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Comprehensive men's sexual health information, tips and news about men's sexual health.
Archive for April, 2009
There is considerable variability in the sex hormone levels of postmenopausal women. In general, postmenopausal women whose ovaries are intact produce levels of ovarian hormones (except for oestradiol) comparable with those they produced in the early part of their menstrual cycle prior to menopause. The main difference between this group and those women who have had a surgical menopause is that the second group produce smaller amounts of the hormones known as androgens.
Oestrogen hormones
The change in the oestrogen hormone profile is a matter of altered balance between the various types of oestrogen produced.
OESTRONE This is the most constant form of oestrogen circulating in the bloodstream from childhood onwards. In postmenopausal women (with or without ovaries), its level is about the same as in the early part of the menstrual cycle before menopause. (Much higher levels occur at mid-cycle and in the late part of the cycle.) It is mainly produced from androgens (described later) in muscle and fat tissue. This is why body fat is a major factor in determining oestrogen levels in postmenopausal women. The ovaries (if present) produce some oestrone too.
OESTRADIOL Oestradiol is the most powerful of the oestrogen hormones and it has the greatest influence on the function of the heart and blood vessels, bone growth, brain metabolism, reproduction and menstruation. A postmenopausal woman (with ovaries) has about half the level she had in the early part of her menstrual cycle, which is about one-tenth of the average level for the whole menstrual cycle. Oestradiol levels of women without ovaries are somewhat lower.
Oestradiol is mainly converted from oestrone in fat and muscle tissue throughout the body, and from androgens in the adrenal glands — two small organs above the kidneys. Hot flushes and night sweats typically correspond with low levels of oestradiol.
OESTRIOL A third type of oestrogen produced in large amounts by the placenta during pregnancy is called oestriol. It is a weak form of oestrogen and is converted from oestrone. It is present in measurable amounts both before and after menopause in women with and without ovaries.
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Strange as it may seem, feelings of lethargy are often associated with a lack of strenuous physical activity. Lack of exercise, especially exercise that takes you beyond your home, can make you feel rather depressed too. A program of regular moderate physical activity is one of the first things to consider when feeling out of sorts. In general, it is best to set a manageable target, .beginning slowly and increasing the level of activity progressively. Inertia is one of the most difficult states to overcome. Setting too high a target can be counterproductive and may send you backwards.
Sticking to an exercise plan for a couple of weeks does wonders for morale and, instead of inventing excuses to avoid exercise, you will find it becomes something to look forward to with pleasure. In working out an exercise plan, there are some important factors to consider.
- The aim is to make regular physical activity part of your life, so choose something you enjoy — something that is convenient, interesting, can be done independently and is realistically achievable.
- If you are over forty or have high blood pressure, diabetes or a known heart problem, check with your doctor before you start your plan. A preliminary health check is sometimes advisable anyway, especially if you intend working up to strenuous forms of activity.
- Always warm up for at least five minutes before exercising, and cool down after it. Include some stretching exercises in the warm-up to reduce the risk of muscle strains.
- Never exercise if you are not feeling well. If illness interrupts your plan, resume at a lower level than before and slowly build up again.
- Tell your doctor about any symptoms you experience during exercise, particularly chest discomfort or undue dizziness.
Any woman at midlife who smokes should consider giving it away. If you are a typical twenty-cigarettes-a-day smoker who quits, you will experience changes something like these:
- Between twelve and twenty-four hours after stopping, you will start to feel less short of breath when you exert yourself.
- Within a couple of days you will begin to feel and smell fresher. Your taste buds will come alive and your sense of smell will return.
- Within three weeks your lungs will be working better and physical activity will be easier.
- Within two months, blood flow to your limbs will improve and you will have more energy.
If you have tried quitting repeatedly without success it may be time to consider a Quit group, which will provide a sound educational approach and ongoing support.
Finally, help for lethargy and depressed moods may be obtained from plants that contain oestrogen-like substances, called phyto-oestrogens. They seem to have less powerful effects than the oestrogens used in HRT, but are worth trying. Plants with a considerable amount of oestrogen-like content include alfalfa, aniseed, basil, caraway, chervil, the common beans, fennel, fenugreek, hops, licorice (which should be avoided by people with blood pressure problems), parsley, red clover, sage and soya bean sprouts.
Foods containing smaller amounts of oestrogen include fresh corn, corn oil, green peas, cabbage, wheat bran and wheat germ, rice bran and milk. The list is so long that you should have no difficulty finding something you can add to salad, vegetable or other dishes each day.
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CAPS IN KNOWLEDGE: HRT RESEARCHES
Author: admin
There is as yet only a limited amount of research evidence about short-term use of oestrogen patches, implants, vaginal creams and pessaries. No one knows yet whether the body handles oestrogen from these sources differently from oestrogen taken by mouth, or whether oestrogen in these forms offers protection against the development of heart and blood vessel disease. Preliminary data suggests that oestrogen administered in these ways produces beneficial changes to blood fat levels, and long-term findings are eagerly awaited from several studies capable of providing answers.
There is good evidence that heart disease risk factors for men, on whom most research has been done, cannot be applied holus-bolus to women. Since the risk of heart disease is figuring more and more among the reasons why doctors prescribe HRT, this raises questions about the basis on which such decisions are made.
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WAYS OF ADMINISTRATING HRT: IMPLANTS
Author: admin
Another HRT option (oestrogen with or without testosterone – which may be suggested for boosting your libido) is insertion under the skin of pellets containing one or more hormones. The pellet is usually placed in the fat of the lower abdomen, buttock or upper thigh, and a replacement is inserted every three to twelve months, depending on the dose required. This small and simple surgical procedure is performed in the doctor’s rooms or at a menopause clinic.
The amount of hormone absorbed from the implant varies according to how long it has been there, its position (for example, more hormone is absorbed if the implant is in the upper arm of a swimmer than if it is placed in a buttock), its depth under the skin (the deeper the implant, the greater the absorption), physical activity levels (exercise increases blood flow) and the presence of inflammation or scar tissue around the implant.
Women who find implants useful include those who for one reason or another cannot tolerate oestrogen in pill or patch form, and those needing large doses of oestrogen. These advantages may offset a common problem with implants, which is that the dose of hormone entering the body is initially high and reduces with time.
For example Natalie, a young woman who had an artificial menopause following cancer treatment, required relatively large amounts of oestrogen to alleviate recurring bouts of severe hot flushes. She found the implant both more convenient and more effective than pills, although she experienced sore breasts for some weeks after the implant was inserted (a higher than average hormone dose was entering her body), and a return of flushes as the time for a replacement implant approached (the hormone dose released by the implant had dropped significantly).
Many doctors believe that oestrogen implants should not be used as first-line HRT in women who have a uterus. This is because implants deliver substantially higher levels of oestrogen than other HRT formulations (at least part of the time) and, while helping women to feel wonderful, these levels can greatly increase the risk of severe, uncontrollable bleeding and possible hysterectomy. According to Dr John Eden from the University of New South Wales, some women on oestrogen implants feel a euphoria similar to that experienced by men on anabolic steroids. ‘But women pay a price if they have a uterus; they run the risk of heavy, uncontrollable periods.’ In the case of Margo, a patient with fibroids who had an implant inserted, the bleeding was so heavy that hysterectomy was the only option. ‘You rarely see this with other therapies, because the oestrogen levels are relatively low’, Dr Eden says. ‘Women with fibroids may get irregular bleeds, but you don’t see the activation and growth that you may get with an implant.’
It is extremely important that any woman with an intact uterus who is using an oestrogen implant realises the necessity of teaming progestogen with it for one to three years after the last implant is inserted. Implants continue to release small amounts of oestrogen for a very long time after their ‘use by’ date. It is unwise to discontinue the progestogen until two to three months after withdrawal bleeds have stopped.
An advantage of implants is their convenience, with no need to remember a daily pill or twice-weekly patch.
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How food intolerance might create this underlying instability is not known. One study suggests that migraine patients, although not apparently atopic, have a mild IgE/mast-cell reaction to the food when it comes into contact with the lining of the gut. This may set up inflammation locally, make the gut wall more leaky, and thus allow more food molecules through. These might then provoke an immune response in the blood, although it is not clear how this could make the person susceptible to migraines.
Another possibility is that certain naturally-occurring chemicals in the foods, which require detoxification by enzymes, are to blame. If the patient has a deficit in certain detoxification enzymes, this could be made much worse by overloading them with particular foodstuffs. There might then be less spare enzyme capacity to deal with ‘triggers’ such as tyramine. At present this is just speculation, and much more research is needed in this area.
Although elimination diets do seem to be useful for many people with migraine, they are probably not worth trying for those who only get migraines occasionally – once a month or less. In such circumstances, it would be difficult to tell if excluding foods had had any effect, unless there were other symptoms as well. Testing might also be rather inconclusive. But for anyone who has migraines at particular times – during the monthly period for example -then it might be worth carrying out an elimination diet, timed to coincide with the moment when migraines usually occur.
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THE THERAPEUTIC POWER OF PEACE AND QUIET
Author: admin
Have you ever stopped to think about the great healing power that dwells in tranquillity, in undisturbed peacefulness? Have you ever got to know it and sought refuge in it from all the noise around us? Did you know that there are, in fact, some people who are afraid of quiet and solitude? They are not used to seeking rest and relaxation in peacefulness. They need noise, the unsettling rushing and chasing around, the feverish restlessness that does not give them even time to think. They flee from tranquillity, the healing power that could do so much for them if they only would trust in it. But they do not know it and it passes them by. So they drown in the noisy hustle and bustle of our times, letting the wondrous relaxing power of peace escape them, though with mixed feelings and suspicion. How strange that it is often the very people who are in urgent need of peace and quiet as a remedy that often shirk it!
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The shorter working week has given us more free time and if this time were used to relax and unwind, there would hardly be anything wrong with it. However, since the hurried pace has also invaded the most popular forms of entertainment and pleasures, sooner or later there will have to come a collapse somewhere. So far, the willingness to work has been greatly impaired, and the long weekend has led to people turning their backs on work, showing open dislike for it. The German poet Goethe observed that rest from work can be detrimental to the work ethic, saying, ‘Everything in life we can endure, except too many free days, to be sure.’ Many people find it much easier to stop work than to start it again. This is understandable, because work that does not give pleasure is like a punishment. On the other hand, if you use your free time in a leisurely manner, slowing down the pace, you will be able to return to your place of work with renewed vigour; the week will pass enjoyably because fresh strength will make your tasks and duties easier and so lead to happiness. A steady, persistent and joyful pace of work, and shorter rest periods, are better for our life, for our physical and mental health, than the unnatural change of pace that modern life has forced upon us.
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How many rivers annually rush into the seas, their mighty waters carrying tons of minerals, lost to the earth forever. True were the words of ancient Solomon, who clearly recognised the water cycle: ‘Every river flows into the sea, but the sea is not yet full. The water returns to where the rivers began, and starts all over again.’ Untiring is the journey and untiring also, therefore, is the disappearance of minerals. In spite of the water cycle, they are not returned to the earth. The water that evaporates and returns in the form of rain or snow is like distilled water, lacking minerals. When we consider not only the rivers that have their sources in the Alps, but also the far mightier ones, the Amazon, Rio Grande, Mississippi, Ganges, and Nile – all the powerful rivers of our planet – we can begin to appreciate how much the earth must have lost in the form of minerals over the millenniums. Rain and snow continue to dissolve potassium, calcium, magnesium, manganese, iodine, boron and many other mineral substances found in the earth. They are washed into the rivers and thus carried into the seas and oceans. As a result, our earth becomes poorer in minerals and the seas correspondingly richer.
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WHOLE WHEAT AND OTHER CEREALS – DIET
Author: admin
Our grandparents could certainly tell us a thing or two about the more natural way of life. Their diet, simple though it was, did not produce the deficiencies of today, because it consisted of wholefoods, lacking none of the vital elements. In the country bread was baked in the home and this good, old-fashioned cereal bread formed the basis of their daily diet. We really should abandon the lamentable custom of refining and canning food, a custom of our civilisation that has been nothing but detrimental to Our health, and return to the simple, natural ways of our forebears.
You, the individual, can do something about this for yourself. Eat whole wheat, which is no doubt one of the best foods available, containing just the right amount and combination of elements, and should be used in its entirety. You will find it very tasty and wholesome. Soak the grains, then steam them with a little butter or oil and onions, and season with one of the many culinary herbs. If you prefer not to use onions, they may be omitted. The dish can also be prepared ‘au gratin’ in the oven, or you can add soaked wheat kernels to soups, stews, casseroles, etc. Wheat prepared in the same way as a risotto makes a delicious ‘wheatotto’. Why not use whole wheat in every form possible? If you like, you can even sweeten it with almonds, raisins or currants.
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Did you know, too, that carotene, if taken plentifully, is able to prevent the formation of kidney stones? This has been proved by careful observations. And another thing, a lack of carotene is one of the factors that contribute to a greater susceptibility to infections, especially coughs and sneezes.
Taking plenty of carotene helps to achieve a faster and more complete recovery in cases of pneumonia, various heart troubles, eczema and psoriasis. Women should also take greater amounts of it during pregnancy. It is generally known that it is good for the eyes, helping to improve the eyesight and, if taken in sufficient quantities, it can be the means of overcoming night-blindness – a tremendous benefit to pilots and night-drivers. Carotene has another welcome benefit in that it reduces the tendency to form cataracts. In addition, experiments and observations are said to have shown that carotene improves the function of the sex glands because it exerts a certain influence on the production of sex hormones; thus it can be of assistance in overcoming sexual weakness and impotence. This effect may be attributable to the high vitamin E content in carrots, for there are about 25 mg of it in every kilogram (2.2 lbs). Finally, just let me mention some other vitamins in carrots: one kilogram contains 0.5 mg vitamins Bl5 B2 and B6, as well as the important vitamin K, and about 50 mg vitamin C, the valuable nerve food.
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