New Moles in Middle Age People: Melanoma or Benign?
New moles in older age are cause for concern, according to many dermatologists.
What if a newly discovered mole after age 40 looks normal?
Should you have a new mole examined anyways?
Dr. Monica Halem, MD, a dermatologic surgeon who specializes in skin cancer surgery, laser and cosmetic surgery, answers some important questions you may have.
Dr. Halem: Yes, if someone develops a new mole they should have it looked at at any age even if they think it looks benign.
Dermatologists have a special instrument called a dermatoscope where they can look closer at the pigment network than with the naked eye.
We are trained to spot certain features that can tell us if the lesion might be malignant.
The only way to definitively know is to do a biopsy if we are suspicious. Almost 100% of melanoma is curable if caught early enough.
Should you keep an extra close watch even if the doctor says it looks benign?
I would recommend that everyone watch their moles carefully.
There is the ABCDE’s of melanoma. When they check their moles they should look for the following:
A = Asymmetry. If you cut your mole if half, you want to make sure both sides are symmetric
B = Border. You want to make sure the border is regular
C = Color. You want to look for moles that are “black” or multicolored.
D = Diameter. Anything bigger than 6mm or a pencil head eraser.
E = Evolution. Anything that is changing over time, increasing in size or bleeding.
Is there a time span that, after which the new mole still appears normal, one can cease worrying that it might one day become melanoma?
Or will it always be at higher risk of becoming melanoma since it appeared during middle age?
No, there is no amount of time that can pass for a person to not be concerned.
I would not recommend that patients be anxious about their moles, but I would recommend monthly skin exams with the guidelines above.
Monthly exams followed by a yearly dermatologic exam and sooner if patients are concerned about certain spots, is adequate for surveillance.
Shutterstock/Image Point Fr
Should every new mole over age 40 be removed no matter what?
There is no need for anxiety. Follow the recommendations above as a guideline.
What percentage of new moles in men and women age 40-50 eventually become melanoma?
There are no statistical data on this. There are many different factors that cause a mole to turn into melanoma.
Most of these are still be studied. What we know now, is that it is multifactorial, including but not limited to genetics and sun exposure.
One American dies of melanoma every hour. That to me is not hype. If patients follow the recommendations above that should be more then adequate.
Is there data on what percentage a new mole will become melanoma?
There is no data on this.
As for the new moles that turn into melanoma, is there a time passage that this usually occurs?
If the spot is destined to become melanoma in middle age, does this change usually occur within a certain time frame from the “birth” of the spot?
No data on this at all. There is no way to tell in terms of timeline when a mole turns into melanoma.
Say an individual decides to just “watch” a benign-looking new spot.
If he waits for it to start changing, is it possible that the day he first notices it changing (assume he checks every month), it might have gone from normal to stage 2 melanoma?
Or is it usually the case that if one diligently monitors it, he will be able to perceive normal-to-stage 0 (very early melanoma) changes?
The latter.
If a new mole is destined to become melanoma, can its size be an indicator?
Can one assume, “Well, I don’t have to worry about it because it’s half a millimeter?”
No, there are other guidelines besides size. See above.
If a new tiny speck is a mole, how fast is it expected to increase in diameter if it stays benign?
There is no data on rate of growth.
Dr. Halem, Founder and Medical Director of The New York Dermatologic Surgery Cosmetic Laser Center, has devoted a decade to clinical research, conducting trials that have advanced cosmetic and surgical dermatology.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, health and personal security topics for many years, having written thousands of feature articles for a variety of print magazines and websites. She is also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
Fading Moles: Melanoma, or Could this Be Something Else Besides Skin Cancer?
Is a fading mole, one that’s getting lighter, worrying you about melanoma?
Have you noticed a mole on your body has been fading or getting lighter?
You’ve heard that melanoma skin cancer that develops in a pre-existing mole often manifests as a mole that gets darker, even black.
But how often does melanoma present as a mole that’s suddenly starting to fade or get lighter?
Melanoma can come in the colors of brown, black, blue, grey, red and white. A melanoma mole can start changing colors.
But what if you notice a mole that’s always been dark brown, and suddenly, it just starts getting lighter or fading?
It doesn’t necessarily change size, however. The mole only fades or gets lighter.
I’ve been conducting monthly skin checks for quite a while and was always aware of a dark mole on my back, about 3 millimeters in diameter.
It was clearly what you’d consider a “dark” mole. Every month my eyes would sweep my back for anything out of the ordinary.
To get the best view, I’d sit on my sink, and with a hand mirror, look at my back through a wall mirror to the side.
The first phase consisted of standing at the sink and viewing my back with the hand mirror while my back was angled towards the side wall mirror.
Next, I’d sit on the sink for a closer view.
Finally, I’d sit back on the sink as far in as possible, twist my back and lean in funny, maneuvering the mirror awkwardly to get the closest-possible view.
One day I was viewing my hair behind my neck, not even thinking about the spot because it wasn’t time for my skin exam.
But I caught it in my peripheral vision; it was strikingly lighter.
My eyes shifted directly to it; I couldn’t believe what I was seeing:
The mole was so much lighter all of a sudden! It had always been dark!
The mole was now significantly lighter and quite faded.
“What the f—!” I thought melanoma. Melanoma.
My last skin exam had been only 25 days previous, and it had looked the way it always had.
But now, what the f—, this mole was so much lighter, completely faded! I got in closer to examine it.
The distribution pattern of the shading was changed.
However, the size and outer shape were the same as always.
I also speculated that this was another case of follicular irritation, as I had experienced this 14 months previously with another mole; the top layer suddenly began flaking off.
The dermatologist back then had told me it wasn’t melanoma, but most likely follicular irritation.
I had told her to remove the whole thing. A biopsy came back negative.
But THIS spot now?
It didn’t look like the top layer was flaking off. I wasn’t even sure if it was even elevated, because I could never get a linear, up-close-and-personal viewing due to its location, and I had to use two mirrors.
I was not able to reassure myself that it was follicular irritation. Within minutes of the discovery of this fading mole, I made an appointment with a dermatologist.
Then I did an extensive Internet search on melanoma, which I had done before on melanoma, but this time, I discovered something I never knew about: the halo nevus.
Halo nevus (mole)
I checked my mole again; there was no halo! The Internet pictures showed very striking halos, almost neon white in some cases.
So if this wasn’t follicular irritation, and since it obviously wasn’t a halo nevus, then what else could be causing the mole to get lighter and fade?
I kept thinking melanoma. Melanoma. It’s melanoma.
A halo nevus is a mole with a very light halo of skin around it; surrounding skin starts getting much lighter than the rest of the skin; the mole starts fading, getting lighter, until eventually, it completely disappears. Halo nevus is benign.
Eight days later in the dermatologist’s office, she examined the spot; her first words were, “It doesn’t look worrisome.”
I asked, “What could cause a mole to change so quickly like this?” She replied, “I don’t think it’s a mole. It looks like a seborrheic keratosis.”
Seborrheic Keratosis
SK‘s are benign growths on the skin (see above image). I had the doctor completely remove mine just in case it might be melanoma.
Three business days later, the biopsy results were in: It was a seborrheic keratosis.
In retrospect, I realize that the spot could have easily passed for an SK while I was viewing it.
But it never dawned on me that it was an SK, because the distortion created by the two mirrors, plus the fact I could not get up-close-and-personal to view it, made it look more like a mole.
So if you ever notice a mole fading or getting lighter, don’t panic; it might be an SK.
However, see a dermatologist immediately to rule out melanoma.
These are examples of melanoma.
A mole with non-uniform fading, or disappearing sections, is highly suspicious for melanoma.
These moles have regressed areas of milky white or light grey.
Kara Shah, MD and a dermatologist, discusses dangerous regressing moles.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, health and personal security topics for many years, having written thousands of feature articles for a variety of print magazines and websites. She is also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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Top. image: Shutterstock/IanRedding
mayoclinic.com/health/melanoma/DS00439; emedicine.medscape.com/article/1057446-overview
Melanoma Skin Cancer: When Changing Moles Are Benign
Melanoma: What can cause a mole to change besides skin cancer?
We’ve been alarmed by the media when it comes to changing moles — to See your doctor immediately if you have a changing mole to rule out skin cancer.
The words changing mole can dredge up the deepest fear in many people: skin cancer.
“Moles, just like the rest of our bodies, can change over time,” says Adarsh Vijay Mudgil, MD, double board certified in dermatology and dermatopathology, and founder of Mudgil Dermatology in NY.
“Subtle change over the course of years is not a melanoma,” continues Dr. Mudgil.
“Drastic change (multiple colors within a pre-existing monochromatic lesion, rapid growth, etc.) can indicate trouble, and any such lesion should be biopsied.”
Melanoma
However, melanoma usually will not cause changes in a mole that you can detect from one day to the next.
Melanoma skin cancer kills about 9,000 Americans yearly. Skin cancer can also disfigure.
- So what can cause a mole to change besides skin cancer?
- If 1,000 people have a changing mole, nobody knows how many of those will be melanoma.
If you have a changing mole, you should immediately make an appointment with a dermatologist.
But what can cause a mole to change besides skin cancer?
Follicular irritation. Some moles have a hair growing out of them. If the follicle, from which the hair grows, becomes irritated, this can cause the top layer of the mole to flake off.
This is what my dermatologist told me after she examined a changing mole on my face (biopsy was normal).
The entire layer could be gone in under two weeks: a rapidly changing mole that can scare the pants off of anyone conscious of skin cancer.
Lighting and shadows. It’s amazing how lighting-changes can create the illusion of a changing mole.
Make sure that you always check your moles in the exact same location of the house, and always under the same lighting conditions.
This means the same number of lights are used that shine above the sink mirror, for instance, or the dimmer switch is always on all the way.
Same time of day is best, and make sure light from a window is the same (i.e., curtains always drawn, or shade always up, etc.).
Variations in lighting can make a mole look like it’s changing, in that it will appear lighter or darker than usual, due to lighting fluctuations.
A light source above can also create an illusion that the top-half of the mole’s border has developed a white outline.
This is something you may have never noticed before, and because of that, the mole is “changing” and you fear skin cancer.
Skin cancer can turn parts of a mole white. When examining, examine from the same angles.
A change in angle can result in the appearance of a partially white border, created by a bright light source above.
More Causes that Aren’t Skin Cancer
Body position. Some moles, due to location, require some body contortion to get the best view. Or do they? Be aware of body contortions.
Shutterstock/Albina Glisic
One day a mole on my back appeared to be smaller and rounder: changing.
It took a few days for me to figure out that it “became” smaller and rounder when both shoulders were relaxed.
Historically, I had viewed it (during monthly skin exams) with one shoulder jutted up and forward, my back slightly twisted.
The mole is on my back and thus, I somewhat contorted myself, while sitting on the sink, to get the best, head-on view.
But this twisting and uneven shoulders stretched the skin, thereby “expanding” the mole and lessening its naturally round shape. I was used to seeing it this way.
So on the day I just happened to view it with a straight back and no jutting shoulder, it was actually its normal shape.
But because I wasn’t used to viewing it this way, I thought the mole was changing.
Always use the same body position when examining in hard-to-view locations.
Hair. I noticed that the top of a mole on my back was white, but not the same kind of white as mentioned prior. I had never noticed this before.
After a number of examinations at different angles, I discovered that the white was actually the bright light glinting off a hair just above the mole! I then began spotting other “white” hairs nearby.
If I angled my back a certain way, the white part morphed into a full-fledged hair.
The human back is full of hairs if you look closely. My back looks completely void of hair until I look closely, and then I see a ton of very short, very light hairs. This mole just happened to be smack under a hair.
Soap. One day I noticed a mole on my thigh looked a little different and had a whitish tinge to it.
It had a line down the middle I’d never seen before. The mole isn’t that big, but I could discern a line or divider down its center.
I placed my finger on it and felt texture. I’d never been able to feel it before. A mole can change by becoming elevated and changing color.
I then rubbed my finger across it and it instantly changed, appearing more like it always had.
I rubbed several times, and the white kind of flaked off it, and voila, it appeared the way it always had.
I then realized that earlier that day, soap suds had cascaded down my legs, and the mole was smack in the path. The whitish tinge and divider line had been caused by dried soap.
“It’s easy to lose the forest for the trees,” says Dr. Mudgil. “As a dermatopathologist, the majority of pigmented lesions I read are 100% benign.
“The key when examining a patient is looking for the outlier — a mole that is significantly different in appearance than what a patient naturally makes.”
Dr. Mudgil treats infant to geriatric patients, and is versed in all aspects of medical, surgical and cosmetic dermatology. He has published extensively in the medical literature plus has lectured at numerous national meetings.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, health and personal security topics for many years, having written thousands of feature articles for a variety of print magazines and websites. She is also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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Top image: Shutterstock/goodluz
When Brown Mole Turns Red: Melanoma or Nothing to Worry About?
Does a brown mole changing to red necessarily mean melanoma?
How many times have you read that when a mole changes color, this can be a sign of melanoma and to immediately see a doctor?
In fact, for skin cancer screening, we are told to check our ABCDE’s, and the “C” stands for color:
If a mole changes color, not only is this suspicious and should be examined by a doctor, but melanoma can cause a mole to “turn red.”
The year prior I had drawn a mole map of my lower leg so that I could then know what has apparently always been there, as far as moles.
But I never referred back to the map until a year later.
And that’s when I discovered a little dark brown spot that was not on the mole map!
It was on my shin, nearby a prominent mole, so how could I have possibly missed it when I was drawing the map?
The only explanation: It was a new mole!
Normally, moles do not appear in people over 30, though new moles can appear throughout life.
However, dermatologists are leery about new moles later in life.
New moles are common in people up to age 30. But past 30, these are to be regarded as suspicious and should be examined by a doctor.
Because I thought the spot on my shin was new, I scheduled an appointment with a doctor. She said it looked benign and I decided to just “watch” it.
I had already lined up an appointment with her prior anyways, which was two months away, for my annual routine skin exam.
I looked at this new spot three times per week for a while, then once every three days.
On a Thursday, it appeared as it always had since I discovered it: a 1-millimeter brown mole.
On Sunday, about 48 days after the doctor had examined it, it appeared a fraction larger, and had a red tinge to it.
I knew I wasn’t imagining the vague increase in size because all along, I had been measuring it up against a file card on which I had drawn two spots with a pencil: one the same size as the mole, and one just a fraction larger.
On Sunday, with the index card against my leg for a side-by-side comparison, I saw that the speck was a hair bigger than the spot that it was supposed to be the same size as, and the SAME size as the penciled spot that it was supposed to be a fraction smaller than!
Now, you might be thinking I’m a hypochondriac, but just weeks before, I had a rapidly changing “mole” removed from my back!
So I was still uptight. The changing mole on my back turned out to be a benign skin barnacle.
I was also positive I was not imagining that the spot on my leg had a new reddish tinge to it.
I had other small spots just like this one on my leg, all the same shade of brown, and when I compared this particular spot to the others, I could clearly see that it just didn’t match anymore in color.
On Monday I made an appointment to have it removed for the following Friday.
So, for five days, I suspected melanoma.
Why ELSE would this mole have developed the reddish cast and gotten a tiny bit larger?
Melanoma can be red. Source: Laurence Meyer, MD, cancer.gov
You read about how a changing mole can mean melanoma, and how when it changes colors (remember that “C”?) it can mean melanoma, and how the color red can mean melanoma in a previously brown or tan mole.
Over the next five days the mole reverted back to its original size, which provided me relief, but it remained reddish brown, though I was positive that come Friday morning, it was less red and more brown; closer to its original brown, but still tinged reddish.
Though the doctor (dermatologist) informed me that the mole was the same size as it was about 53 days prior, when she had first examined it, she then alarmed me by stating, “It looks red.”
So now I knew for sure I wasn’t imagining that the brown mole had turned a bit red.
She removed it with a “shave” procedure, taking with it a small margin of surrounding skin.
When the nurse called with the biopsy results, she said: “It’s a lentigo simplex. That means it’s benign.” She added, “A benign sun spot.”
Lentigo. Shutterstock/Dermatology11
So what had turned this brown “mole” red?
The nurse said that “simplex” is a term used to describe something that had been irritated from being scratched or rubbed.
I had no recollection of scratching or rubbing this area, but then again, it’s not impossible to be unaware of reaching down to scratch one’s leg. It can happen in your sleep.
Nevertheless, the pathology report does not lie: a lentigo simplex.
A lentigo is not a mole, even though the terms are often used interchangeably. A lentigo can look just like a mole, however.
Lentigos can be irregular in shape. Shutterstock/Roblan
And because I had thought the spot was a mole, I referred to it as a “mole” throughout this article.
But a lentigo can look just like a mole (nevus), and a lentigo can also turn into melanoma, said my doctor.
In conclusion, a brown “mole” that changes to red isn’t always melanoma, but if you notice a brown “mole” turning reddish or red, see a dermatologist, because only a biopsy can rule out melanoma. Melanoma kills around 9,500 Americans yearly.
Emily de Golian, MD
“If a previously stable mole develops a red color, blue color or new black/brown color, this may be a sign that some of the cells have become atypical, and your dermatologist will most likely perform a biopsy to examine the mole and determine if any atypia is present,” explains Emily de Golian, MD, a board certified dermatologist with Forefront Dermatology in Atlanta, GA.
“If a person is uncertain whether a mole has changed or not, the safest option is to have the mole evaluated.”
Dr. de Golian focuses on the surgical treatment of skin cancer via Mohs surgery, cutaneous oncology (melanoma and basal cell carcinoma), surgical defect reconstruction and cosmetic dermatology.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, health and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of feature articles for a variety of print magazines and websites. She is also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
Elbow Pain While Bench Pressing: Causes and Solutions
Elbow pain when you bench press DOES have definite causes and definite solutions.
You’ll want to get on board quickly before the injury becomes chronic.
There are specific causes of elbow pain both while, or after, bench pressing.
Edmond Cleeman, MD, is a board certified orthopedic surgeon who specializes in sports medicine and arthroscopic surgery of the shoulder, knee and hip.
Dr. Cleeman explains five possible causes of your elbow pain as a result of doing bench presses. They are as follows:
Though bench pressing is considered the king of chest exercises, it also stresses the triceps muscles.
“I’ve seen many weightlifters with triceps tendinitis and occasionally they develop a bone spur at the insertion site,” says Dr. Cleeman.
Tendons join muscles to bone, and this tendon juncture at the triceps to the elbow bone could be inflamed, causing pain there from bench pressing.
He continues: “Lateral epicondylitis/medial epicondylitis (tennis or golfer’s elbow). Essentially inflammation of the tendons that allow for gripping, flexion and pronation of the wrist.”
With this, the person will feel pain on the inside, or outside, of his or her elbow.
Another source of elbow pain from bench pressing is ulnar nerve irritation.
Source: BruceBlaus
This is the “funny bone” nerve that runs on the elbow’s inner side.
Ulnar nerve irritation will cause numbness and tingling in the pinky and fourth fingers, as well as that “funny bone” discomfort in the elbow.
Dr. Cleeman also says that inflammation (overload) of the ligaments and capsule can also be a culprit.
“Some I’ve seen have developed arthritis (wearing away of the cartilage) from the continuous overloading and stress for years.”
Solutions to elbow pain experienced from bench pressing: You won’t want to hear this, but you MUST lay off the bench pressing until the problem heals. Consult with an orthopedic doctor to get the right diagnosis.
Treatment for ulnar nerve irritation, for instance, isn’t the same as treatment for triceps tendonitis.
But in all cases, taking a vacation from bench pressing will be called for. Perhaps another chest routine won’t aggravate the joint, such as inclined dumbbell presses.
While the elbow problem is getting treated, you can replace bench presses with the “pec dec” as well as flyes.
How to Prevent of Elbow Pain from Bench Pressing
Dr. Cleeman advises the following:
“Stretching; Warm-up; Slow buildup in strength/weights;
Work on strength building other muscles in upper extremity besides the pecs;
Avoid bouncing the weights;
Have a personal trainer show you proper technique;
Consider icing down the elbow after a workout to prevent inflammation (similar to a baseball pitcher icing down their shoulder after a game).”
Basic treatment for elbow pain from bench pressing: Dr. Cleeman advises rest and ice, and “NSAIDS (e.g., Motrin, Advil, Alleve) are the key.”
He adds, “Possible injection (PRP-plasma rich platelet, steroid).”
Dr. Cleeman is a highly experienced orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist at Manhattan Orthopedics. He is committed to performing advanced minimally invasive procedures, allowing his patients to go home the same day.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, health and personal security topics for many years, having written thousands of feature articles for a variety of print magazines and websites. She is also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
What Causes Foamy Urine: Serious & Benign
Ever had foamy urine?
There are several causes of foamy urine. Is cancer one of them?
If you’ve been noticing foamy urine and have been wondering if it might be a sign of cancer, worry no more; it is not.
However, this does not mean that foamy urine can’t be a sign of a serious medical problem.
What causes foamy urine?
“Foamy urine is caused by excessive protein in the urine, which can result from a person’s diet or kidney disease,” says Dr. Courtenay Moore, MD, a urologist with the Cleveland Clinic Health System.
“It can also occur while voiding rapidly, as foamy urine happens when urine mixes with air.”
When not to Worry
If it happens occasionally and isn’t progressing in terms of noticeability.
As Dr. Moore stated, foamy urine can result from rapid urination, which often occurs when you’ve been “holding it in” for a while and are very eager to let it all out once you’re sitting on the toilet seat.
In fact, more concentrated urine — the result of dehydration — may add to the foamy appearance.
You need not feel thirsty in order to be dehydrated, I might add.
If the symptom concerns you, make sure you drink plenty of fluids.
And void with more control, rather than hard pushing.
See if the bubbling or fizzing still persists.
When to Be Concerned
Now, if the symptom doesn’t go away even after you’ve restocked your body with fluids and have been voiding with less rapidity, this can signal the possibility of the excess protein, called proteinuria, in your urine.
This warrants further evaluation, as this can be a sign of a serious kidney ailment. However, it’s not necessarily a kidney disease.
If you have eaten ample amounts of certain foods, such as chicken, fish and other meats, this can cause the excess protein, as these foods contain muco-proteins.
The protein will end up in your excrement if your body is not efficiently breaking these proteins down.
These proteins then result in the foamy quality.
Cut back on these foods and see what happens. If the symptom persists, or, if in general you are just concerned about your observations, then seek a consultation with a urologist.
If your medical plan requires you first see a primary care physician, request a referral to see a urologist.
If kidney disease can be ruled out by the urologist, you’ll have peace of mind.
If the symptom persists despite the elimination of benign causes, your urologist will give you a urinalysis, which will detect any protein.
Further tests will then be given to find the cause.
Dr. Moore’s clinical interests include voiding dysfunction, incontinence, female reconstructive surgery and female sexual dysfunction.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, health and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of feature articles for a variety of print magazines and websites. She is also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
Why Does My Stomach Make Strange Funny Sounds?
Does your stomach make all sorts of gurgling, rumbling and other strange, weird sounds?
“Has it reached a point where other people can actually hear your belly making these noises?
I’m not talking about hunger sounds, either, but rather, sounds that come even when you are not hungry.
These stomach noises can occur soon after you go to bed, and they can also occur in the middle of the night while you’re lying in bed, or in the morning as you are approaching the time to get up for the day.
I asked questions about funny belly sounds to Edward Cruz Paredez, MD, a board certified gastroenterologist based in La Jolla, CA.
Dr. Paredez explains, “Funny noises from the stomach or digestive tract are made up of two components: the contents,” and “contractions of the stomach and intestines.”
Your intestines do not sit in a soundproof room; sound will travel through your abdomen and skin, and make it to your ears — and to other peoples’ ears sometimes.
Dr. Paredez explains, “The reason why some people make more funny noises than others is due to the variable amounts of gas/fluid and solid contents, and the strength or spasticity of the contractions.
“The loudest stomach noises usually represent a large amount of intestinal air and fluid, which travel like bubbles through segments of the intestine like hundreds of internal ‘burps.'”
Dr. Paredez also explains that swallowing excess air can cause loud and strange noises from the stomach.
So if you have embarrassing abdominal noises, ask yourself if you gulp air while chewing gum or drinking beverages.
“Many people swallow excessive air because of anxiety or nervous conditions: aerophagia,” adds Dr. Paredez.
Another Question to Ask
Do you gulp your food down but then hold in the urge to burp?
This can lead to funny or strange noises in the stomach.
“Others have excessive intestinal gas due to fermentation of sugars such as lactose, or fermentation of gassy foods such as beans or fiber, and this causes loud intestinal noises,” says Dr. Paredez.
Irritable bowel syndrome is another culprit behind noises in the stomach, leading to excessive contractions.
IBS is a clinical diagnosis derived from symptom based criteria.
“Most of the time no testing is necessary to diagnose a patient with IBS unless there are atypical symptoms or warning symptoms such as severe pain or bleeding,” says Dr. Paredez.
“Classic symptoms include anything from constipation to diarrhea multiple times a day,” particularly soon after eating, and abdominal cramps and abdominal pain.
Dr. Paredez has been named a Top Doctor by San Diego Magazine and has also received a 2016 “People Love Us on Yelp” Award.
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: Freepik.com
Orange Diarrhea: Some Causes Are Serious
Have you had orange diarrhea lately?
That must have been a surprising sight, maybe even an alarming sight, since loose stools are supposed to be brown (though a little greenish is okay), not orange.
Diarrhea can come in an assortment of colors, and orange is one of them.
If you wish to examine the color of your bowel movements, the best way to do this is to make sure, first of all, that the lighting in the bathroom is good.
Next, if possible, urinate before you release your movement.
Next, flush the toilet so that the yellow of the urine won’t taint your perception of the color of your diarrhea.
When viewing the color of your bowel movement, lift the toilet seat up for a better view and better lighting.
“Stool can vary in color for a number of reasons,” says Edward Cruz Paredez, MD, a board certified gastroenterologist based in La Jolla, CA.
“The common colors of brown and green are due to the digestion of food and combination with yellow/green bile secreted by the liver.”
But what about orange diarrhea?
Dr. Paredez explains, “Orange diarrhea can be caused by food or supplements which contain orange food coloring, food with artificial yellow or orange coloring, or foods such as carrots, cilantro, collard greens, fresh thyme, kale, sweet potatoes, spinach, turnip greens, winter squash.”
Do you take turmeric supplements? Bright orange specks may show up in your bowel movements, though this should not actually color your bowel movements orange.
Dr. Paredez continues, “Orange diarrhea may be the result of infectious diarrhea, which causes rapid transit through the intestine, which limits the amount of bile in the stool.
“Less commonly it could also occur from a blockage of the bile ducts, which can be seen in cases of gallstones or bile duct or pancreatic cancers.”
Bile duct cancer and pancreatic cancer are the life-threatening medical conditions that can result in orange diarrhea.
However, this color in your bowel movements rarely means cancer.
“In fact, biliary blockage from cancer more commonly produces ‘white, grey or clay’ colored stools,” adds Dr. Paredez.
Another potential cause of diarrhea that has an orange tinge to it, is microscopic colitis, an inflammation of the lining of the large colon.
This non-serious condition interferes with food absorption (contributes to rapid colon transit).
So if you eat something that’s reddish or orange (not necessarily fruit; this could be the contents of a seasoning packet for rice), some of that may not get digested and will end up in your diarrhea — giving it an orange tinge.
Dr. Paredez has been named a Top Doctor by San Diego Magazine and has also received a 2016 “People Love Us on Yelp” Award.
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: Shutterstock/ShutterOK
Fishy Urine Smell Caused by Infected Vagina: Men Can Get Infected
If your urine has a fishy smell, this isn’t a hygiene problem and will not be solved with extra bathing or more showers.
Fishy smelling urine is a common.
“Sometimes it can be difficult to tell if a ‘fishy’ smell is coming from the urine or the vagina,” begins David H.C. King, MD, Medical Director, Urology Services, El Camino Hospital Los Gatos.
“The most common cause of a fishy smell is usually related to common vaginal infections such as trichomoniasis, gardnerella, or bacterial vaginosis.”
If a man has a fishy smell “coming from” his urine, chances are, he may have picked up the bacterial infection from a woman he had sex with, who had trichomoniasis, or bacterial vaginosis.
Shutterstock/Siriluk ok
Trichomoniasis
This sexually transmitted disease is curable (though reinfection is always possible after successful treatment), and 7.4 million cases are diagnosed yearly.
Women can contract it from men and women, but men only contract it from women.
Men usually don’t have symptoms, but women often do (e.g., yellow-green vaginal discharge), including that fishy odor which may seem like it’s coming from the urine, when in fact it comes from the vagina.
Garderella
This is also known as bacterial vaginosis, which is an overgrowth of the “bad” bacteria that are normally found in the vagina.
Vaginal itching and irritation are symptoms, along with vaginal odor, which may be fishy, seemingly originating from the urine.
In fact, this fishy smell is common with this condition.
Dr. King explains, “These conditions are easily treated with antibiotics.
“Sexual partners of these patients will also need to be treated. Condoms should be used until the antibiotics are completed.”
Thus, if you’re a woman who has been noticing a fishy smell coming from your urine, this unpleasant fishy odor is actually emanating from your vagina.
This means that you should be checked by your gynecologist for a vaginal infection.
Bacterial vaginosis and trichomoniasis are not life-threatening, and again, they are curable.
If you’re a man who has noticed a fishy odor, have your physician examine you to see if you have picked up the infection from your sexual partner.
Being infected will not make you more immune or extra resistant to a future infection.
Multiple sex partners increase your risk of these infections; a long-term monogamous relationship with a partner who has tested negative will go a long way in helping prevent these infections — and thus, a fishy smell “coming” from your urine.
With 20+ years in general urology, Dr. King specializes in prostate disorders, kidney stones and urinary problems in men and women.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, health and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of feature articles for a variety of print magazines and websites. She is also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
Top image: Shutterstock/mistaht
Sources: cdc.gov urologychannel.com
Causes of Orange Urine: Can One Be Cancer?
Orange urine is easy to spot at just a glance in the toilet bowl or as it’s coming out.
And orange urine means something.
Urine should be an almost clear, or very light yellow color.
But when you have orange urine:
“Medications (e.g., Pyridium) may cause the urine to appear orange,” says Dr. Andrew Stephenson, MD, Section Chief and Director, Urology Oncology; Professor (PAR), Department of Surgery, Division of Urology, Rush Medical College.
“Bilirubin is the byproduct of red blood cell metabolism,” continues Dr. Stephenson.
“This is normally metabolized by the liver and excreted into the bowel via the bile duct (this is why the stool appears brown).
“The liver does not efficiently metabolize bilirubin in the setting of liver disease; hence, the bilirubin accumulates in the blood and is excreted in the urine (causing orange urine) by the kidneys.”
Thus, orange or tea-colored urine can be a symptom of liver disease.
However, an orange hue in the urine can also be caused by food such as carrots, carrot juice, winter squash, blackberries and beets.
Orange urine from beets. Jmarchn/CC BY-SA 3.0
Vitamin C, B complex vitamins, beta-carotene (the compound in carrots that make them orange), senna herbs, and foods with orange dye can result in the same appearance as well.
Besides Pyridium, which is used to treat urinary tract infections, other medications can be culprits:
Rifampin, an antibiotic; and
Warfarin (trade name Coumadin), a blood thinner.
In addition, some chemotherapy drugs and laxatives can have the same effect.
Lastly, dehydration can cause a bright, deep yellow, dark yellow, yellow-orange, light orange or medium orange. You need not feel parched to be dehydrated, by the way.
Thirst isn’t the only symptom of dehydration, and you may not even be the slightest bit thirsty during periods that your body has inadequate hydration.
Lack of fluid intake can concentrate urochrome, which is the end product of hemoglobin breakdown.
Urochrome is what gives urine its normal pale yellow color.
When this agent is concentrated, it yields the more intense or dark yellow characteristic of dehydration.
The color change from eating a lot of carrots, carrot juice, beets, etc., is harmless.
Just be sure that you know that this is the cause of the color change.
Ask yourself if you’ve been eating any of these foods or taking the supplements mentioned.
In fact, the foods mentioned in this article, if eaten in enough quantities, can give the palms and soles of the feet an orange tinge.
If after stopping consumption of suspected foods, supplements or dyes for a few days, your urine is still orange, visit a urologist to see if any health issues can be causing the discoloration.
See also if you can make the orange go away by drinking 10, eight-ounce glasses of water a day.
If your medical insurance plan requires that you first see a primary care physician to get to a urologist, then don’t just stop at the primary care doctor; get a referral to a urologist.
Dr. Stephenson’s clinical and research focus is the treatment of prostate, bladder, kidney and testes cancer. He has published over 100 articles in peer-reviewed journals.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, health and personal security topics for many years, having written thousands of feature articles for a variety of print magazines and websites. She is also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
