Decoding common medical lingo for men: words you need to know

Men and women are physiologically different and both have unique health issues to their sex. Additionally, both men and women share certain medical conditions but some conditions are more prevalent to men. Understanding the medical terms and lingo of the special health concerns for men can ensure a better quality of life and possibly prevent a disease. Following is a list of the common medical terms that impact men’s health and a brief description of what they mean.

Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy or BPH: The prostate is a group of glands under the bladder at the base of the penis. The prostate wraps around the urethra or the tube that brings the urine from the bladder. The prostate produces semen. As men age the prostate gets larger. It is normal that the gland gets larger, but sometimes it gets too large and begins to put pressure on the urethra and causes the inability to urinate on demand.

Prostatitis: Prostatitis is an infection of the prostate which can cause burning while urinating, fever, abdominal pain and blood in urine. This has become a common affliction for men as young as 20 or 30. The infection can usually be treated with anti-biotics.

Libido: A person’s sexual drive or interest in sex.

Erectile dysfunction: This occurs when a man is unable achieve and/ or keep a penile erection.

Impotence: Unable to get or achieve an erection.

Low Testosterone Levels: If you are having erectile dysfunction or you have a low libido or sex drive you could have low testosterone. Low testosterone levels can also lead to hair loss, weight gain, tiredness, problems sleeping and depression among other things.

You can get your testosterone blood level tested by a doctor if you are having any unusual symptoms.

Sexually Transmitted Diseases or STDs: These are diseases that are spread through having sex with other people that already have one of the diseases. Some of these diseases are life threatening, some are a complete hassle to get rid of, and some have no cure. Some STDs can cause permanent damage to the sexual organs. With many of these sexually transmitted diseases, there are no outward symptoms and you will not be able to tell if a person you are having sex with has a disease by examining them outwardly. You will need to go to a doctor if you suspect an infection or problem. The doctor will prescribe a treatment that can range from taking an anti-biotics or surgery. Some common STDs are herpes, chlamydia, genital warts, gonorrhea, lice and crabs, HIV/AIDS, syphilis, hepatitis. You prevent getting an STD by abstaining. Abstinence is not having any kind of sex with anyone. If you are sexually active, you should consider having sexual relations with only one partner at a time; in other words limiting the number of people you have sex with can reduce the possibility of being exposed to and STD. Using a condom can protect you from most STDs.

AIDS or HIV infection — Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome or the AIDS virus is caused by the HIV the infection. This disease or syndrome can be sexually transmitted or transferred through blood and bodily fluids. A person can have AIDS for years and not have any symptoms so you should have a blood test if you think you have been exposed to someone who carries HIV. AIDS can be fatal, but more and more advances in treatment are being made and people are living much longer and healthier lives but is HIV/AIDS infection is life-long and there is no permanent cure at this time. Using a condom during sex is the best form of prevention from AIDS. In addition, you should avoid all contact with blood.

Cancer: Cancer is a disease where cells in part of the body begin to divide very fast, or act irrationally to form tumors.

Colon cancer: This cancer occurs in the inner lining of the colon, which is part of the large intestine. The colon is the organ that removes waste from the body. This cancer is most common among men and develops very quickly. This cancer can develop from polyps or small growths in the colon. These polyps can be detected by a test in the doctor’s office. If you have the polyps removed, which are precancerous, you can prevent colon cancer. A healthy diet and regular exercise can reduce chances of colon cancer.

Colonoscopy: This test is done to detect colon cancer. A colonoscopy can detect colon cancer early and prevent the disease early. If someone in your family has had colon cancer or polyps, you are at a higher risk; you should talk to your doctor about having a colonoscopy.

Blood Pressure: A person’s blood pressure is the measurement of the amount of force being used to pump blood from the heart through your arteries or blood vessels. Your blood pressure reading consists of two numbers. The top or first number is your systolic pressure or the amount of pressure of blood in the vessels as the heart beats. The bottom number or second number is the diastolic pressure and tells the pressure between heartbeats. Blood pressure readings are important, as they can be an indicator of your risk of heart disease and stroke.

Heart Disease: Heart disease is a concern for this generation as it is one of the leading causes of death for men. Coronary Heart Disease or CHD is the most common type of heart disease. Heredity, stress, diet and lack of exercise can lead to heart disease which is a clogging of the arteries so not enough blood can get through to the heart. When this happens there is a lack of oxygen flowing into and through the heart and part of the heart can start to die and the result can be a heart attack or a permanently damaged heart muscle.

Atherosclerosis: This is the medical term for the buildup of plaque in the arteries that supply blood to the heart. A high blood pressure reading can indicate you have atherosclerosis. This disease leads to heart disease or coronary artery disease. Heart disease and atherosclerosis is a silent disease because it can build up slowly and silently and some people do not even know they have it until they have a heart attack.

Stroke: A stroke is caused by the lack of blood flow to the brain. It is like a heart attack but in the brain. A person's speech, writing, balance, memory, and attention span, can be symptoms of someone who has had a stroke.

Peptic ulcers: Ulcers cause stomach pain and aches. Ulcers can be caused by bacteria, long term use of ibuprofen and aspirin or tumors in the stomach, and aggravated by stress and spicy food.

Halitosis or bad breath: Most people will have some experience with bad breath at some time in their lives. Bad breath is a foul odor emanating from your mouth when you speak or breathe. It can cause embarrassment once a person realizes they have bad breath. Or it can cause total isolation and low self-esteem if the problem is persistent. Eating foods that cause bad breath is the most common cause. The foods that cause bad breath are garlic, onions, and other spicy foods. You can eat one of these foods the night before and wake up with morning breath, or bad breath. Smoking and drinking alcohol can cause bad breath that is hard to get rid of. Bad breath is most commonly caused by poor dental hygiene; not brushing and flossing your teeth. You can get gum disease from not brushing, flossing or visiting the dentist and this can be a cause of persistent bad breath. Other infections, such as a sinus infection, can also cause bad breath.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD): This is an anxiety disorder where a person gets obsessed with certain thoughts and has compulsive actions which they can‘t control. Some sufferers clean, wash, count, straighten or check continually. This disease can be mild or severe. A person with OCD can be treated with medication from a doctor. If not treated a person with severe symptoms can possibly become unable to function in society.

Diabetes: Diabetes is a disease of glucose in the blood. The food we eat breaks down into glucose sugar or energy for our bodies to use in order to function. The pancreas creates insulin. Insulin helps the glucose move from the blood into the cells and tissues to be used as energy. If you have diabetes, your pancreas has problems making the insulin or you may have insulin resistance, and this causes sugar to build up in the blood. High blood sugar or diabetes can lead to heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, impotence, blindness, infections and more. Men have more problems and symptoms from diabetes than women do. Some of the signs of diabetes are; feeling tired, being thirsty, losing weight, blurred vision, infections, dry skin, frequent urination, and tingling in your feet.