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How do you say “I love you” to the men in your life?

Do You Need to Find the Light?

Symptoms of
Prostate Cancer
Men with prostate cancer may have slight or no symptoms at all. That’s why an annual exam is so important. However, some symptoms that MAY indicate prostate cancer include:

Frequent urination, especially at night

Weak flow of urine or inability to urinate

Painful urination

Blood in the urine

Pain in the lower back, hips or thighs

Erectile dysfunction or painful ejaculation.

Remember, these may also be signs of another condition; it’s important to get a physical examination to determine the cause of these symptoms.

Normal levels of the protein detected by the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test vary significantly from one man to the next. By getting this test yearly in his 40s -- before he’s likely to have prostate cancer -- the patient will have established a baseline history by the time he’s in his 50s. That will let the doctor decide if a patient’s PSA level is high based on his personal history.

Also, the doctor will have a map of how quickly the patient’s PSA level is rising. If a patient develops prostate cancer, the rate that the PSA level is increasing will help determine if the cancer is aggressive or non-aggressive, allowing the patient and doctor to make a more informed decision about the course of treatment. An added benefit: getting the PSA test yearly beginning in his 40s makes it less likely a man will be misdiagnosed and undergo unnecessary treatment simply because his individual protein levels are higher than most men’s.

Who is most at risk for prostate cancer? Men with a family history, particularly a brother or father who has or had prostate cancer, are more at risk. The older a man is, the more likely he is to get prostate cancer, especially men over 65. Race is a factor: African Americans get it more often than any other race or ethnicity. Asians are least at risk.

Eating a lot of red meat and animal fat increases a man’s risk, as does being sedentary. Finally, men who have had vasectomies before the age of 35 have higher rates of prostate cancer.

But even men who don’t fall into these categories should be checked. Prostate cancer is a leading cause of death due to cancer in North American men, second only to lung cancer. PSA tests aren’t foolproof and the patient may need to have a digital rectum exam to go along with the PSA. However, studies have shown it to be an important tool in reducing the number of deaths caused by prostate cancer.

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Do You Need to Find the Light?

Exactly what is SAD? One idea is that your body isn’t producing enough serotonin. Exposure to light may stimulate more serotonin production. Another theory is that melatonin produced in the pineal gland in your brain is the problem. This seems logical because there are direct connections between your retina and your pineal gland, so it would seem that if your retina was not getting enough light it would affect the pineal gland and thus affecting the melatonin in your body. Melatonin is a sleep related hormone. Those are just two theories. However, it is widely accepted that SAD is due to a lack of sunlight in the winter months.

If you think you have SAD, there are some symptoms you should look out for. Here are the most common ones:

• Increased sleep
• Increased eating
• Loss of energy
• Not enjoying activities you usually do, including sex
• Becoming more anti-social
• Being especially anxious
• Having a tougher time at work Not being able to handle as much stress as usual

Remember there are different severities of SAD. You could be struck with a mild version and be able to cope just fine through the winter months. On the other hand, it may be more severe for you in which case you may need to see a doctor. Treatment for SAD is very possible and tends to be extremely simple. One way to treat SAD is to use a light box. Light boxes shine light that is at least 10000 lux. People who have used a light box for about an hour or two a day have had an 85% success rate. Another easy way to help SAD is to take a medication. Medications such as Zoloft and Paxil have been proven effective in many cases also. Lastly, you can talk to your doctor about doing some cognitive therapy. For many sufferers two treatments are used in combination. A patient may use light box therapy in addition to medication for example. If you have any questions or want to make an appointment you can always call us. If you would like to try a light box, we recommend these:  http://www.sunbox.com,

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