Ailments that were associated with women are now finding ground in the male anatomy. Malini Banerjee offers a quick medical guide on what the guys should watch out for

Hey man, you can't get away

Ailments that were associated with women are now finding ground in the male anatomy. Malini Banerjee offers a quick medical guide on what the guys should watch out for

Andropause (Male Menopause)

What it means for the patient: Andropause is a clinical syndrome, so named, because of the physical changes that take place due to declining androgenic hormone levels, mainly testosterone. "Unlike menopause, it can't be pin-pointed to an exact date or month.

It's a gradual process," says Dr Dilip Raja, consultant urologist and andrologist with Lilavati Hospital and Saifee Hospital, Mumbai. Like menopause, a fall in testosterone levels can also result in osteoporosis.
Warning signs: The first signs, points out Dr Raja, are often external. Watch out for the inability to sustain and erection.
What's the cure? Generally, testosterone replacement therapy is prescribed but that may have
contra-indications.
The stats: By the age of 50, andropause is said to affect 30% of men. But there are enough exceptions too. "Charlie Chaplin fathered a child at 83!" smiles Dr Raja.
Celebrity connect: Hollywood star Mel Gibson (below) has admitted that his career has slowed down
substantially over the past few years. He attributes it to andropause, or as he called it, "the male menopause."

Urinary incontinence

What it means for the patient: It refers to loss of urine control. "It occurs due to ageing, prostrate surgery or constipation. Men can become incontinent from neurological injury, birth defects, strokes or multiple
sclerosis," says Dr Raja.
There are three types of male urinary incontinence: Urge incontinence: This is when the patient cannot hold on long enough to make it to the men's room.
Stress incontinence: Urine can leak with simple actions like sneezing, lifting heavy objects or even laughing.
Overflow incontinence: When the quantity of urine exceeds the capacity of the bladder to hold it.
Warning signs: Difficulty andunpredictability in passing urine, or leaking bladder.
What's the cure? Depends on the underlying cause. It is treated with pelvic muscle exercises, bladder
training, implants and catheterisation. It is important to consult a doctor.
The stats: While 2 out of 3 women suffer from stress urinary incontinence (SUI), 1 in 10 men suffer from the condition too.
Celebrity connect: David Hasselhoff of Baywatch fame (below) is said to have had a little urinary accident in his trousers at London's Heathrow Airport.

Bollywood actor Shahrukh Khan developed severe migraine pain while shooting for My Name Is Khan (MNIK), and had to consult a neurosurgeon. The role of Rizwan Khan, who suffers from Asperger's Syndrome, required him to tilt his head forward and focus his vision in a particular direction, causing migraine and neck pain.

Migraine

What it means for the patient: Migraines are often triggered by factors like stress, skipping meals, low
levels of serotonin and dehydration. But it is more likely to go unreported in males, who often dismiss it as a minor headache, says Dr Deepti Mansharamani, EMO, Breach Candy Hospital. A migraine is different from a regular headache since it affects just one area of the head or the jaw.
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If ignored, the ache progresses to the neck, and shoulders. In a very severe form, migraine can cause nausea and vomiting. "Most patients try self medication, and with easy access to the Internet, wrong self diagnosis is common. They often end up diagnosing everything but the actual problem," says Dr Mansharamani.
Warning signs: The warning signs vary and migraine patients are better at recognising the signs. "It
generally begins as a slight dizziness, or heaviness of the head. Sometimes, the eyes start watering."
What's the cure? Migraines affect different people, differently. Along with painkillers, symptomatic relief is offered depending on the patient. Medicines for acidity or vomiting are offered depending on the patient's condition.
The stats: While it affects 14% to 35% women, it affects 6% to15% adult men.
Celebrity connect: Third President of the US and author of the Declaration of independence Thomas Jefferson, Austrian neurologist Sigmund Freud who discovered psychoanalysis, author and playwright George Bernard Shaw and Alice in Wonderland author Lewis Carroll suffered from migraine. In fact, Carroll attributed some of his original drawings to the hallucinations he experienced during migraine headaches.
Study? Sleep Deprivation could lead to migraines
Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep deprivation leads to changes in the levels of key proteins that facilitate events involved in the underlying pathology of migraine, a new study has found. "We found that REM sleep deprivation caused increased expression of the proteins p38, PKA, and P2X3, which are known to play an important role in initiating and sustaining chronic pain," said Dr Paul L Dunham of the Missouri State University's Center for Biomedical & Life Sciences.

Osteoporosis

What it means for the patient: Osteoporosis is a condition where bone mass is gradually reduced. A person builds bone mass till he/she is 30, following which bone mass falls by 1% every year. If the rate increases to, say 6% a year, like it happens in case of post-menopausal women, the bones are said to be osteoporotic. Similar conditions can be seen in men with male menopause or decreased levels of testosterone.
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It is not just a reduction in calcium levels, Dr Kaushal Malhan, joint replacement surgeon, Fortis Hospital points out. "If you compare your bones to the load bearing columns in a building, the metal girders are the collagen while the concrete is the mineral. If any of these two get affected, it results in osteoporosis."

Osteporotic bones are weaker, and more prone to fractures especially, wrist, hip, and spine fractures. "It's been seen that elderly people with hip fractures have a 50% mortality rate. That proves that osteoporosis isn't just a simple benign disease. it can be risky," says Dr Malhan.
Warning signs: No clear signs are indicated. In fact, Osteoporosis in men is usually diagnosed after a fracture. What's the cure? The best way out is to take preventive measures. Consume a healthy diet balanced in calcium, vitamin D and other nutrients. Exercises like brisk walking and aerobics are good because they jar the skeleton and help create dense bones. If osteoporosis is diagnosed, it is treated with calcium and vitamin supplements or bisphosphonates that prevent further loss of bone mass.
The stats: Osteoporosis occurs due to ageing and is quite common. In fact, some studies suggest that for every woman falling prey to osteoporosis, there is a man above 50 suffering from it too.
Celebrity connect: In 1937, ex-US president John F Kennedy was erroneously prescribed steroids to control his colitis, which ended up causing him to develop osteoporosis of the lower lumbar spine.

Breast Cancer

What it means for the patient: The local symptoms include a lump or swelling in the breast, ulcers or a wound that does not heal, or even patchy skin that looks like eczema. But what goes on underneath the skin is far more dangerous. Cancer is a class of diseases where a group of cells display uncontrolled growth, spreading to other parts of the body through the lymph nodes or blood. "In men, breast cancer occurs if there is a genetic history of the disease. Or if there is obesity or liver disease. Studies also show that exposure to certain chemicals found in pesticides, plastic, or parabens found in deodorants may also be linked to cancer," says Dr Ajit Venniyoor, consultant, medical oncology, Seven Hills Hospital.
Warning signs: It usually manifests itself as a lump, swelling or some secretions from the
nipple. Sometimes, the skin develops ulcer-like wounds.
What's the cure? Breast cancer is treated with either a lumpectomy or mastectomy (surgical removal) depending on the size of the tumour and is often followed with chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
The stats: As Dr Venniyoor points out: "At Tata Memorial Hospital, which attracts the highest number of cancer patients, for every 4,000 cases of breast cancer in women, there are 60 cases in men."
Celebrity connect: In 2009, KISS drummer Peter Criss admitted he was one of the "luckiest men alive" to have survived breast cancer. He urged other men to drop the "macho crap". "Don't sit around playing Mr Tough Guy. Don't say 'It's going to go away,'" he warned.