Men: Stay Healthy at Any Age

Your Checklist for Health

What can you do to stay healthy and prevent disease? You can get certain screening tests, take preventive medicine if you need it, and practice healthy behaviors.

Top health experts from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force suggest that when you go for your next checkup, you should talk to your doctor or nurse about how you can stay healthy no matter what your age.

The most important things you can do to stay healthy are:

• Get recommended screening tests.
• Be tobacco free.
• Be physically active.
• Eat a healthy diet.
• Stay at a healthy weight.
• Take preventive medicines if you need them.

Screening Tests for Men: What You Need and When

Screening tests can find diseases early when they are easier to treat. Health experts from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force have made recommendations, based on scientific evidence, about testing for the conditions below. Talk to your doctor about which ones apply to you and when and how often you should be tested.

• Obesity: Have your body mass index (BMI) calculated to screen for obesity. (BMI is a measure of body fat based on height and weight.) You can also find your own BMI with the BMI calculator from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute at: http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/.
• High Cholesterol: Have your cholesterol checked regularly starting at age 35. If you are younger than 35, talk to your doctor about whether to have your cholesterol checked if:
  • You have diabetes.
  • You have high blood pressure.
  • Heart disease runs in your family.
  • You smoke.
• High Blood Pressure: Have your blood pressure checked at least every 2 years. High blood pressure is 140/90 or higher.
• Colorectal Cancer: Have a test for colorectal cancer starting at age 50. Your doctor can help you decide which test is right for you. If you have a family history of colorectal cancer, you may need to be screened earlier.
• Diabetes: Have a test for diabetes if you have high blood pressure or high cholesterol.
• Depression: Your emotional health is as important as your physical health. If you have felt "down," sad, or hopeless over the last 2 weeks or have felt little interest or pleasure in doing things, you may be depressed. Talk to your doctor about being screened for depression.
• Sexually Transmitted Infections: Talk to your doctor to see whether you should be tested for gonorrhea, syphilis, chlamydia, or other sexually transmitted infections.
• HIV: Talk to your doctor about HIV screening if you:
  • Have had sex with men since 1975.
  • Have had unprotected sex with multiple partners.
  • Have used or now use injection drugs.
  • Exchange sex for money or drugs or have sex partners who do.
  • Have past or present sex partners who are HIV-infected, are bisexual, or use injection drugs.
  • Are being treated for sexually transmitted diseases.
  • Had a blood transfusion between 1978 and 1985.
• Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm. If you are between the ages of 65 and 75 and have ever smoked (100 or more cigarettes during your lifetime), you need to be screened once for abdominal aortic aneurysm, which is an abnormally large or swollen blood vessel in your abdomen.

Daily Steps to Health

Don't Smoke. If you do smoke, talk to your doctor about quitting. Your doctor or nurse can help you. And, you can also help yourself. For tips on how to quit, go to: You Can Quit Smoking Now. http://www.smokefree.gov. To talk to someone about how to quit, call the National Quitline: 1-800-QUITNOW. For more quit-smoking resources, go to: http://www.healthfinder.gov/, and search for "smoking."

Be Physically Active. Walking briskly, mowing the lawn, dancing, swimming, and bicycling are just a few examples of moderate physical activity. If you are not already physically active, start small and work up to 30 minutes or more of moderate physical activity most days of the week.

Eat a Healthy Diet. Emphasize fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products; include lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, and nuts; and eat foods low in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, salt (sodium), and added sugars.

Stay at a Healthy Weight. Balance calories from foods and beverages with calories you burn off by your activities. To prevent gradual weight gain over time, make small decreases in food and beverage calories and increase physical activity.

Drink Alcohol Only in Moderation. If you drink alcohol, have no more than two drinks a day. (A standard drink is one 12-ounce bottle of beer or wine cooler, one 5-ounce glass of wine, or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits.)

Should You Take Medicines to Prevent Disease?

• Aspirin: Ask your doctor about taking aspirin to prevent heart disease if you are:
  • Older than 45
  • Younger than 45 and:
    • Have high blood pressure.
    • Have high cholesterol.
    • Have diabetes.
    • Smoke.
• Immunizations: Stay up-to-date with your immunizations:
  • Have a flu shot every year starting at age 50. If you are younger than 50, ask your doctor whether you need a flu shot.
  • Have a pneumonia shot once after you turn 65. If you are younger, ask your doctor whether you need a pneumonia shot.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provide more information on immunizations at: http://www.cdc.gov/nip/recs/adult-schedule.htm.

Screening Test Checklist

Take this checklist with you to your doctor's office. Write down when you have any of the tests below. Talk to your doctor about your test results and write them down here. Ask when you should have the test next. Write down the month and year. If you think of questions for the doctor, write them down and bring them to your next visit.

Test	Last Test (mo/yr)	Results	Next Test Due (mo/yr)	Questions for the Doctor
Weight (BMI)
Cholesterol Total:
HDL (good):
LDL (bad):
Blood pressure
Colorectal cancer
Diabetes
Sexually transmitted diseases
HIV infection
Abdominal aortic aneurysm (one-time test)

More Information

For more information on staying healthy, order the following free publications from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Call the AHRQ Publications Clearinghouse at 1-800-358-9295, or send an E-mail to: ahrqpubs@ahrq.hhs.gov.

• The Pocket Guide to Good Health for Adults (Also available en español), Publication Nos. APPIP 03-0001 and APPIP 03-0010, August 2003.

The information in this fact sheet is based on research findings from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). The USPSTF is the leading independent panel of experts in prevention and primary care. The Task Force, which is supported by AHRQ, conducts rigorous, impartial assessments of the scientific evidence for the effectiveness of a broad range of clinical preventive services, including screening, counseling, and preventive medications. Its recommendations are considered the gold standard for clinical preventive services. Put Prevention Into Practice (PPIP), part of the AHRQ Dissemination and Implementation Program, is designed to increase the appropriate use of clinical preventive services, such as screening tests, preventive medications, and counseling. Based on the recommendations of the USPSTF and Government agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Put Prevention Into Practice tools and resources help clinicians determine which preventive services their patients should receive and make it easier for patients to participate in, understand, and keep track of their preventive care. For more information about USPSTF recommendations and Put Prevention Into Practice, go to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Web site at: http://www.preventiveservices.ahrq.gov.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality

AHRQ Publication No. 07-IP006-A
Replaces AHRQ Publication No. APPIP03-0011
February 2007

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Internet Citation:

Men: Stay Healthy at Any Age—Your Checklist for Health. AHRQ Publication No. 07-IP006-A, February 2007. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/ppip/healthymen.htm

Source: http://www.ahrq.gov/ppip/healthymen.htm

Natural Penis Enlargement

A common cause or side-affect of erectile dysfunction is the belief that your penis is too small. Men who are insecure about the size of the their penis often find it hard to achieve an erection because they believe that they are inadequate. Likewise, men who fail to achieve and erection will sometimes also believe that their penis is too small or shrinking which becomes a source of more stress and as a result greater difficulty in achieving an erection. However, there are various methods available for increasing the size of your penis. Some of these methods are ancient, some are modern but either way their benefits have helped many men feel more confident about their sex organs.

The methods of penis enlargement can be divided into three main groups; natural penis enlargement, external loading, or medications.

The first group involves various exercises that you can do to either lengthen your penis or improve you erection. The most basic form of exercise is to apply a lubricant to your penis and then stroke your organ until become firm, although not fully erect. You then continue stroking from the base to the tip or you penis with firm but not too tight pressure. This exercise over time can increase the size and length of you erect penis.

The external loading methods are very ancient but also can be dangerous if you do not take care. These exercises involved attaching light weights to your penis in order to stretch the length of your penis. There are many websites and outlets that sell the necessary equipment for using penis weights. You should take great care in following the instructions and in particular not overloading or using the weights for extended periods. Penis weights produce results over a period of time, usually months, so be patient.

Lastly, there medications that claim to increase the size of your penis. These can be either manufactured pharmaceuticals or herbal remedies. As to how effective these treatments are, there men who report great success and others who gain nothing. Using a medication is preferred by many as it is seen as a more gently method of increasing the size of your penis.
Those who have concerns about the size of their penis should not worry; there is something you can do about it if you really feel the need to.

What Causes Impotence? - Hormones and Psychological Causes

Impotence or erectile dysfunction can be a big blow to you confidence and self esteem. There can be various factors that lead to ED in men and two such issues include hormonal changes in the body and psychological problems.

Hormonal Changes

Testosterone is the hormone that regulates sexual function and sex drive in men. The production of this hormone begins declining after the age of 30 at about 1% a year. Though this decline in gradual, you can feel the effects sharply by the time you reach 40.

Loss of muscle, weight gain, mood swings, decline in bone density etc., are all associated with this dip in your testosterone levels. However, the most disturbing effect of this decline is reduced libido which triggers erectile dysfunction.

Psychological Factors

Apart form hormones, there are a few psychological issues as well that can make you impotent. Of all cases of ED, almost 10-20% results form psychological or emotional issues. However, what is good about this type of ED is that the success rate of curing it is very high.

Emotional issues that can take a toll on your manhood include stress, depression, anxiety, negative feelings like guilt, lack of interest in partner etc.,

Relationship problems and marital discord can also lead to ED in men.

However, you can get over this sort of sexual dysfunction by addressing the root cause.

Moreover, there are certain herbal and natural cures that can help you get hard and firm erections.

Herbal or natural pills are formulated with age proven herbs and nutrients that not only increase blood flow to the penis but also help penis muscles relax so that more blood can flow into the erectile tissue resulting in hard and firm erections.

Such pills also help boost testosterone levels naturally. Herbs such as tribulus terrestris and tongat ali are known to increase testosterone production and they form an intrinsic part of herbal medications that are used to treat ED.

High quality pills are clinically approved and recommended by doctors.

Viagra Is Still Going Strong and Has Maximum Takers

About Viagra

Viagra, an oral therapy for erectile dysfunction, is the citrate salt of Sildenafil, a selective inhibitor of cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP)-specific phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5). When the sexual stimulation causes local release of Nitric Oxide, inhibition of PDE5 by Sildenafil causes increased level of cGMP in the corpus cavernosum resulting in smooth muscle relaxation and inflow of blood to the corpus cavernosum.
Viagra is formulated as blue, film-coated rounded-diamond-shaped tablets and is one of the most commonly sold drug for treating male erectile dysfunction or impotence. It is also used for treating pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). The drug was developed by the pharmaceutical company Pfizer. Viagra is also informally known as “Vitamin V” or “the Blue Pill”.

Ingredients of Viagra

Viagra is contra-indicated in patients on nitrate therapy and with a known hypersensitivity to any ingredient of the tablet.

In addition to the active ingredient Sildenafil Citrate, each tablet contains the following inactive ingredients: microcrystalline cellulose, anhydrous dibasic calcium phosphate, croscarmellose sodium, magnesium stearate, hypromellose, titanium dioxide, lactose, triacetin, and FD & C Blue #2 Aluminum Lake.

Comes in the strength of

Viagra pills are blue and diamond-shaped with the words “Pfizer” engraved on one side, and its dosage in milligrams engraved on the other side. The various doses of Sildenafil for erectile dysfunction are 25mg, 50mg and 100mg, taken not more than once per day between 30 minutes and 4 hours prior to sexual intercourse. It is usually recommended to start with a dosage of 50mg (or even 25mg) and then lower or raise the dosage as appropriate.

Side Effects of Viagra

Common side effects include:

* Sneezing
* Headache
* Flushing
* Dyspepsia
* Palpitations; and/or
* Photophobia

Amongst Viagra’s rare but serious adverse effects are:

* Priapism
* Severe hypotension
* Myocardial infarction
* Ventricular arrhythmias
* Stroke; and/or
* Increased intraocular pressure

Care should be exercised by patients who are also taking Protease inhibitors for the treatment of HIV. Patients using protease inhibitors must limit their use of Sildenafil to no more than one 25mg dose every 48 hours. Protease inhibitors inhibit the metabolism of Sildenafil, effectively multiplying the plasma levels and increasing the incidence and severity of side-effects.

Some Viagra users have also complained of blue vision (Cyanopsia), including blurriness and loss of peripheral vision. There is also the potential risk of sudden hearing loss associated with the use of PDE5 inhibitors. When used with an alpha blocker, hypotension (low blood pressure) may occur, but this effect does not occur if they are taken at least four hours apart.

Availability of Viagra

Buying Viagra can be safe, convenient, and affordable and is available at both online or offline pharmacies near you. Prior to buying Viagra online, always get a written prescription. Buy from a site that gives a street address and a telephone number. Better still, buy from a verified Internet Pharmacy Practice – a certified online pharmacy. Buying the generic version of the drug is ill-advised as it could be fake, illegal, or without proven safety or effectiveness record

Male Skin Products - Getting Natural Ones

Male skin products have been available on the shelves for many years now offering solutions to various skin related issues. Just like it is with any other large industry, the market is full of a variety of options and some are better than others. There are products that come with affordable prices and show good results, but one needs to be sure that what he is using on his skin doesn't have even the remotest potential of causing a side or adverse effect.

For a long time, the only choices in male skin products, and skin care products in general were to use creams and lotions that were very heavy on mass-produced chemicals. These options are still available nowadays, and while some of these products work, it couldn't be considered as a great idea to constantly apply potential harmful chemicals to your skin day after day, because they get absorbed into the blood stream and from then on who knows where they might end up and what havoc they might unleash.

To counterbalance this and to offer a much healthier alternative, there are also all-natural male skin products available out there that will surely make good on their promises of smoother and more youthful skin without the remotest possibility of a side effect, of course barring an exceptional case of allergies.

Luckily, there are companies that research into this field and thanks to them we now have products that contain ingredients such as Phytessence Wakame and Coenzyme Q10 which have both been shown to produce rapid and positive effects at a reasonable price and of course without the looming risks of any side effects. This is possible because these are naturally occurring ingredients that have either been used for numerous centuries.

This is the case for the Wakame kelp, a natural product which has been tested numerous times before being introduced into modern day products.

As long as you use male skin products which are based on some of the best natural ingredients, you will surely get the outcome you expect or maybe even a better result than anticipated.

Erectile Dysfunction Pumps

Erectile Dysfunction, or ED, is every man's nightmare. Apart from ruining lives and relationships, it is can often lead to other "mental" disorders such as a lack of self confidence, lack of self esteem, and depression.

Assuming that there are no serious underlying medical causes for erectile dysfunction, natural remedies are always to be preferred over drugs. Most natural remedies are 100% safe, and come without unwanted side effects.

We can't say the same thing about drugs.

One aid for ED that is completely safe and that uses a 100% natural technique, is the Erectile Dysfunction Pump.

Like most things in life, there are pros and cons with this type device.

Let's go over them quickly....

ED Pumps work by slipping a plastic tube over the penis, sealing in place, and then inducing a vacuum around the penis, either by a built in electric (battery) motor, or a hand operated pump. The induced vacuum causes blood to engorge the penis, thus creating an erection. A "clamp" is then left in place at the base of the penis which prevents the blood from flowing back out.

The advantages with the use of pumps are: (a) that they do work; (b) you are not introducing any foreign substances into your body; (c) they are relatively cheap and easy to buy online, and (d) they can be used safely with other courses of testosterone treatment.

The disadvantages are: (a) they are a little bulky and unwieldy; (b) they are not conducive to sex at the spur of the moment; (c) they can "throttle" the ejaculation (although some pumps are made with a gaps in the clamps/seals to ease this), and, (d) the penis is still able to "pivot" at its base (where the clamp/seal ends).

Not surprisingly, these pumps tend to be used by men of 50 or over who are in single partner relationships.

Erectile dysfunction is often only a temporary condition and can be the result of outside stresses, either at work or in the home environment. It is worth analyzing your situation to see if you can pinpoint any such cause(s). If you can, and the cause can be removed or avoided, all is well and good; your ED should disappear.

If it does not, then please consider seeing your doctor for a proper diagnosis. Once you have done that, you can then think about treatments and remedies such as the Erectile Dysfunction Pump.

Men Hair Care Tips

Baldness in more common in men than in women since experts believe that its most likely caused by testosterone. However there are a number of things you can do in order to keep your hair strong, healthy, and growing.

One of the first things that I recommend that all men do but many don't is you should regularly oil your head. You can apply either coconut or olive oil on your head every once a weak for a few hours before you wash it off. The reason applying oil is so important is because a dry scalp can weaken the roots of your hair and might trigger hair fall. A moist scalp will help hair become stronger and grow faster.

You might have watched those shampoo advertisements in which a man has traffic hair and he owes it all to his favorite shampoo. The truth is that too much shampoo can damage your hair since shampoo contains heavy doses of chemicals that don't easily wash off. In order to have good hair you should avoid shampooing every time you take a bath. A better way is to just wash your hair with water and use shampoo and conditioner ever other day.

If you want healthy hair you need to feed your scalp nourishment. I'm not talking about artificial nourishment but rather natural nourishment. You can apply a combination of egg yolks and curd to your head and leave it on for a while. If you do this twice a week you will notice a visible change in the look and feel of your hair.

Try to avoid blow drying your hair since that can do some serious damage to your hair follicles. Men usually have short hair so drying it with a towel should suffice, If do have long hair you should still not use a dryer on your hair.