Urinary incontinence Archive

Dyspareunia is a common problem for many postmenopausal women.

Millions of women experience pain before, during, or after sexual intercourse—a condition called dyspareunia (from the Greek dyspareunos, meaning "badly mated"). This condition not only saps sexual desire and enjoyment, it can also strain relationships and erode quality of life in general. For postmenopausal women, dyspareunia may also raise concerns about aging and body image.

Many women suffer in silence and don't seek the help they need, or they have trouble finding a clinician who can diagnose and treat the causes of their pain. That is unfortunate, because treatments are available for many of the problems that underlie this vexing condition.

Communication between you and your partner can help create a happier and healthier love life.

You had your first sex talk when you were young, but now that you're older, it's time for another one.

"Men and women go through all kinds of physical and emotional changes as they age that can affect their sex life as well as their relationship," says Dr. Sharon Bober, director of the Sexual Health Program at Harvard-affiliated Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. "These changes sometimes feel embarrassing or are difficult to talk about. But communicating about your changes — and your partner's — can help couples find solutions and common ground, as they enter this new and potentially exciting phase of their sex lives."

Ask the doctors

Q. I've had endometriosis since I was in my 30s. I'm now approaching menopause. Will my symptoms get better or even go away after menopause?

A. Possibly, but not always. Endometriosis is a condition in which tissue that resembles the tissue that lines the uterus, called endometrial tissue, grows in other locations inside the body. Typically, it grows on structures and organs in the pelvis, such as the ovaries, fallopian tubes, bladder, or bowels. When a woman menstruates, this tissue behaves like the lining of the uterus and bleeds. But because this blood has no way to exit the body, it pools inside. This leads to pain, inflammation, and scarring.

Treatments for advanced prostate cancer that suppress testosterone, a hormone (also called an androgen) that drives the malignant cells to grow and spread, are collectively referred to as androgen deprivation therapies, or ADT. These therapies can significantly extend lifespans in men who have the disease, but they also have a range of challenging side effects. […]

Some men with an enlarged prostate gland (benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH for short) eventually start to experience urinary incontinence, the involuntary discharge of urine. The incontinence can be related to overactive bladder, one of the changes in bladder function caused by BPH.

Normally, the brain says "time to go" when your bladder is only partially full. That gives you a fair warning to find a place to relieve yourself. When you decide to let go, a valve called the urinary sphincter opens to allow the bladder to drain. Muscles in the bladder wall squeeze inward to empty the storage tank.

The FDA approved a new medication that may help some women experiencing low sexual desire, but there are restrictions on who can take it, and side effects to consider.

On call

Q. I've heard that calcium deposits can form in the prostate gland. What are they, and can they indicate cancer?

A. Calcium deposits can occur anywhere in the body; however, they often appear where there has been an injury, infection, or inflammation. Calcium deposits also can be seen with some types of cancer. When calcium deposits appear within the breast on a mammogram or in the lungs on a chest x-ray, their pattern helps the radiologist interpret the results. Certain patterns suggest possible cancer.

In the journals

Excess weight not only raises your risk of prostate cancer, it can also mean more aggressive and fatal cancer, according to a study published online June 10, 2019, by Cancer.

Scientists found that the accumulation of visceral fat (the hidden kind that lies deep in the abdomen and surrounds the major organs) and subcutaneous fat in the thighs (which lies just under the skin) were both associated with a greater chance of developing advanced prostate cancer as well as dying from the disease.

A substance called trimethylamine N-oxide, which is produced when your body digests red meat, may raise the risk of cardiovascular problems.

Experts used to think that red meat raised your risk of heart disease simply because it was high in saturated fat. But today that picture has gotten more complicated thanks to the discovery of a metabolite — a substance produced during digestion and metabolism — called trimethylamine N-oxide, or TMAO.

According to a news article published June 11 in JAMA, three recent analyses have linked high blood levels of TMAO with a higher risk for both cardiovascular disease and early death from any cause. In one of those studies, researchers found that people with higher levels of TMAO in their blood may have more than twice the risk of heart attack, stroke, or other serious cardiovascular problems, compared with people who have lower levels. Other studies have found links between high TMAO levels and heart failure and chronic kidney disease.

Avoid boredom and boost the benefits you gain from exercise with these simple tips to wake up your weight or treadmill workout.