Firstmed Blog

We all know how annoying can be snoring for the snorer and the partner. The effects and seriousness of snoring are becoming more apparent with snoring being linked to conditions like high blood pressure and coronary disease. The different types of snoring range from a simple gust to a full roar. Snoring, I believe, is a signal that the body’s systems are out of balance. But correcting the balance may not take a huge change, take the example of Andy.

Andy was in his late 30s and had snored for several years. He wasn’t quite sure when it started but lately the snoring had being a more regular event. He probably still wouldn’t be aware of it, except for his wife who was going crazy. Andy had always being active. If you asked someone he/she wouldn’t describe Andy as overweight but Andy freely admits he has gained a pound a year over the past 10 years and plans to start loosing some of it sometime soon.

Every year Andy and his family, his wife and two sons go camping. They always go to the same camping ground and always get the same site, or there about, near the water and away from the highway.

After a couple of days after arriving Andy’s wife Karen noticed that Andy wasn’t snoring as he normally did. On last holidays even the boys would mention how annoying dad’s snoring was. They too had noticed a more quiet night. Andy was pleased as he too had noticed that he awoke more refreshed in the morning and his mouth didn’t feel dry. He didn’t know what change he had made that brought this unexpected and pleasant result, but he suspected it had to do with his nightly routine, as this was the only thing that had changed.

Over the next two weeks Andy experimented with his routine and finally came to the conclusion that if he brushed his teeth several hours before going to bed. That simple change has made a big difference to Andy and Karen. Andy deduced that when he brushed his teeth just before retiring, the toothpaste was making him a little dehydrated. It was enough to dry out the nasal passages and cause him to breathe through his mouth making the snoring noise. By brushing earlier he didn’t suffer the same dehydration and was able to breathe through his nose the whole night through. Now Andy also realized that toothpaste alone shouldn’t be able to have such a major effect.

The chance of eliminating your snoring by changing when you brush your teeth is probably less than one in a thousand. Andy’s problem probably is your problem. The key is to find the system that is out of balance and work to set it right. You never know, you may only need the smallest of change. Is it worth the effort? You decide.

Stress is one of the primary causes of erectile dysfunction, according to a leading sexual health expert.

Dr John Tomlinson, director of the Sexual Dysfunction Association, claims that men typically suffer due to a combination of psychological and physical factors.

Physical reasons for erectile dysfunction include diabetes, vascular disease, veno-occlusive disease and Parkinson’s disease, as well as damage from surgery to the pelvic area. Frequently, however, there will also be psychological barriers to sexual fulfilment, driven principally by stress.

“The older the person, the more likely there is to be a physical cause,” Dr Tomlinson said. “But in the younger man – I’m talking about under 50 – it seems to be on the whole a stress-related thing.”

Anxiety and stress is particularly common among men in their 20s and 30s, he added, when nerves can play a part.

Erectile dysfunction is also something of a vicious circle, because knowledge of a physical problem almost inevitably leads to stress.

“Once you know there’s a physical problem you get very anxious, start worrying about it and make it worse,” he said.

Dr Tomlinson has insisted that erectile dysfunction among younger men is “extraordinarily common”.

“If you’ve got a young guy with a young wife and small children and they’re working hard and not getting much sleep, things tend to go wrong,” he said. “For younger men, there are two common problems: one is relationship problems, they’ve fallen out of love with one woman and are interested in another, but then they can’t perform with the new one - the problem of first-time nerves.

“The other one is someone who fails on one occasion and starts to worry whether they’ll succeed the second time around – and then inevitably he’ll fail because he’s anxious.”

The secret, he added, is to reassure the individual. “Very often, one tablet of one of these PDE5 inhibitors [such as Viagra] will give them the confidence to go on,” he said.

On the other hand, Dr Tomlinson has observed that erectile dysfunction can be a sign that there are other underlying physical problems that need to be addressed. “Erectile dysfunction can be a warning sign,” he said.track
Source: Keep the doctor away

Priapism is a painful and potentially harmful medical condition in which the erect penis does not return to its flaccid state despite the absence of both physical and psychological stimulation within four hours. It is a medical emergency and needs proper treatment by a qualified medical practitioner.

It can occur to any age group including even the infants; nevertheless, it is more frequent between the ages of 5 to 10 years and 20 to 50 years. Priapism can be catagorised into low-flow and high-flow based on two different reasons. When blood is trapped in the erection chamber of an otherwise healthy person without a known reason, it is low-flow Priapism. This type of Priapism may also be the result of sickle-cell disease, leukemia (blood cancer) or malaria. High-flow Priapism is rare and less painful, generally caused by a ruptured artery from an injury to the penis or the area between scrotum and anus resulting in abnormal blood flow to the penis. Other causes of Priapism include trauma to the spinal cord or to the genital area, black widow spider bites, carbon monoxide poisoning, and illicit drug use, such as marijuana and cocaine, certain drugs like antidepressants, antihypertensives, anticoagulants and corticosteroids. The drugs which are used to treat impotency, particularly those given by injection in the penis like papaverine, prostaglandin E1 (alprostadil), phentolamine can cause this problem. One more significant class of drugs may have the potential of Priapism,that are, the phosphodiesterase type-5 (PDE5) inhibitors such as sildenafil, tadalafil and vardenafil, sold under the names of FDA approved Viagra, Cialis and Levitra consecutively.

Though the makers of erectile dysfunction drugs list prolonged, unwanted erections as a potential side effect, Viagra and other PED5 drugs have not been found to cause priapism unless combined with other medications like prostaglandin injections and a recreational drug called Ecstasy. All the PDE5 drugs requires sexual stimulation to get an erection, however, these type of drugs should be used with caution for patients who have conditions that might predispose them to priapism such as sickle cell anemia, multiple myeloma, high blood pressure and cardiovascular problems etc. Viagra, Cialis and Levitra should be taken as per doctor’s prescription to avoid the possibilities of Priapism. Nevertheless, the instances are very rare where Viagra, Cialis and other PED5 drugs caused a prolonged and painful erection, but then those patients were found to have prior health conditions which were responsible for Priapism.

Priapism calls for immediate medical attention to avoid fatal consequences of permanent erectile dysfunction. The erection can be easily reduced if the person gets the treatment within 6 hours of erection, and in a case where the erection has lasted less than four hours, decongestant medications may decease blood flow to the penis. Ice applied to the perineum and the penis can reduce swelling in the pre-medication state. In serious situations, intracavernous injection, aspiration and surgery may be required to cure Priapism. But it should be keep in mind that the longer the medical attention is delayed, the greater are the risk of permanent erectile dysfunction The best way to avoid priapism is to be alert when it happens. When it occurs, go to an emergency room where there is a urologist present.

The drug Levitra is one of several new pharmaceutical drugs meant to help men struggling with impotency. It is the latest impotence pill that was introduced in the market sometime back after Viagra. The manufacturers of Levitra, Bayer and GlaxoSmithKline claim that their wonder orange pill is even speedier than Viagra and is effective in as early as 15 minutes time. Many men who were earlier not happy with Viagra are trying Levitra and are satisfied with the results.

It is available in the U.S. market since August, 2003.Levitra is believed to be an enzyme-blocker that helps increase the blood flow to the penis. On an average, this orange pill can be effective for 4-6 hours. The manufacturers claim that Levitra has a 70 percent higher success rate in patients with diseases such as diabetes or those who have undergone prostrate cancer surgery — these being the two common causes of erectile dysfunction. The preferred dose of Levitra is once a day. A lower dosage definitely helps with fewer side effects.

Just like Viagra, Levitra is also not suitable for people taking nitrate drugs for angina, or even alpha-blockers taken for prostate problems. This is because taking Levitra might result in dangerous drop in blood pressure.

Over half of all males between the age of 40 and 70 years experience erectile dysfunction, making it the most common chronic condition affecting men. This can be because of diabetes, blood pressure medications, prostate cancer surgery or numerous other conditions. It is surprising but whether because of embarrassment or lack of information about treatment, as many as 90 percent of men with the condition don’t take help. Experts believe that Levitra’s arrival would definitely help in bringing an end to the stigma of impotence. The problem will no remain a problem and men will again enjoy a healthy sexual life.

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is one of the most common sexual problems and affects nearly 50% of all men over the age of 40 at some stage. This problem becomes even more common and more severe as men grow older. There are many causes of ED and it is thought that 70% of cases have physical causes and 30% psychological causes although often there are both physical and psychological reasons for the condition.

The shaft of the penis has two chambers that fill up with blood during sexual arousal. Sexual thoughts are transmitted though the nerves to the genitals. These nerves cause the relaxing of the muscle cells in the walls of the blood vessels entering the penis. The increased blood flow fills up the two chambers in the shaft of the penis forming an erection. Therefore any condition or disease which affects either the blood flow to the penis or the nerves to the genital area can cause erectile dysfunction.

Such conditions or diseases are:

Physical Health problems such as:
– Diabetes can be the cause of ED in more than 50% of men (3 times as high as non diabetic men).
– Vascular disease can lead to a narrowing of vessels carrying blood to the penis and other areas.
– Veno-occlusive disease can cause problems keeping the blood within the penis.
– MS, spinal cord injury and Parkinson’s disease are all conditions where the nervous system can affect transmission of signals from the brain to the blood vessels in the penis.
– Damage from surgery to the pelvic area such as in prostrate gland surgery.
– Psychological problems such as anxiety and guilt, relationship issues, stress, depression, boredom and sexual orientation.

Medicines: the side effect of some treatments for high blood pressure as well as for heart disease, depression, peptic ulcers and cancer, can cause ED. Medicines can also affect sexual drive and desire (libido) or even cause problems with ejaculation and orgasm. So if you have a problem and are on medication, check out whether there are any ED side effects.

Lifestyle: alcohol and drugs commonly affect the ability to get and maintain an erection and in the long term, interfere with the production of the male hormone testosterone. Nicotine damages the circulation in the body thereby increasing the risk of erection problems. In addition, smoking constricts the blood vessels and is a major cause of damage to the arteries leading to the penis. Being physically inactive contributes to poor cardiovascular fitness. Lean, physically active men are less likely to have problems with ED than obese couch potatoes.

Most men will be familiar with the term “brewer’s droop” - a temporary form of alcohol related erectile dysfunction that occurs when the average drinker consumes “one too many.” Alcohol releases sexual inhibitions, intensifies libido and temporarily enhances feelings of wellbeing and self-esteem. But over-consumption gradually depresses those fleeting moments of euphoria and even moderate amounts can spoil the capacity to perform. Up to 80 percent of men who drink heavily are believed to have serious sexual side effects, including erectile dysfunction, sterility, or loss of sexual desire.

Alcohol affects the nervous system and impairs the impulses between the brain’s pituitary gland and the genitals. The nervous system is responsible for triggering the signals that dilate and relax the blood vessels in the penis, resulting in an erection. Clinical studies have shown that prolonged alcohol abuse causes irreversible damage to the nerves in the penis, which results in alcohol erectile dysfunction. While a few drinks might temporarily dull inhibitions and anxiety about sexual activity, larger doses (BACs > .06) will lead to loss of sensation, inability to reach orgasm, and temporary impotence. At blood levels between .05 and .10, alcohol retards sexual arousal, at levels above .10, orgasm is inhibited, and levels above .15 can cause temporary impotence.

Alcohol also disrupts hormone levels, in particular, testosterone and oestrogen. Low levels of testosterone diminish sexual drive and function. Heavy drinking over a long period of time can irreversibly destroy testicular cells, leaving men with shrunken testicles. Alcohol may also interfere with normal sperm structure and movement by inhibiting the metabolism of Vitamin A, which is essential for sperm development

Excessive drinking also results in behavioral changes that reduce sexual desire and inhibit sexual performance. Concentration and judgment become cloudy and physical activity and movement are impaired. Abuse of alcohol is often associated with other negative factors like smoking, over eating, lack of exercise and drug abuse.

In addition to the physical toxic effects of excess alcohol on the body’s tissues, many alcoholics also have significant psychological problems. Depression, stress and anxiety are often cited as reasons for excessive drinking. But these same psychological factors are also leading causes of ED. So it should come as no surprise that heavy drinkers are more susceptible to alcohol induced erectile dysfunction.

The Academy Of Sex & Relationships West End Theme Park is due to open at the London Trocadero near Piccadilly Circus and will occupy over 10,000 square feet of prime visitor attraction space. Over 600,000 visitors are expected within the first year, with the Academy designed to fill ‘a global need for better understanding of sex and relationship issues’. Combining high tech and interactive exhibits together with new media displays, the Academy will aim to convey health and educational messages in a fun and entertaining way while informing the public about sexual health and relationship developments.

The Academy project is the work of a large group of artists, sex therapists and historians from home and abroad. It is the result of 3 years of preparation, contributions from collections from around the world and £7 million in financing - backed by both institutional and private investors.
According to the people behind the Academy, ‘titillation is not the goal’.
The Academy’s Director of Exhibits, Dr Sarah Brewer, said: “This is not a sex museum like those in Amsterdam, Barcelona and Paris, which tend to veer towards pornography for commercial benefit alone,”

“Our vision is to build a Kinsey-type institute in Europe for “generation X and Y” to bring modern thinking around sexuality.
“The management is committed to avoiding the sleazy image that the sex industry usually conjures. To this end, it has declined all funding from anyone involved in this sector.

“When doors open, Amora will be an inviting, upscale and exciting venue for the 500,000 sophisticated guests it aims to attract in its first year.

“In keeping with new plans for the Trocadero, the Academy will also become a stylish venue for corporate events, with a number of large pharmaceutical brands already showing interest in sponsorship and theming of certain areas.

“London is the most culturally rich city in the world. It is an ideal place to develop an innovative concept that addresses human sexuality in a way that respects the heritage and image of our city”.

The Academy says it is committed to open discussion and the exchange of ideas, bringing the best in current medical research and education techniques to improve people’s relations and sex lives - thereby promoting new standards in sexual understanding.
The project has been supported by several health and education organisations and will form a unique venue for these organisations and other healthcare providers to run their awareness campaigns and promote their own innovations.

The Academy will have an ever developing programme of content to cover themes such as: Sex, Health and Relationships, Sexual Performance Improvement, Erectile Dysfunction, Sex & Alcohol, Aphrodisiacs, Beauty, Romance and Sensuality.

Doctor Brewer added: “The proposed development of the Academy is set against a backdrop of rising levels of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs), I think such a venue is long overdue.

“There is an overwhelming need for an outlet that not only celebrates human sexuality and reproduction in an entertaining and accessible way, but one which provides health education within a format that makes it easy - and fun - to assimilate.”

Source: MPT Online

What makes male supremacy so seductive, so pervasive, such an apparently permanent component of all our precious lives, is the fact that erection can be conditioned to it.
I’ve always spent a lot of my time thinking about sex and creaking floorboards, showers, mangoes and condoms. Lately I’ve also been thinking about my sexuality and how my desires have been constructed. Growing up as a man in this culture I repeatedly received the message that dominating women was sexy. I learnt from the women in the movies, or those in the magazines, their legs spread for me in porn. I learnt to objectify women’s bodies and to find that sexy. The message of sexy domination is devastating for the lives of women, and it also affects the sex lives of men. It became difficult for me to simply enjoy sex without imagining my partner and me as a photographic (pornographic) image.

Within the pleasures and pains of our sexualities lie social and political meanings. Lesbian feminists have explored such meanings for many years.

Last year during discussions about sex in our men’s group, I was astonished to hear of the guilt still associated with masturbation. Astonished because for someone like myself, who has taken great pleasure playing with his penis, who has explored every method of male sexuality and invented many more of his own, to hear of other men’s guilt came as a huge surprise.
In this culture men have been taught that to be attracted to men’s bodies is an absolute sin, punishable by death, imprisonment, bashing or all three. We are taught to be repulsed by men’s bodies and to be attracted only to the other, namely women. Thus we are encouraged to be repulsed by our own bodies. This is heterosexism, and it makes sense to me that this may be, at least in part, the source of the taboo of masturbation. If this is the case then masturbation may be the key place on which to work in order to dismantle heterosexism and sexism.

When I hear of how other men masturbate furtively, quickly, harshly, with too little compassion or tenderness towards their bodies, in an end-rush to orgasm with guilt as the repercussion it smells to me of homophobia: of fear of loving our own likeness.

Turn to the mirror, lips slightly parted and kiss your image. Feel the strength of your arms, the smoothness of skin. Hold yourself, see yourself, slow down, a minimum time limit. Feel your scalp, nose, tongue and lips. Imagine kissing yourself, sucking yourself, fucking yourself perhaps. Imagine loving yourself, tenderly, compassionately, wonderfully, hopefully, suddenly, you’ll realize that you are.

I write this because at a time of crisis in my life such an act made all the difference. Cherishing myself led to hours of astonishing pleasure and at the same time enabled me to take the first steps towards loving others again. Surprisingly, it also challenged my very sexual identity.

Men who have had a higher standard of education have a higher quality of life after treatment for prostate cancer, according to new research.

After adjusting for a number of factors including severity of cancer, age and marital status, scientists from the San Francisco VA Medical Center (SFVAMC) found that men without high school diplomas experienced greater decline and less recovery in the first year after cancer treatment.

“These men did not start out with a lower quality of life before cancer,” says lead author Dr Sara Knight, a staff psychologist at SFVAMC.

“What’s surprising is that after treatment, they have clinically significant problems across the board - mental and emotional as well as physical - in managing their lives.”

Although low educational levels are often linked with low income, researchers claim that wealth had no bearing on the quality of life after care.

“In our analysis, it’s their lower educational level that has made them more vulnerable to the effects of prostate cancer and its treatment,” added Ms Knight.

The quality and nature of a man’s erection alters with age. As a result of these changes, many men, wrongly accept Erectile Dysfunction as a normal part of the aging process and do not seek or receive adequate advice or treatment.

The increase in the incidence of ED in old age is primarily related to the increased rate of health problems, rather than old age per se. Several recent studies examining the prevalence of erectile dysfunction found that, while age was the variable most strongly associated with erectile dysfunction, following adjustment for age, a higher probability was noted with heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, and associated medications.

This said, there are some changes that inevitably come with age. As aging increases, desire may not always result in sexual excitement. The triggers for sexual excitement become more specifically sexual and may require intimate body contact and manual stimulation. The intensity of sexual fantasies decreases and it may take a man longer to achieve an erection and following ejaculation more time before an erection is possible. Men often notice some distinct changes, like:

* Increased time required to produce a full erection
* The erection may not be as firm or as large as in earlier years.
* A decrease in the time that erections can be maintained prior to ejaculation
* A decrease in the force of ejaculation, and an increase in the duration of the refractory phase.
* The feeling that an ejaculation is about to happen may be shorter.
* The loss of erection after orgasm may be more rapid or it may take longer before an erection is again possible.
* Some men may find they need more manual stimulation

In addition, older men experience anatomical changes, including thinning of the pubic hair, laxity of scrotal tissue, atrophy of the perineal muscles, loss of collagen tissue and occasionally weight gain. The phase of ejaculation undergoes changes which result in a decline in the intensity of orgasm and in the propulsive force of ejaculation. The volume of the ejaculate may be reduced by 50%. Sex drive and performance vary widely between individuals of the same group and the maintenance of sexual activity depends on factors such as regular sexual activity, the presence of a willing sexual partner, the absence of a major physical illness and the integrity of the relationship.