Antidepressants Blog

The medical names for this condition are ‘benign hypertrophy of the prostate’ and ‘prostatism.’ It is not a cancer.

The prostate provides much of the seminal fluid that carries the reproductive sperm. It is situated at the neck of the bladder, surrounding a part of the urethral canal through which the urine is excreted.

In about one of every three men over 50 years of age, the prostate gland becomes enlarged.

If the prostate becomes too large, it interferes with the normal passage of urine by pressing against the urethral canal. The urine, unable to pass through freely, accumulates in the bladder. As the amount of urine in the bladder increases, the pressure increases, forcing the urine to back up into the kidneys. This is serious, because the kidneys become damaged by the pressure and by the contaminated urine. Furthermore, the accumulation of urine makes it easier for infections such as acute or chronic prostatitis to occur

*295\68\2*

It is true that old age brings inevitable changes in the body, which may be reflected in discomfort and minor impairments. The joints and bursas are not so well lubricated as they are in younger people. For this reason, certain forms of rheumatism and arthritis frequently occur. Usually, these are not the crippling types, but they do cause discomfort. These symptoms, as well as many others such as buzzing in the ears, insomnia, dry skin, and so on, which can be greatly relieved by your doctor.

Constipation and the consequent use of laxatives have often become fixed habits by the later years of life. Although mineral oil is the best remedy, I consider it wise to accept the one that the person is used to—whether it is hot lemon-and-water at 6.45 a.m., or the enema that some old people insist has magical virtues. The important thing is to watch for a sudden change in established bowel habits. For example, the onset of constipation in someone who has always been regular warrants an immediate examination because it might indicate an obstruction due to a tumour.

Skin and facial changes occur as old age approaches. The skin may sag or wrinkle. If a number of teeth are missing and have not been replaced by dentures, the face is frequently disfigured.

Facial massage, lubricating cream or oil, careful tanning in the sun, and exposure to fresh outdoor air will help keep the skin in a more youthful condition. If wrinkles and sagging cause serious concern, they can be helped by a skin specialist. It is even possible to remove or stretch badly sagging or wrinkled areas of the skin on the face and neck. This must be done by an expert in plastic surgery.

Some old people develop finicky appetites, partly because they actually need less food, but often because of trouble with their teeth. They may avoid meat if chewing is difficult. It is important for old people to maintain an adequate diet, especially one containing plenty of proteins and minerals, rather than one high in starches and sugars.

Some doctors prescribe extra vitamins for people who are over 60. Usually a capsule or two a day of multi-vitamins is sufficient. If supplementary vitamins cause troublesome intestinal gas, natural foods can be substituted for them: cereals, liver, and pork chops for the B vitamins; orange and tomato juice for vitamin C; and codliver or halibut oil for vitamins A and D.

Most of the problems connected with digestion do not arise from eating too little but from eating too much. In fact, many of the illnesses that are spoken of as diseases of old age could more properly be called diseases of overweight.

*240\68\2*

Both breast-fed and bottle-fed babies need more than mother’s milk or formula. They may need water, depending on the amount of moisture that evaporates from their bodies. Be sure to offer your baby some boiled water in a sterilized bottle, but do not worry if he refuses it. Do not give it before a feeding, as it may reduce his appetite.

Babies need vitamins. Vitamins A and D have already been added to whole and evaporated milk. Vitamins A, C, and D, as well as other vitamins and minerals, are usually added to the commercially prepared formulas that are in common use. Orange juice is rich in vitamin C. Your baby’s doctor may wish your child to take vitamin supplements in the form of non-oily vitamin drops. Also, if you live in an area where there is no fluoride in the water, your doctor may suggest giving the baby fluoride drops to strengthen his teeth.

Your Health Centre sister or doctor will give you a schedule of new items to add to your baby’s diet. Do not get distressed if he spits them out. Introduce new foods one at a time, so that if allergic reactions develop or if the new food disagrees with your baby, you can pinpoint the cause.

*184\68\2*

Always make arrangements through your family doctor when you find it necessary to consult a specialist. This way, there will always be one doctor who knows everything that has happened to you and your family. Also, it is sometimes difficult for a person to decide what kind of specialist he needs. Under the conditions of the Australian National Health Act it is not possible to claim for a specialist’s fees unless a form of referral has been obtained from your family doctor.

In order to become a genuine specialist, a doctor has to undergo a long and difficult training in his chosen specialty.

Dictionary of specialists

Here are the principal specialists in medicine and related fields:

Allergist—a doctor who specializes in such diseases as hay fever, asthma, hives, and allergic reactions to food. (For further information, see also allergy in the encyclopaedia section.)

Anaesthetist—a specialist in administering anaesthetics for surgery. Dermatologist—a doctor who specializes in diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the skin, hair, and scalp.

Ear, nose and throat (E.N.T.) surgeon- deals with ailments of the ears, throat, sinuses, and nose.

Gastro-enterologist a doctor who specializes in the treatment of diseases of the stomach and intestines.

Gynaecologist—a specialist who treats disorders of the female organs. Haematologist—a specialist in all diseases of the blood.

Neurologist—a specialist who treats all organic diseases of the nerves and brain. He is more properly a nerve specialist than is the psychiatrist.

Neurosurgeon—a specialist surgeon who operates on the brain, spinal cord and nerves.

Obstetrician—a specialist who delivers babies and takes care of the pregnant woman during the months before the birth of the baby. Most obstetricians are also qualified to practise gynaecology.

Ophthalmologist—a doctor who is an eye specialist. He is trained in surgery of the eye as well as in all its diseases. An optometrist is not a medical doctor. He has been trained to examine the eyes for the purpose of prescribing glasses. An optician is the man who fills the prescriptions for glasses made by the ophthalmologist or optometrist. Neither the optometrist nor the optician is trained for the treatment of diseases of the eye.

Orthopaedic surgeon—a specialist in diseases of the bones and joints. The field of orthopaedics comprises the setting of fractures, treatment of the end results of paralysis, and many other conditions that cause interference with the use of the bones, joints, and muscles.

Paediatrician—a doctor who takes care of infants and children up to the age of 13 or 14.

Pathologist—a specialist who studies changes in tissues arising from disease. Physician—a doctor who specialises in diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions of the entire body. He is also known as a clinician. A patient is frequently referred to a specialist physician when his own doctor wants confirmation of a difficult diagnosis.

Psychiatrist—a medical graduate with special training in the treatment of the emotionally disturbed and mentally ill, as well as backward children. Radiologist—a specialist in taking and interpreting X-ray photographs. The radiotherapist is expert in using radium, X-rays, and other radio-active substances for the treatment of cancer and other diseases.

Surgeon—a doctor who specializes in performing operations. He may be a general surgeon or he may confine his operations to one of the specialized branches of surgery.

Urologist—a specialist in treatment of the kidneys. He also treats special problems relating to the male genital organs. For example, he is the doctor who usually operates on a diseased prostate gland.

Group medical practice

Although many general practitioners still practise in pairs or even singly, an increasing number of doctors are working together in a group practice. Some of these groups include specialists in almost every branch of medicine; other groups may be quite small, consisting of two or three general practitioners, a surgeon and some other specialist.

*129\68\2*

The time and money women waste on useless hormone creams and other beauty aids can probably be matched by what men spend on cures for baldness. I am sorry to have to tell you that there is no cure for ordinary baldness. The miraculous ones you read or hear about have nothing to do with this type of baldness. For example, in alopecia areata, the hair suddenly falls out, often in patches. This disease is not fully understood, but it appears to be connected with tension or other emotional factors. In many cases, the hair will grow back again after the illness has subsided. If the sufferer has been using a ‘hair restorer,’ he may sign testimonials crediting it with his new growth of hair.

Hair normally grows in spurts, a period of growth alternating with a rest period. On the head, the rate is usually about three quarters of an inch a month, although this varies in different people. If not cut, hair grows to the length of about 25 inches on an average. Hairs fall out—again the rate is different in different people—and new ones grow from the same follicles.

Baldness can be caused by general ill-health, infections of the scalp, nervous tension, and temporarily by a disease such as typhoid fever. Last, but by no means least, it can be due to the combination of sex, age, and inheritance that results in what doctors call male-pattern alopecia, which simply means the ordinary baldness of men.

There are some things you can do to stave off ordinary baldness. You can avoid lotions, tonics, too much wetting, and continued dandruff. You can protect the general health of your body and give your hair proper attention and care. However, you cannot cure baldness after it has arrived. If it is particularly distressing to you because of your business or profession—or for personal reasons—I strongly advise you not to waste money on ‘hair restorers’ but to spend it on a toupee which, if carefully made to match your hair and skillfully fitted, cannot be distinguished from your own hair.

*74\68\2*