What Happens to Sperm After Prostate Removal?
After prostate removal, the sperm has to go somewhere – but where?
Men who are facing prostate removal due to cancer will surely wonder where their sperm will go after removal of the prostate gland. It’s fair to wonder about this. (more…)
Risk of Prostate Cancer Spread from Needle Biopsy?
You’re scared that prostate cancer—which you don’t know if you have—will spread by a needle biopsy.
But if you don’t have the needle biopsy, then you can’t be diagnosed with prostate cancer – and thus won’t get treatment for it. (more…)
Can You Have an Extremely High PSA but No Prostate Cancer?
Should you panic about prostate cancer if you learn that your PSA is shockingly high? (more…)
Prostate Cancer, Catheter Removal, Bladder Pain: Causes, Solutions
Some men suffer with bladder pain following catheter removal after prostate cancer treatment—for several weeks.
What are the causes of this and what can be done about it? (more…)
Causes of Lots of Squamous Cell Carcinomas in a Short Time Period
Squamous cell carcinoma is a potentially fatal skin cancer that can arise in multiple locations in a rather short period of time.
Most deaths are believed to occur in the elderly, who are more likely to delay seeing a doctor for a gradually growing pink/red scabby lesion on their face, nose or scalp. (more…)
How to Get More Freckles without Increasing Skin Cancer Risk?
Some women love the look of freckles but don’t want the higher risk of skin cancer that comes with sun exposure. (more…)
Might a New Mole Between the Toes Be a Melanoma?
If you have a new mole or “spot” between your toes, do NOT blow it off as possible melanoma just because no sun gets between your toes.
“Yes, melanomas can grow in areas that typically do not receive much sunlight,” says Dr. Janet Prystowsky, board certified dermatologist in New York, NY, with 30+ years’ experience.
“This is because the effects of sun damage aren’t always localized. A sunburn on your back, for example, increases your risk of melanoma in general, not necessarily only on your back.”
Bad News
So if you received a blistering sunburn as a child, this means your risk of melanoma anywhere on your body has been increased.
However, you need not suffer from any sunburns in order to get melanoma. A sunburn-free life does not get you off the hook from this skin cancer.
Melanoma can grow on the skin – ANYWHERE. This cancer arises from melanocytes—the cells that produce pigment in the skin.
Where there is skin or a mole, there can arise melanoma, with only about one-third of these tumors arising in pre-existing moles.
This means your monthly self-exams should include all areas of skin – including between the toes, and including any mole that you’ve had between your toes since the day you could remember.
Checking for Melanoma Between the Toes
Shutterstock/sruilk
It certainly helps if you’re flexible. You can prop a foot up on the sink, spread your toes and examine for any new moles, spots or bumps, or any changes in a pre-existing mole, even if it’s tiny.
Incorporate the use of a mirror to check between your toes from behind, as well as behind your toes and the soles of your feet.
Another reason why melanoma can appear in areas that have received very little sun exposure is because there are other factors in the development of this disease: factors not completely understood by researchers.
This is why not all sunburned white people or pale skinned redheads get melanoma, and why some patients have had no sunburns ever and/or have dark skin, and/or dark hair and brown eyes.
Before you go outside for extended periods in sandals or flip-flops, put sunscreen all over your feet and between your toes.
And foot exams for melanoma are yet one more incentive to improve your flexibility – so you can get up as close as possible to view your skin and moles.
In combination with her focus on early skin cancer detection and removal, Dr. Prystowsky provides a wide range of revitalizing and rejuvenating treatments.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
When Brown Mole Turns Red: Melanoma or Nothing to Worry About?
Melanomas from Existing Moles vs. As New Spots on Skin
There are differences between melanomas that arise from existing moles and those that appear as brand new spots on skin where there’s no original mole. (more…)
You Know You Probably Have Sleep Apnea When…
Sleep apnea not only is one of the most misdiagnosed conditions.
But many undiagnosed people are in denial that they might actually have it.
Though the stereotypical patient is an overweight middle aged man with a short thick neck, even skinny young children can be diagnosed with sleep apnea.
Three Kinds of Sleep Apnea
• Obstructive – Associated with structural issues with the throat as well as over-relaxed throat muscles. Obesity and male gender are risk factors, but thin people including women can have it.
• Central – The brain fails to send proper signals to the muscles that control breathing.
• Complex – Having both obstructive and central types.
Sleep apnea is a risk factor for heart disease, heart attack, stroke and vehicular accidents (due to the drowsiness and impaired alertness).
Shutterstock/iLoveCoffeeDesign
You Know You Probably Have Sleep Apnea When…
“You’re now sleeping on the couch because your bedpartner can’t take your snoring,” says Joseph Krainin, MD, board certified in sleep medicine and neurology and founder of online sleep apnea clinic Singular Sleep.
“Your bedpartner says, ‘I think I heard you die for a moment last night in your sleep,’” continues Dr. Krainin.
“You wake up after a full-night of sleep just as tired as when you went to bed.”
And you continue feeling as tired as a dog despite being up and about for an hour or two, even after washing your face and eating breakfast.
“You’re known around the office as ‘that person who always falls asleep in meetings’ at work,” says Dr. Krainin.
You also can be pretty sure you have sleep apnea when you feel a need for several naps throughout the day despite sleeping for eight hours (or what seems like eight hours).
Another tip-off that you likely have sleep apnea is that lately, you’ve become uncharacteristically irritable and grouchy, and/or have new-onset difficulty concentrating and focusing – that cannot be explained with changes in life situation or new medications.
Another red flag for sleep apnea is that, despite being well into adulthood, you’ve recently been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or attention deficit disorder (ADD).
Did you know that the symptoms of sleep apnea and the symptoms that comprise ADHD or ADD are strikingly similar?
Not the snoring, of course, nor the gasps for breath while you sleep. But the mental or cognitive symptoms of sleep apnea are virtually identical to those of ADHD/ADD.
This is why when children are diagnosed with ADHD, parents need to zip them straight over to a sleep doctor for a full evaluation.
You may also have sleep apnea when your bed partner reports that you go long periods without breathing while asleep.
Your stomach suddenly stops rising up and down; it’s dead still – as though you’re dead. Then suddenly it goes up again for a breath, and breathing resumes.
Another red flag: Suddenly awakening feeling you can’t get in a breath.
And there’s more: awakening with headache (the deprived oxygen during sleep shorts the brain of oxygen).
Let’s not forget insomnia.
All of these symptoms can also be caused by unrelated issues.
But the more you have, the higher the index of suspicion for sleep apnea!
In 2013 Dr. Krainin was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, an honor reserved for sleep doctors who’ve made significant contributions to the field in education, research and service.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
Reasons Your Forearm Muscles Are Twitching: ALS Possible?
The forearm muscles are a unique muscle group, so when they start twitching, this is easily felt and even sometimes seen, raising the issue of ALS.
The forearm muscles are primarily responsible for wrist and hand movement.
If you’re worried about ALS because your forearm muscles are twitching, chances are highly likely that you googled some keywords that led you straight to ALS search results.
“If you consult ‘Dr. Google’ you might get yourself pretty worried because you are likely to find that ALS often presents with muscle twitches,” says Joseph Krainin, MD, board certified neurologist and sleep doctor.
Causes of Muscle Twitching in the Forearms
Dr. Krainin continues, “However, by far, ALS is NOT the most likely cause of forearm muscle twitches.
“Overall, the most common cause of muscle twitches is called benign fasciculations.
“As the name implies, this condition is not dangerous and is ‘self-limited,’ i.e., goes away on its own with time.
“If you have been overusing or carrying a lot of tension in your forearm muscles, you might be predisposed to getting benign fasciculations in these muscles.
“Activities such as racket sports and yoga can be very demanding on your forearms.” So can rock or wall climbing and lifting weights.
Shutterstock/Luka Funduk
Time passage is on your side. If over a period of several weeks, two months for sure, you have not noticed any weakness in your forearms, it’s a safe bet that you do not have any serious disease.
However, be careful with how you conduct strength tests for your forearm muscles.
For example, if you’ve never done wrist rolls against resistance before, and create a device with which to do this or use the device at your gym, your forearms and wrists will fatigue very quickly.
You’ll then probably start convincing yourself you have weakness.
If your forearms have a pathological weakness, you’ll know it. Anything that involves wrist action and gripping will falter, such as grabbing a half gallon milk carton out of the refrigerator with one hand and pouring the milk.
Lifting dumbbells to get into position for dumbbell presses is another movement that will greatly manifest pathological forearm weakness.
The list is endless, as we need our hands and wrists for so many daily tasks, including starting our car and putting on our seatbelts.
Forearm Muscle Twitching
There is nothing unique about the muscles in this location that would mean that their twitching is more suggestive of ALS or some other disease, when compared to fasciculations at other body locations.
Visibility of fasciculations, as well, is not indicative of the potential or odds that this might be caused by a motor neuron condition.
If you haven’t been doing racket sports, yoga, weightlifting or climbing, what could be causing your forearm muscles to twitch?
Anxiety, general fatigue and physical activity involving the upper body are leading causes, and the fasciculations can occur anywhere.
Double board certified in sleep medicine and neurology, Dr. Krainin is founder and president of Singular Sleep, LLC, an award-winning online sleep center.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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Top image: ©Lorra Garrick
