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An Aging Heart

amongmen — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 13:45:07 +0000

“Under normal circumstances, the heart continues to adequately supply all parts of the body. However, an aging heart may be slightly less able to tolerate increased workloads, because changes reduce this extra pumping ability (reserve heart function).”

As we age, there are changes that take place in our hearts, our vessels, and our blood. Some of the changes that take place in the heart itself are: a decrease in the rate of the heart due to cell loss in the SA node or commonly known as our natural pacemaker; an increase in the size of the heart along with thickening of the walls of the heart, which can result in a decrease in the amount of volume that the heart can hold; deposits of lipofuscin or also known as the “aging pigment”; valve stiffness, which can result in a heart murmur; and abnormal rhythms as well as degeneration of muscle cells in the heart. This MedlinePlus article serves to acquaint you with the changes that take place in other parts of the circulatory system mentioned above, such as the changes that take place in the blood and in our blood vessels. The article, not only gives you information about the changes that take place in our cardiovascular system as we age, but also about actions you can take right now to keep your cardiovascular as healthy as possible for as long as possible.

Explore Spirituality & Relieve Stress

amongmen — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 13:45:36 +0000

“For many, spirituality takes the form of religious observance, prayer, meditation or a belief in a higher power. For others, it can be found in nature, music, art or a secular community. Spirituality is different for everyone.”

According to the Mayo Clinic, spirituality offers many benefits for, not only stress relief, but also for your overall mental health. Spirituality can help you discern what are the most important aspects of your life, which can help you to relieve stress by giving less focus to the less important aspects of your life. Spirituality can also help you find your life’s purpose, which can give you inner piece, and therefore relieve your stress. Another way that spirituality can help is by showing you the connection you have to other human beings, which can help you to realize that you cannot be responsible for everything that happens in your life. These are just some of the many ways that spirituality can guide you to attain a stress-free, happy, and healthy life. This article can help you explore your own spirituality and find the path that speaks to you.

What is Your Risk Level for Heart Disease?

amongmen — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 13:45:19 +0000

“If you’re like most people, you think that heart disease is a problem for other folks. But heart disease is the number one killer in the U.S. It is also a major cause of disability.”

While some people are born with heart disease, for most people, it is a disease that can be prevented with behavior modification. Heart disease most commonly occurs as a result of plaque build-up on the surface of the walls of coronary arteries. This is very serious since coronary arteries are the vessels that supply blood to the heart. If blood is prevented from reaching the heart this can result in a heart attack and coronary artery disease is the major reason for myocardial infarctions.

Reduce your risk by:

not smoking
monitoring blood pressure
frequent exercise
eating a healthy diet
lowering cholesterol levels

Take a quick questionaire to find out your risk level.

Take The Heart Disease Risk Questionnaire

Dangerous Pains

amongmen — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 13:45:48 +0000

“Most of the time, it’s good that the little Vince Lombardi sitting on our shoulder tells us to shut up and play through the pain, otherwise we’d never get anything done. On the other hand, there are a few instances in which we can actually talk ourselves out of existence. That’s what happened to NBC reporter David Bloom. While covering the war in Iraq from his specially outfitted armored vehicle, he began to feel pain behind his knee. He reportedly sought out medical advice by satellite phone, decided not to follow the advice—”Go to a doctor”—popped a few aspirin, and kept right on going. Three days later, Bloom died of a pulmonary embolism caused by deep-vein thrombosis. He was 39.”

groin pain that occurs suddenly: this pain usually feels like someone or something has hit you in the testicles. This pain can most likely be attributed to a congenital defect called testicular torsion. In the average male, there are two spermatic chords that anchor the testicles from the scrotum to the abdomen. However, some people are born with just one spermatic cord, which runs the risk of getting tangled causing testicular torsion. The testicles can be saved if the man receives medical attention within 4-6 hours of the onset of pain; pas 12 or 24 hours there is risk of losing one or both testicles.

back pain: if the pain is not related to exercise, back pain can be the result of an aneurysm.

persistent pain of shin or top of the foot: this pain may be the result of a stress fracture. People usually develop stress fractures when they train so hard that they do not let their body heal.

sharp abdomen pain: there are many problems that could be attributed to this particular pain since there are a lot of organs present between your ribs and your hips. The most likely culprits: appendicitis, pancreatitis, or an inflamed gallbladder.

temporary chest pain: Even if the pain lasts for only a short period of time, it can be a sign of something serious like a heart attack. However, it is not always serious and it may be indigestion.

swelling and pain in the leg (calves): this pain may be due to deep-vain thrombosis (DVT). Even though your instinct may be to rub your leg where the pain is located, it is the worst thing that you can do because this allows a clot to travel to your lung or other vital organs and kill you. DVT pain is accompanied with swelling, tenderness, and warmness of the leg.

pain with urination: the worst case scenario is cancer of the bladder, which is the fourth most common cancer in men.

Symptoms of Depression in Men

amongmen — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 13:45:29 +0000

“The symptoms that men experience can be different from those that women experience. Symptoms including anger, irritability, and feeling discouraged are more common in men than symptoms of hopelessness or helplessness.”

Since men are less likely to verbalize their depression it is difficult to diagnose men. Men do not normally express the symptoms that are common to depression, but rather they express their feelings through gambling, drug/alcohol use, or working more. Other signs of depression in men are changes in appetite and sleep. If you or someone that you know shows these signs of depression, talk to them about their options, which include therapy, medication, or both.

Coping with Urinary Incontinence

amongmen — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 12:45:49 +0000

“If you’re a male who’s dealing with urinary incontinence, you definitely need to get medical help. But while you and your doctor are figuring out how to solve the problem, there are things you can do on your own that might improve your symptoms. Here are some tips to help you deal with male incontinence.”

Train your bladder: begin by scheduling bathroom breaks and go to the bathroom whether you feel like going or not. After some time, spread further apart your bathroom breaks. In about a month’s time you should be able to urinate about every three to four hours.

Kegel exercises: contrary to what many men believe, Kegel exercises are not just for women and they provide the perfect training for your pelvic floor muscles. If your pelvic floor muscles are strong, you will be able to better retain your urine.

Documentation: For the first few days, keep a diary of liquid intake, how much you urinate, if you have leakage, intake of caffeinated beverages, and if there is anything that triggers your symptoms; this will not only help to examine what might be causing your symptoms, but also during a consultation with your doctor.

Double-Voiding: after urination, try urinating a second time to prevent leakage.

Lower alcohol and caffeine intake: alcohol and caffeinated beverages are diuretics, which means that they will increase the rate of urination.

Other tips include: avoiding foods that aggravate symptoms, discontinue the use of tobacco, space-out fluid intake, stay hydrated, treat constipation, plan ahead, consider side-effects of medications, and get support.

Maintain a Healthy Weight

amongmen — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 12:45:30 +0000

To be able to maintain a healthy weight it is important to know the numbers that fall within a healthy range. The best way to know whether you are within a healthy range is to look at your body fat composition, but unfortunately many of us cannot afford this option. An inexpensive way to, pretty accurately, see whether you fall within a healthy weight range is to measure the circumference of your waist. As we have mentioned before, the fat around your abdomen is the most dangerous fat because it can put you at risk for obesity-related conditions such as, Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high triglycerides, and coronary artery disease.

Know how to correctly measure your waist:

1. place a measuring tape around your bare abdomen so it is right below your bellybutton or just above your hip bone.

2. make sure the tape is parallel to the floor and snug around your abdomen, but not too tight.

3. then, relax, inhale, and measure right after exhaling (after breathing out).

Another way to asses your weight, which is also pretty accurate, is to calculate your body mass index (BMI).

“If your BMI is less than 18.5, it falls within the “underweight” range.
If your BMI is 18.5 to 24.9, it falls within the “normal” or Healthy Weight range.
If your BMI is 25.0 to 29.9, it falls within the “overweight” range.
If your BMI is 30.0 or higher, it falls within the “obese” range.”

6 Tips to Keep Your Prostate Healthy

amongmen — Mon, 29 Oct 2012 12:45:14 +0000

1. Regular coffee and even decaffeinated coffee reduces your chance of prostate cancer by 59%

2. Frequent orgasms: “A 2004 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association analyzed data on 29,342 men and found that guys who had 21 or more orgasms a month were about 30 percent less likely to develop prostate cancer than those who racked up only four to seven a month.”

3. Eat more tomatoes, about 2+ servings per week

4. Exercise for at least five hours per week to reduce your chance of prostate cancer by 56%

5. Omega-3 fatty acids help to inhibit tumor formation

6. Reduce your trans fat intake by eating healthier

Learning Happiness

amongmen — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 12:45:59 +0000

We often hear from people to smile more often and eventually we will actually feel happy. Even though it sounds strange, there might be something to the madness. According to the May Clinic, for the majority of people, happiness is cultivated by changing thoughts and behaviors. People often think that if they were more beautiful or wealthy or more stress-free in general they will be happy, but this is actually not the case. Even people who are beautiful and rich are not happier on average because happiness is learned.

“People who are happy seem to intuitively know that their happiness is the sum of their life choices, and their lives are built on the following pillars:

Devoting time to family and friends
Appreciating what they have
Maintaining an optimistic outlook
Feeling a sense of purpose
Living in the moment”

Learn how to be happy (or happier) >>Tips for cultivating contentment

Take a Deep Breath

amongmen — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 12:45:07 +0000

“Relaxation techniques can reduce stress symptoms and help you enjoy a better quality of life, especially if you have an illness. Explore relaxation techniques you can do by yourself.”

For most of us, sometimes it seems like our daily schedule does not allow us to even take a breath! Sometimes it may even seem stressful to think about setting time aside to meditate, exercise, or practice any other relaxation techniques on top of everything else that you have to do. However, even just a few minutes that you can dedicate to relaxation techniques can provide many health benefits such as, lowering your blood pressure, decreasing the rate of your breadth and heart, and even improve concentration!

There are different kinds of relaxation techniques:

Autogenic Relaxation
Progressive Muscle Relaxation
Visualization
Hypnosis
Massage
Meditation
Tai chi
Yoga

Click on the link below to learn about these techniques and the benefits they can provide for your health and your life over all. Remember that relaxation techniques work best when they are used in combination with a decent amount of sleep and routine exercise.