESCENCE: ORAL THERAPY FOR ACNE

admin — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 13:26:38 +0000

Most people with moderately severe acne require oral treatment in combination with creams. The main forms of oral therapy include antibiotics, hormone treatment and Ro-Accutane (Isotretinoin).
Oral antibiotics Until recently oral antibiotics were the mainstay of treatment for moderate to severe acne. Generally speaking, they are very successful in treating acne, and have minimal side effects.One common myth about antibiotics is that they lead to thrush in the bowel, which leads to chronic illness. Although antibiotics do increase the incidence of vaginal thrush, this is only a temporary phenomenon. They do not cause long-term illnesses. It is also sometimes believed that if antibiotics are taken for acne they will not work for more serious infections, which is not the case.The most commonly used antibiotics include tetracycline, minomycin, erythromycin and Bactrim. Usually, antibiotics need to be taken for a period of at least three months before any benefit is seen, and they need to be used on a prolonged basis as they do not ‘cure’ acne. The mainstay of therapy with antibiotics is therefore to suppress the acne until it spontaneously improves. The main limitation of antibiotics is that they are not effective in cases of severe cystic acne and become less effective with time, as resistance occurs.Most people tolerate antibiotics very well but may be fearful of taking them for a long time, despite their safety and effectiveness. (Exceptions here are the tetracyclines, which should not be taken by children under eight as they can stain the teeth and accumulate in developing bones. Likewise, although Erythromycin is safe during pregnancy, other antibiotics should not be taken during this time.)
*22/150/5*