- Health Issues / Other Health Issues
- Other Health Issues
Your questions, answered.
- Do you have questions about your mid-life health?
We have gathered a list of the most common questions women ask regarding topics that affect your overall health and well-being.
- Can't find what you're looking for?
- Arthritis
- Definition
Do you wake up in the morning feeling stiff and sore, achy and creaky? This may be one of the many symptoms of menopause. However, if you are experiencing this, you don’t want to chalk it up to just another menopause symptom. Discuss this with your family physician or nurse practitioner. Your pain and stiffness may be a sign of osteoarthritis, one of the over 100 diseases in the arthritis family. The most common forms of arthritis include osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. It also includes pain conditions such as fibromyalgia.
- Types Of Arthritis
- Osteoarthritis is the “wear and tear” type of arthritis that many of us will get if we live long enough. It usually happens when you begin to lose the protective covering on your bones especially as you age. Joint damage can be made worse by injury to the joint, stress on the joints from work or physical activity and by being overweight.
- Rheumatoid Arthritis is an autoimmune disorder which means the body’s own immune system is attacking the tissues of the joints. Pain and inflammation (hot, swollen joints) are common with this type of arthritis. It can affect other organs of the body such as the eyes, lungs, skin and even blood vessels! This form of arthritis can progress over a long time and lead to deformity, so it is important to recognize symptoms early enough to prevent complications.
- Fibromyalgia is an arthritis related condition which affects the joints and soft tissues of the body causing varying degrees of pain. As a result of the pain, many people have difficulty sleeping and will experience fatigue and weakness during the day thereby affecting their normal daily activities.
- Resources
There are many more types of arthritis and medical diseases associated with arthritis as well as detailed explanations which are not all described here. If you are having pain in your joints, check with your doctor for diagnosis and treatment.
Contact the Arthritis Society of Canada to find out more about the various types of arthritis, the symptoms, treatments and tips to living well with arthritis.
www.arthritis.ca
By phone: 1.800.321.1433
By email: info@arthritis.ca
- Andropause
- What Is Andropause?
If the man in your life is over 40 and has decreased libido, depression or fatigue, you might want to read this.
Andropause, also known as male menopause, has been underdiagnosed and undertreated over the years. This is mainly because it is a much slower and subtle process for men, unlike female menopause that results from abrupt reduction in hormones.
Andropause is an age-related decline in testosterone. Testosterone plays a major role in male reproductive development and it promotes formation of increased muscle mass, bone density and stamina in men. As young as 40, men produce less testosterone and Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG) starts to increase. The SHBG makes the testosterone less available for the body to use. The usable testosterone is called bioavailable testosterone. This level can be measured by a blood test.
- How Is It Diagnosed?
Every man experiences andropause differently; some may even have no symptoms despite decreased levels of testosterone.
Symptoms of reduced testosterone levels may include:
- Physical symptoms: decreased muscle mass, decreased bone density, increased body fat, especially around the abdomen
- Sexual symptoms: low sex drive and erectile dysfunction
- Cognitive symptoms: poor sleep (due to hot flashes and night sweats), depressed mood, mood swings, anxiety, social isolation, irritability
If your man has some of these symptoms, ask him to take the ADAM quiz at www.andropausespecialist.com
- Resources
Mayo Clinic
www.mayoclinic.org search male menopause
ADAM quiz
www.andropausespecialist.com
(New York Andropause Centre)