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WHAT
TO ASK YOUR DOCTOR
Talking
to your doctor is one of the best ways to help you understand
your medical condition. When sitting in your doctor's office,
it can be hard to remember all the questions that you may
have. Sometimes it is helpful to write down a list of concerns
to discuss with your physician.
WHAT
TO ASK ABOUT PROSTATE CANCER
If you
have been diagnosed with prostate cancer, you and your family
probably have a lot of questions about the disease and its
treatment. Printing out this list and taking it with you to
your doctor's office may help you get the answers you need.
Be sure to write out the answers, so that you can review the
information as often as you like.
What is
the prostate and what does it do?
What is
prostate cancer?
How common
is prostate cancer?
What are
the symptoms of prostate cancer?
How is
prostate cancer detected?
What role
does testosterone play in prostate cancer?
Why does
prostate cancer spread?
What is
Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA), and what is a PSA test?
What are
the stages of prostate cancer?
How is
prostate cancer treated?
What are
the advantages or disadvantages of both medical and surgical
therapies?
What are
the side effects of:
Surgery?
Radiation?
Brachytherapy?
Hormonal
therapy?
Is watchful
waiting safe?
How does
one cope with prostate cancer?
What if
the prostate cancer comes back after my initial treatment?
How can
I receive more information on prostate cancer?
What will
my future look like after treatment?
WHAT
TO ASK ABOUT BPH
If you
have been diagnosed with BPH, you and your family probably
have a lot of questions about the disease and its treatment.
Printing
out this list and taking it with you to your doctor's office
may help you get the answers you need. Be sure to write out
the answers, so that you can review the information as often
as you like.
What is
the prostate and what does it do?
What is
benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)?
What are
the symptoms of BPH?
How is
BPH diagnosed?
How did
I develop BPH?
Who gets
BPH?
Does BPH
lead to cancer?
Will BPH
interfere with sexual functioning?
How does
BPH affect urination?
When should
BPH be treated?
How is
BPH treated?
What is
TURP (transurethral resection of the prostate)?
Is watchful
waiting safe?
What are
the side effects of BPH treatments?
Will BPH
affect my lifestyle?
ERECTILE
DYSFUNCTION
Erectile
Dysfunction (ED) is a significant and common medical condition.
Erectile Dysfunction can be defined as the inability to achieve
and/or maintain an erection sufficient for satisfactory sexual
activity. Health professionals in general prefer the term
"Erectile Dysfunction," which more precisely defines
the nature of the condition than does an older word that is
sometimes used -- "impotence" -- because the later
implies weakness to many people. It is estimated that as many
as 100 million men worldwide suffer from ED. However, more
than 85% of men with ED don't seek treatment. Among the reasons
are the incorrect assumptions that ED is a normal consequence
of aging and that there is no treatment available. The truth
is that the likelihood of ED does increase with age because
the prevalence of the underlying conditions that are associated
with ED increases with age. The failure of sufferers to seek
treatment is especially unfortunate because ED is a treatable
condition and may be a symptom of another underlying medical
problem that needs to be treated as well.
Myth:
Erectile Dysfunction is uncommon.
Fact:
A large health survey in the U.S.A. found 52% of men aged
40 to 70 years had some degree of difficulty achieving and/or
maintaining an erection. Approximately 35% had moderate or
complete ED.
Myth:
The majority of cases of Erectile Dysfunction are psychologically
caused.
Fact:
Although ED was commonly thought to be linked to psychogenic
causes, studies suggest that only 10% to 30% of ED cases are
caused by purely psychogenic factors. In the remainder, an
organic component, e.g., vascular disorders, structural abnormalities,
neurologic damage, or endocrinologic disorders, can be identified.
However, psychological factors such as self-confidence, anxiety,
and partner relationship problems may also be involved.
Myth:
Erectile Dysfunction is a condition affecting only elderly
men.
Fact:
By age 50, approximately half of all men experience some degree
of ED. In general, the prevalence of ED increases with age,
but men retain their erectile ability well beyond their eighties.
Age-related conditions and medications used to treat various
medical conditions increase the likelihood that ED will occur.
Myth:
Erectile Dysfunction is complex to diagnose and treat. Patients
should always be referred to a specialist.
Fact:
Most cases of ED can be diagnosed and treated. However, a
lack of information about ED among the public and health professionals
and reluctance by physicians and patients to discuss sexual
matters has resulted in patients being denied the benefits
of treatment.
Myth:
Men must learn to live with ED.
Fact:
Effective and well-tolerated treatments are available.
CAUSES
OF ED
Many people
incorrectly believe that ED is a purely psychological problem.
Erectile Dysfunction is primarily physical in origin, but
psychological factors, alone or in combination with physical
factors, can cause ED.
Among
the conditions associated with ED are:
Hypertension
Diabetes
Hardening
of the arteries and other vascular disorders that interfere
with the flow of blood to the penis and the mechanism of erection
High cholesterol
Trauma,
including injuries to the pelvis or spinal cord
Certain
types of surgery and radiation therapy
Multiple
sclerosis and other nervous system disorders
Depression
Habits
that worsen vascular disorders (e.g., abusing alcohol or smoking)
CURRENT
TREATMENTS FOR ED
Various
treatment alternatives are available and you should discuss
them with your doctor. A primary care doctor can give a preliminary
diagnosis of ED based on a patient history and a physical
examination, but may refer a patient to a specialist, such
as a urologist. Current treatments for ED include:
Oral medication
Intraurethral
suppositories
Injectable
drugs
Vacuum
devices
Penile
implants
Counseling
and sex therapy
These
methods have varying degrees of effectiveness and tolerability,
and are used to treat ED caused by physical or psychological
conditions.
INCONTINENCE
Urinary
incontinence is the inability to control urination. The term
may be used interchangeably with OverActive Bladder (OAB),
which also includes the same frequency in urination and urinary
urge. People who suffer from overactive bladder, or urinary
incontinence, can't hold their urine -- they wet themselves.
(Leaking urine is normal only in infants; it is not a normal
result of aging. If you have this problem, you may be too
embarrassed or upset to ask for help. Don't be. It is estimated
that over 12 million Americans have urinary incontinence.
Incontinence affects all ages, both sexes, and people of every
social and economic level. It is also estimated that 15 to
30 percent of people over the age of 60 who live at home have
incontinence. Women are twice as likely as men to have this
condition. In addition, at least half of the 1.5 million Americans
who reside in nursing homes are incontinent. The exact number
of people with incontinence is not known, but the total number
of people affected may be far greater than current estimates.
TYPES
OF INCONTINENCE
Incontinence
is classified by the symptoms of or circumstances occurring
at the time of urine leakage.
Stress
incontinence may be due to poor bladder support by the pelvic
muscles or to a weak or damaged sphincter. This condition
allows urine to leak when you do anything that strains or
stresses the abdomen, such as coughing, sneezing, laughing,
or even walking.
Urge incontinence
results when an overactive bladder contracts without your
wanting it to do so. You may feel as if you can't wait to
reach a toilet. At times, you may leak urine without any warning
at all. A bladder can become overactive because of infection
that irritates the bladder lining. The nerves that normally
control the bladder can also be responsible for an overactive
bladder. In other cases, the cause may be unclear.
Mixed
incontinence is often a combination of both conditions above
-- stress and urge incontinence.
Overflow
incontinence occurs when the bladder is allowed to become
so full that it simply overflows. This happens when bladder
weakness or a blocked urethra prevents normal emptying. An
enlarged prostate can result in such blockage. For this reason,
overflow incontinence is more common in men that in women.
Bladder weakness can develop in both men and women, but it
happens most often in people with diabetes, heavy alcohol
users, and others with decreased nerve function.
Environmental
incontinence (sometimes called functional incontinence) occurs
when people cannot get to the toilet or get a bedpan when
they need it. The urinary system may work well, but physical
or mental disabilities or other circumstances prevent normal
toilet usage.
Nocturnal
enuresis is incontinence that occurs during sleep.
When individuals
have two or more types of incontinence, the causes of each
must be found and considered in planning appropriate treatment.
WHAT
TO DO ABOUT INCONTINENCE?
The first
step is to locate a health care provider, such as a urologist,
who is interested in and well-informed about treating incontinence.
He or she will want to become familiar with your medical history
and the way in which incontinence affects you. Be sure to
come prepared for your visit with: (1) a list of all the medications
you are currently taking, including those you purchase without
a prescription; (2) the dates and outcomes of any bladder-related
tests or surgical procedures you may have had; and (3) a bladder
diary.
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