VARICOCCELE

You've heard of varicose veins — those swollen veins that sometimes show up in the legs. You've probably heard your grandma and her old lady friends talking about their varicose veins and never thought twice about them.


But hopefully you've never heard your grandma mention a varicocele, which is also a swelling of the veins. A varicocele happens just to guys, and you probably won't sit around and talk about it with your pals. That's because it occurs not in the legs but in a place a bit more private and a lot more tender — the scrotum. It's generally harmless and basically the same kind of thing as varicose veins in the legs. But what exactly is a varicocele and how do you get rid of it?

What Is a Varicocele?

In all guys, there's a structure that contains arteries, veins, nerves, and tubes — called the spermatic cord — that provides a connection and circulates blood to and from the testicles. Veins carry the blood flowing from the body back toward the heart, and a bunch of valves in the veins keep the blood flowing one way and stop it from flowing backward. In other words, the valves regulate your blood flow and make sure everything is flowing in the right direction.
But sometimes these valves can fail. When this happens, some of the blood can flow in reverse. This backed-up blood can collect in pools in the veins, which then causes the veins to stretch and get bigger, or become swollen. This is called a varicocele (pronounced: var-uh-ko-seel).

  Who Gets Them?

Although they don't happen to every guy, varicoceles are fairly common. They appear in about 15% of guys between 15-25 years old, and they mostly occur during puberty. That's because during puberty, the testicles grow rapidly and need more blood delivered to them. If the valves in the veins in the scrotum aren't functioning quite as well as they should, the veins can't handle transporting this extra blood from the testicles. So, although most of the blood continues to flow correctly, blood begins to back up, creating a varicocele.
An interesting fact is that varicoceles occur mostly on the left side of the scrotum. This is because a guy's body is organized so that blood flow on that side of the scrotum is greater, so varicoceles happen more often in the left testicle than the right. Although it's less common, they can sometimes occur on both sides.

What Are the Signs and Symptoms?

In most cases, guys have no symptoms at all. A guy might not even be aware that he has a varicocele. However, if there are symptoms, they tend to occur during hot weather, after heavy exercise, or when a guy has been standing or sitting for a long time. Signs include:

• a dull ache in the testicle(s)
• a feeling of heaviness or dragging in the scrotum
• dilated veins in the scrotum that can be felt (described as feeling like worms or spaghetti)
• discomfort in the testicle or on that particular side of the scrotum

• the testicle is smaller on the side where the dilated veins are (due to difference in blood flow)

Men's Health Testicular Cancer

 

Testicular cancer forms in a man's testicles, the two egg-shaped glands that produce sperm and testosterone. Testicular cancer mainly affects young men between the ages of 20 and 39. It is also more common in men who

• Have had abnormal testicle development
• Have had an undescended testicle
• Have a family history of the cancer

Symptoms include pain, swelling or lumps in your testicles or groin area. Most cases can be treated, especially if it is found early. Treatment options include surgery, radiation and/or chemotherapy. Regular exams after treatment are important. Treatments may also cause infertility. If you may want children later on, you should consider sperm banking before treatment.

NIH: National Cancer Institute

Kidney Disease

Kidney Disease

Chronic kidney disease
Chronic kidney disease occurs when one suffers from gradual and usually permanent loss of kidney function over time. This happens gradually, usually months to years. Chronic kidney disease is divided into five stages of increasing severity (see Table 1 below). The term "renal" refers to the kidney, so another name for kidney failure is "renal failure." Mild kidney disease is often called renal insufficiency.
With loss of kidney function, there is an accumulation of water; waste; and toxic substances, in the body, that are normally excreted by the kidney. Loss of kidney function also causes other problems such as anemia, high blood pressure, acidosis (excessive acidity of body fluids), disorders of cholesterol and fatty acids, and bone disease.


Stage 5 chronic kidney disease is also referred to as kidney failure, end-stage kidney disease, or end-stage renal disease, wherein there is total or near-total loss of kidney function. There is dangerous accumulation of water, waste, and toxic substances, and most individuals in this stage of kidney disease need dialysis or transplantation to stay alive.
Unlike chronic kidney disease, acute kidney failure develops rapidly, over days or weeks.

• Acute kidney failure usually develops in response to a disorder that directly affects the kidney, its blood supply, or urine flow from it.
  
  
• Acute kidney failure is often reversible, with complete recovery of kidney function.
  
  
• Some patients are left with residual damage and can have a progressive decline in kidney function in the future.
  
  
• Others may develop irreversible kidney failure after an acute injury and remain dialysis-dependent. 

Table 1. Stages of Chronic Kidney Disease

Stage	Description	GFR* mL/min/1.73m2
1	Slight kidney damage with normal or increased filtration	More than 90
2	Mild decrease in kidney function	60-89
3	Moderate decrease in kidney function	30-59
4	Severe decrease in kidney function	15-29
5	Kidney failure	Less than 15 (or dialysis)

*GFR is glomerular filtration rate, a measure of the kidney's function.

Vagina Examintaion

Here's How:

1. You will need a strong light such as a flashlight, a mirror, a vaginal lubricant, antiseptic soap or alcohol, and a plastic speculum (get a speculum from a pharmacy that sells medical supplies).
2. Find a place to relax. This can be the floor or your couch, wherever you can feel comfortable.
3. Lie back.
4.  
5. Bend your knees, with your feet wide apart.
6. Lubricate the speculum, and insert it into your vagina in the closed position. Experiment to find the most comfortable position for inserting the speculum.
7. Once the speculum is inserted, grab the shorter section of the handle and firmly pull it toward you until it opens inside your vagina.
8. Push down on the outside section until you hear a click, while keeping a firm hold on the speculum. The speculum is now locked in place.
9. Place the mirror at your feet so that you can see your vagina. Move the speculum, while shining the flashlight into the mirror, until you can see your cervix and vaginal walls in the mirror.
10. Take note of the color of your cervix, as well as any vaginal secretions.
11. Remove the speculum, after your examination is complete, either in the closed or open position whichever is most comfortable for you.
12. Thoroughly wash the speculum with antiseptic soap or alcohol and store for your next self exam.

Tips:

1. Speculums are available at pharmacies that sell medical supplies.
2. Some women may find it easier to have a friend or partner help by holding the mirror. The normal cervix appears wet, pinkish, and has a bulb shape. The cervix of pregnant women has a bluish tint.
3. Vaginal secretions change through out the month. Understanding the changes your body goes through can help you detect your fertile periods, as well as abnormalities.
4. Vaginal self exam is neither recommended, nor valuable for detecting abnormal cervical cells that are detectable only by having regular Pap smears. _{Source: "Our Bodies, Our Selves." The Boston Women's Health Collective.}

What You Need:

• plastic speculum
• flashlight
• mirror
• vaginal lubricant
• antiseptic soap or alcohol

For Women

Women and men have many of the same health problems, but they can affect women differently. For example, women may have different symptoms of heart disease. Some diseases or conditions are more common in women, such as osteoarthritis, obesity and depression. And some conditions, such as menopause and pregnancy, are unique to women.
Women sometimes neglect their own health and focus instead on their partner's and their children's. Take care of yourself first:

• Plan for pregnancies and see your healthcare provider regularly while you are pregnant
• Have regular mammograms
• Get regular checkups and screenings. Early detection is important for treating breast, cervical, uterine and ovarian cancer.

Pregnancy:
If you are trying to have a baby or are just thinking about it, it is not too early to prepare for a safe pregnancy and a healthy baby. You should speak with your healthcare provider about preconception care.
Preconception care is care you receive before you get pregnant. It involves finding and taking care of any problems that might affect you and your baby later, like diabetes or high blood pressure. It also involves steps you can take to reduce the risk of birth defects and other problems. For example, you should take folic acid supplements to prevent neural tube defects.
By taking action on health issues before pregnancy, you can prevent many future problems for yourself and your baby. Once you're pregnant, you’ll get prenatal care until your baby is born.


Mammography:
A mammogram is a special type of X-ray of the breasts. Mammograms can show tumors long before they are big enough for you or your health care provider to feel. They are recommended for women who have symptoms of breast cancer or who have a high risk of the disease. You and your health care provider should discuss when to start having mammograms and how often to get one.
Mammograms are quick and easy. You stand in front of an X-ray machine. The person who takes the X-rays places your breast between two plastic plates. The plates press your breast and make it flat. This may be uncomfortable, but it helps get a clear picture. You will have an X-ray of each breast. A mammogram takes only a few seconds and it can help save your life.

Menopause: 
Menopause is the time in a woman's life when her period stops. It usually occurs naturally, most often after age 45. Menopause happens because the woman's ovary stops producing the hormones estrogen and progesterone.
A woman has reached menopause when she has not had a period for one year. Changes and symptoms can start several years earlier. They include

• A change in periods - shorter or longer, lighter or heavier, with more or less time in between
• Hot flashes and/or night sweats
• Trouble sleeping
• Vaginal dryness
• Mood swings
• Trouble focusing
• Less hair on head, more on face

Some symptoms require treatment. Talk to your doctor about how to best manage menopause. Make sure the doctor knows your medical history and your family medical history. This includes whether you are at risk for heart disease, osteoporosis, or breast cancer.

EYE DEFECTS

DEFECTS OF THE EYE
BACK TO HOME PAGE THE EYE PHOTORECEPTORS RODS CONES RHODOPSIN MECHANISM VITAMIN A REFERENCES		There are many eye related problems and defects of the eye, the main few are briefly discussed below:   Defects of the eye: Myopia: (nearsightedness) This is a defect of vision in which far objects appear blurred but near objects are seen clearly. The image is focused in front of the retina rather than on it usually because the eyeball is too long or the refractive power of the eye’s lens too strong. Myopia can be corrected by wearing glasses/contacts with concave lenses these help to focus the image on the retina. Hyperopia: (farsightedness) This is a defect of vision in which there is difficulty with near vision but far objects can be seen easily. The image is focused behind the retina rather than upon it. This occurs when the eyeball is too short or the refractive power of the lens is too weak. Hyperopia can be corrected by wearing glasses/contacts that contain convex lenses. Astigmatism: This defect is when the light rays do not all come to a single focal point on the retina, instead some focus on the retina and some focus in front of or behind it. This is usually caused by a non-uniform curvature of the cornea. A typical symptom of astigmatism is if you are looking at a pattern of lines placed at various angles and the lines running in one direction appear sharp whilst those in other directions appear blurred. Astigmatism can usually be corrected by using a special spherical cylindrical lens; this is placed in the out-of-focus axis. Eye related problems: Cataracts: A cataract is a clouding of the lens, which prevents a clear, sharp image being produced. A cataract forms because the lens is sealed in a capsule and as old cells die they get trapped in the capsule, with time this causes a clouding over of the lens. This clouding results in blurred images. Age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) This is a degenerative condition of the macula (the central retina). It is caused by the hardening of the arteries that nourish the retina. This deprives the retinal tissue of the nutrients and oxygen that it needs to function and causes a deterioration in central vision. Glaucoma:   The eye produces a clear fluid (aqueous humor) that fills the space between the cornea and the iris. This fluid filters out through a complex drainage system. It is the balance between the production and drainage of this fluid that determines the eyes intraocular pressure (IOP). Glaucoma is a disease caused by increased IOP usually resulting from a malfunction in the eye’s drainage system. Increased IOP can cause irreversible damage to the optic nerve and retinal fibers and if left untreated can result in a permanent loss of vision.

Breast Cancer

I may have breast cancer, what questions should I ask my doctor?

If you have received a positive or possible diagnosis of breast cancer, there are a number of questions that you can ask your doctor. The answers you receive to these questions should give you a better understanding of your specific diagnosis and the corresponding treatment. It is usually helpful to write your questions down before you meet with your health-care provider. This gives you the opportunity to ask all your questions in an organized fashion.
Each question is followed by a brief explanation as to why that particular question is important. We will not attempt to answer these questions in detail here because each individual case is just that, individual. This outline is designed to provide a framework to help you and your family make certain that most of the important questions in breast cancer diagnosis and treatment have been addressed. As cancer treatments are constantly evolving, specific recommendations and treatments might change and you should always confer with your treatment team regarding any questions.

Is the doctor sure I have breast cancer?

Certain types of cancer are relatively easy to identify by standard microscopic evaluation of the tissue. This is generally true for the most common types of breast cancer.
However, as the search for earlier and rarer forms of breast cancer progresses, it can be difficult to be certain that a particular group of cells is malignant (cancerous). At the same time, benign conditions may have cells which are somewhat distorted in appearance or pattern of growth (known as atypical cells or atypical hyperplasia). For this reason, it is important that the pathologist reading the slides of your breast biopsy be experienced in breast pathology. Most good pathology groups have multiple pathologists review questionable or troublesome slides. In more difficult cases, the slides will often be sent to recognized specialists with considerable expertise in breast pathology.