Kidney Stones! Just Saying It Makes Me Cringe

February 13, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Photo by *Free-Secret-Life*
Men who have passed kidney stones say it is the male equivalent of giving birth.

The other day, a man was telling my husband about his recent excruciatingly painful experience with kidney stones. Of course, my husband then took an interest in finding out how to keep it from happening to him.

Kidney stones are one of the most common, and most painful, urinary tract disorders. While many people believe they only happen to men, the truth is that women have them too … just less often. And once you have had a stone, you are more likely to develop them again. As I heard one source put it, “Kidney stones are like dandelions. They can be eliminated, but they’ll be back next year.”

So let’s stop them before they start!

And you do that by, what else, watching your diet.

For starters, drinking lots of water throughout the day is the best way to keep stones from forming. Try for 12 ounces daily.
Eat less meat. Some researchers believe a diet high in protein can lead to stones. So eat protein rich foods in moderation.
Eat normal amounts of calcium daily. It was once believed that a low-calcium diet was important to ward off the formation of stones. Doctors believe the opposite today.

What foods should you avoid?

It is not believed that any certain foods cause kidney stones. However, for those who are at higher risk of getting them (i.e., those who have had them before or who have a family history of stones), some foods to avoid include spinach, strawberries, rhubarb, chocolate, wheat bran, nuts, beets, and coffee.

And the best tip I have to offer.

Drink cornsilk tea. Yes, that’s right, I said cornsilk. Take the silk straight from corn on the cob, boil it in water, strain, and drink. Rich in Vitamin K, cornsilk is highly valued as a support to the urinary tract system. It is believed that it can reduce the formation of kidney stones and can possibly even relieve the pain for someone who already has stones formed.

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Posted by Julie Alexander | Filed Under Blog, Men's Health, Wellness

Obese Men May Have Less Chance Of Surviving Prostate Cancer

November 20, 2007 | Leave a Comment

Obesity New research suggests that obese men are twice as likely to die after being diagnosed with prostate cancer than men of normal weight.

This research doesn’t claim that obesity causes cancer, but that the chance of survival is lower among the obese. Add this to diabetes and heart disease, and it’s just one more sign that too much weight equals bad health. The researchers found that 6.5 percent of men with normal weight died from prostate cancer within five years while the death rate for overweight men was 13.1 percent. The death rate for obese men was 12.2 percent.

What’s the link?

It is unclear as to why there is a link between obesity and prostate cancer death rates, but doctors suggest the following:

metabolism rates in heavy men may make the cancer more aggressive
obesity could render cancer treatments less effective
hormone changes may impact the cancer behavior
obese individuals tend to eat high-fat foods and few fruits and vegetables and therefore may be lacking key vitamins needed to help control cancer growth

When is it too late to make lifestyle changes?

Researchers say that what they don’t know is whether improvements made in lifestyle after diagnosis would improve the outcome for prostate cancer victims. But it doesn’t take a researcher to tell us that prevention is always the best route to take. Your chances of surviving any disease are greater if you start taking precautions prior to diagnosis. If you are a man with a body mass index of higher than 25, than now is the time to start making lifestyle changes, before it is too late. If you don’t know your current BMI, you can find out through a BMI calculator provided by The New York Times. A personal favorite book of mine for helping to make the proper lifestyle changes is The Abs Diet. While I do have a couple of very small concerns with this book (namely its suggestions of using the microwave which can destroy food nutrients and its lack of information regarding the dangers of using chemical sweeteners), it is loaded with great tips for losing weight safely and it provides wonderful healthy recipes with power foods that don’t leave you feeling like you need to eat more.

Posted by Julie Alexander | Filed Under Men's Health, Weight Loss

Impotence Drugs May Lead To Sudden Hearing Loss

November 12, 2007 | Leave a Comment

Viagra Warning

Viagra, Cialis, and Levitra can cause sudden hearing loss.

That is the new warning the FDA has asked erectile dysfunction drug makers to put on their product labels. This latest alert came after a case was reported of sudden hearing loss in a man taking Viagra. A search of FDA records found 29 similar reports since 1996 involving the drugs. The reports involve hearing loss in one ear, which in a third of the cases was temporary. While the hearing loss cases are rare and it is not certain that the hearing loss is caused by the drugs, the FDA decided they saw enough that they couldn’t ignore it and they proceeded to issue the warning.

Hearing loss is common in men in their 50’s (the age group most likely to take these drugs). However, age-related loss tends to be gradual while the hearing loss connected to this new drug warning is sudden. Viagra, Cialis, and Levitra will all bear the new warning on their labels, as well as Revatio, a drug for pulmonary hypertension, which contains the same ingredient as Viagra. The FDA urges users of Viagra, Cialis, and Levitra who experience hearing loss or ringing in the ears to stop taking the drugs and promptly call their doctors. However, users of Revatio should remain on the drug until they talk with their doctor

This new warning comes two years after impotence drugs were linked to cases of vision loss. Similarly, the vision loss cases are rare. However, impotence drugs have been on the market for nearly a decade now and have generally maintained an excellent safety record.

Posted by Julie Alexander | Filed Under Men's Health