If you are a man you are extremely likely to suffer from one prostate problem or another at some stage in your life. As long as you are under 50 years of age {this|then this} is likely to be prostatitis (an inflammation or infection of the prostate gland) and, if you are over the age of 50 then it is also fairly likely to be a case of an enlarged prostate (benign prostatic hyperplasia or BPH). Furthermore, a significant number of men over the age of 50 will also develop prostate cancer.

A significant difficulty with all of these problems of the prostate gland is that they frequently show very similar symptoms and you can, for instance, be having difficulties urinating as a result of both inflammation of the prostate and an enlarged prostate gland. In many cases these conditions will not be accompanied by any symptoms in their early stages and the real danger here is that you may be developing prostate cancer without even knowing it.

So, if you are suffering from any sort of prostate symptoms, you ought to consult your doctor. Equally, if you are over 50 years of age you ought to request your doctor for regular checks for prostate problems, even if you are not presently experiencing any symptoms of a problem.

The two most often performed tests for prostate problems are the digital rectal examination, which is a physical examination of the prostate gland looking for signs of abnormalities, and the PSA, or prostate specific antigen, blood test that checks for a protein in the blood the level of which is an indicator of prostate cancer. However, when all is said and done, the only sure test for prostate cancer is to have a prostate biopsy exam.

The commonest prostate biopsy uses a transrectal ultrasound probe that guides the doctor to the prostate gland and then uses a hollow needle to collect several tissue samples from different areas of the prostate gland for microscopic examination. Another commonly used type of biopsy is the insertion of a biopsy needle through the skin between the anus and scrotum and into the prostate to once again collect the samples needed. In both cases the tissue samples will indicate the presence and spread of any cancer, together with just how aggressive the cancer is.

A prostate biopsy examination is not the most pleasant of procedures producing a brief and uncomfortable sensation as each sample is taken, but it is happily quite short (lasting about 15 minutes) and is often done in the doctor’s office using a local anesthetic. Following your biopsy you will probably be sore and will also notice a little blood in your urine and possibly some mild bleeding from the rectum. It is also not uncommon to experience small amounts of blood in your semen and this can be noticeable for some weeks.

Tags: biopsy, digital rectal exam, dre, prostate, prostate biopsy, prostate cancer, prostate gland, psa

With obesity rates continuing to soar in the West it is perhaps not surprising that we are seeing a growing number of overweight children. Of course the effects of childhood obesity are all too obvious, but precisely what is it that causes childhood obesity?

The simple answer is that there is no one cause of child obesity and there are a variety of things which give rise to obesity in our children.

It is generally the case for instance that a child whose parents are overweight or obese will be overweight or obese which suggests that there may well be an inherited or genetic element to obesity. However, although this is an area that is currently being studied, no clear genetic link has so far been discovered and it is felt much more likely that it is the diet and eating habits within the family that lead to obesity and not genetics.

We have witnessed a considerable change in eating habits in the last few years with fast food restaurants appearing on every street corner, junk food widely available and the shelves of our supermarkets lined with ‘convenience’ foods which are more often than not very high in sugar. The days when we sat down to home cooked meals are long gone in the majority of households and have been replaced by take-away food or microwave meals. In fact, all too many parents are now opting to take their children out for a pizza instead of preparing meals at home not just because it is easier than cooking a meal but also because it saves a lot of washing up!

We have also seen a very marked drop in activity levels for many groups of children, spurred on in no small measure by the arrival of computers, video games consoles and now the ubiquitous mobile phone. Of course, as activity levels have dropped so children have lost their god given ability to burn off the calories gained from eating a growing quantity of junk food.

The Internet, magazines, television and other forms of media also play an important role as they all but dominate our childrens’ lives and fast food, junk food and candy manufacturers are not slow in jumping onto this particular bandwagon and take full advantage of the advertising opportunity provided by the media. Many people would argue that advertising has done more to encourage the rise in childhood obesity than almost anything else in the last few years.

There are also many psychological factors at play in the world today and many children today will simply eat whenever they get bored. Additionally, they will turn to food when they find themselves angry, stressed, depressed or anxious.

Right now a great deal of medical research is being directed towards the cause of child obesity and its treatment and much of this is aimed at finding a solution to the problem using diet and exercise once confronted with an obese child. However, with childhood obesity continuing to grow at an alarming rate, and with the obvious dangers of child obesity, perhaps it is now time to attack the roots of the problem and to stop our children from getting obese in the first place.

Tags: child obesity, fat, Health, obese, Obesity, overweight, teen obesity, teenage obesity, weight loss