WHY YOU SHOULD ENCOURAGE YOUR MAN TO CHECK ON MEN ISSUES
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A new study shows 40% of men would rather go on a dreaded clothes shopping rip with their missus than visit heir doctor about problems down below -proving most men will do almost anything to get out of talk ng about their sexual health.Even more worryingly , a further 23% would rather have painful root canal treatment than discuss hese issues. Just what is it about heir nether regions that men find so tough to open up about?
Women are no strangers to discussing their girlie bits -after all, they have childbirth, periods, smear tests and menopause to con end with. It’s no secret men’s sex drive wanes with time, but doctors warn against putting down changes in libido, sexual performance and toilet habits to the ageing process alone.Only 4 in 10 men speak to their partners about their physical or mental wellbeing. “Men are not very good at talking about their health, and, past 50, it’s often the hings men tend to be most embarrassed about that start to go wrong -things like erectile dysfunction, which is sadly often perceived as a ailure of masculinity ,“ says Dr Christian Jessen.
Women are no strangers to discussing their girlie bits -after all, they have childbirth, periods, smear tests and menopause to con end with. It’s no secret men’s sex drive wanes with time, but doctors warn against putting down changes in libido, sexual performance and toilet habits to the ageing process alone.Only 4 in 10 men speak to their partners about their physical or mental wellbeing. “Men are not very good at talking about their health, and, past 50, it’s often the hings men tend to be most embarrassed about that start to go wrong -things like erectile dysfunction, which is sadly often perceived as a ailure of masculinity ,“ says Dr Christian Jessen.
Creating a reassuring environment to discuss his health is key , so Dr Christian has a quirky tip on how to broach tough topics: “Wait until you’re in the car, and you’re in the driving seat. When you’re side-by-side in a car, it’s a nice way of legitimately avoiding eye contact and this can make an embarrassing subject less awkward.“
Your man might find it hard to talk about, but here are some simple ways you can help…
TESTOSTERONE DEFICIENCY SYNDROME
t Are you worried your man is hav ing an affair? Has he lost all inter est in sex, or go to great lengths to avoid intimacy? Is he irritable and , exhausted? Before you jump to , conclusions, consider whether he might be part of the 8% of over-50s who suffer from Testosterone Deficiency Syndrome (TDS).
“If you find yourself living with a grumpy old man who has lost his lust for life, there may be more to it,“ says Dr Christian.
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Production of testosterone tails off over time, but TDS occurs t when this hormone drops to an unhealthy level. Symptoms include low libido, problems getting or maintaining an erection, hot flushes, and reduced body hair., How you can help If you suspect your partner is showing symptoms of this, it’s important to tackle the subject carefully . Some 13% of men worry , their partner might leave them if they found out they had TDS, so t make sure you reassure your man this isn’t the case. “TDS can impact on quality of life emotion i ally and physically, and can cause w wider problems if left untreated,“ t says Dr David Edwards. It’s easy to h treat with testosterone supple p mentation, so make your man a GP appointment pronto.
PROSTATE CANCER
This is the most common form of cancer in men, with over 40,000 new cases being diagnosed each year. The prostate is a small gland in the rectum, which helps to produce sperm, and symptoms of the cancer include a frequent need to go to the loo, difficulty pass ing urine, feeling exhausted, rapid weight loss and lower-back pain -though these may also be signs of harmless enlargement of the prostate. “The vast majority of men who are diagnosed with prostate cancer will not die from the disease but early diagnosis is key to establish whether the cancer is aggressive or not,“ says Dr Rob Hicks.
Statistics show 1 in 8 men over 50 will get the disease, and, though survival rates are relatively high, one man every hour dies as a result.How you can help “Encourage your partner to see a doctor straight away -this is often the greatest hurdle,“ says Dr Rob. You can offer to attend an appointment together, or suggest he requests a male doctor. “Men think that because they’re regis tered with a female doctor, that’s who they have to see but this isn’t the case. A man may well feel uncomfortable discussing difficulties passing urine with a woman, and that’s fine.“
ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION
When younger men struggle to get things going in the bedroom, it can often be a case of performance jitters with a new partner. When you’ve been together for years, this is less likely to be the case. “In older men, erectile dysfunction can be an early sign of a serious problem such as raised blood pressure, diabetes, or an impending heart attack. It can be the wake-up call you need to sort your life out,“ says Dr Christian.
Discussing erection problems is likely to make men cringe, but it’s worth a moment of embarrassment at the doctors if it prevents a heart attack. “GPs deal with this every day . It’s almost guaranteed your partner won’t be the first person that day the doctor sees with that problem,“ says Dr Christian.How you can help Yet again, this is a subject that needs to be dealt with using an extra large dose of tact. “Often, men bury their heads in the sand by avoiding sex, causing their partner to worry there’s another woman on the scene. Encourage your partner to talk about the problems and reassure him the vast majority of men manage to overcome this problem,“ says Dr Rob.
If he is too embarrassed to bring up the subject with the doc, he could ask for a blood pressure check-up, and mention that high blood pressure can cause all sorts of issues -including problems in n the bedroom. “ A tuneds in doctor will pick up on e these clues and ask if s he’s having any par , ticular problems,“ n says Dr Rob.
MAKE A CHANGE
It might sound obvious, but a few key lifestyle changes can really impact on health.1. Work out Almost 50% of men believe pumping iron will help keep their testosterone levels up, and they’re right.Maintaining a healthy muscle mass encourages production of this hormone, though Dr Christian warns that TDS sufferers may need treatment first as they could be too lethargic to exercise.2. Lose weight Make sure your partner keeps his BMI below 25. Being overweight is a key cause of diabetes, which is heavily associated with TDS and erectile dysfunction. “You’d be surprised how many men lose weight and the problem goes away ,“ says Dr Rob.3. Stop smoking and drink less “Alcohol and smoking are top of the list for why things start to go wrong in the bedroom. They effect your general metabolism and hormone levels,“ says Dr Christian.
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Should you buy the $10,000 (Rs.7 Lac) Apple Watch Edition?
The Apple Watch
It’s Apple’s first new product category in almost six years and thus a very critical one. It’s also critical for the wearable tech industry, the smartwatch industry and the traditional watch business. Many have called it as important as the time when Apple entered the mobile business with the iPhone. And Apple isn’t taking too many chances – it has thrown everything but the kitchen sink into the market. Two sizes (38mm and 42mm), three categories (Apple Watch, Apple Watch Sport and Apple Watch Edition), multiple colours (space black stainless steel, space grey, silver anodised aluminum and 18-carat rose or yellow gold), different price points and an army of straps – there’s something for everyone. Or maybe not! Round smartwatches are the flavour of the season, but this one is pretty much square. Also, it may seem heavy even on a man’s wrist.
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You can customise the device with some really cool stuff right from the beginning: eleven watch faces, Uber, Shazam, WeChat, Twitter, Apple Pay and other apps. There’s something called Glances (bite-sized pieces of pertinent information), plus Smart Replies and dictation. There’s Handoff, in which you can complete a message on your iPhone and a special side button to bring up Friends. Digital Touch can send a drawing, an audio clip or even your own heartbeat through Walkie Talkie.
Apple Watch has a number of sensors like an accelerometer and a built-in heart rate sensor. The Activity app reports on calories burned, fitness activity, how much time you stand up during the day, and it also sets realistic goals through the workout and fitness apps. There’s a built-in speaker and microphone. Of course, the Achilles heel of all smartwatches has also made its way into the Apple Watch feature set, with battery life clocking at about 18 hours. So you will have to remember to charge your phone AND plug in the wrist watch every night. Will people actually do that on a long-term basis? Only ‘time’ will tell.
TIME OUT! Apple Watch and Apple Watch Edition offer cool features like built-in heart rate sensors
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Should you buy the Apple Watch?
The cop out answer is to say that you shouldn’t buy the first generation of any new gadget and wait for the upgrade. That advice usually means nothing. Here’s how I would look at it. Unlike the blind buying that usually follows the launch of a much hyped new product, you’ve got to understand what you’re getting into. This isn’t going to be as intuitive as a normal Apple product. You’ll have to learn your way through a whole new interaction system with this one, and it could get confusing. You’ll have to learn when to tap, scroll, swipe or push. Then there’s a new interface-control called the digital crown that is smart, but needs you to understand how to use its smartness well. There’s also the new Force Touch technology, for which you’ll have to master the watch touchscreen in which a tap, a press and a hard press all do different things. It was important for Apple to reinvent the interface as you are interacting with a very small screen, but it may not be typically Apple-user-friendly to begin with.
Once you’re aware of all of this, let’s get into the second part. The Apple Watch has many cool things on it but the biggest one is Apple Pay, and that’s not something that will come to India right away. The third part is price. Kicking off at about $349 (and rumoured to have a starting price of about ` 24,999 in India when it makes it here), this is an expensive start into the smartwatch domain. But you’ll also need an iPhone 5, 5c, 5s, 6 or 6 Plus. If you don’t have one of these, then your investment amount to get started with the Apple Watch is much larger. You should only consider diving deep into the Apple Watch domain if you already own one of the above iPhone models and a smartwatch is right on top of your list for 2015. For all others, a trip down to an Apple store and about 30 minutes of exploring the Apple Watch is a must.
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Should you buy the $10,000 Apple Watch Edition?
Hee hee hee. Oh, you’re serious? I thought you were joking. Well, to put it bluntly – absolutely not. This may be Apple’s foray into the luxury business, but you don’t have to be the one funding this misadventure. The luxury category is all about classic timeless products that will last a lifetime and are heirlooms that can be bequeathed to family members. Your Apple Watch Edition will be redundant when the Apple Watch 2 is out around the same time next year. And that’s never a good thing for a super-luxury Rs. 7 lakh watch.
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Five myths about swine flu and what you should do if you are infected
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The death toll from swine flu this year has soared to around 600 with more than 100 deaths reported across the country since February 12. While the Centre has ordered additional stocks of medicines and diagnostic kits to strengthen the fight against the disease, you can do your bit by not giving in to these five myths:
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1) You can get swine flu from eating pork
Wrong! Despite the common name of the disease, eating pork products doesn’t spread H1N1 influenza (swine flu). The virus spreads through droplets expelled in the air from infected people coughing and sneezing. People are contagious from one day before to seven days after developing symptoms of swine flu.
2) The swine flu virus has mutated
Gene sequencing of the H1N1 virus by India’s two premier labs – National Institute of Virology Pune and National Centre for Disease Control, Delhi – last week showed the virus has not mutated. The virus infecting people this year is the same as the one that infected less than 1,000 people last year.
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3) There is no cure for swine flu
Having the anti-viral prescription drug Oseltamivir (commonly sold under the brand name Tamiflu) shortens the duration and severity of illness if the taken within 48 hours of the symptoms appearing. It also makes you less contagious and prevents infection. Oseltamivir also protects against other strains of influenza.
4) India has a shortage of drugs
There is no shortage. The virus causes mild disease in most people and less than 1% people infected need drugs for treatment. India has stockpiles of 60,000 adult doses of Oseltamivir (75mg and 45mg) and 1,000 doses of the paediatric syrup. Three pharma companies – Hetero, Natco and Strides Acrolab – have the manufacturing capacity and raw materials to produce the drug on a short notice.
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5) You get swine flu only once in your life
The H1N1 virus works like other seasonal flu viruses and may re-infect you in the coming years. Since you can get it again and again if you are in frequent contact with contagious people, all health-workers treating people with swine flu are vaccinated against it. The vaccine offers a one-year protection against the virus.
Should I press the panic button if I have swine flu?
Don’t. The H1N1 virus has not mutated and is no more contagious or deadly than other flu viruses. In fact, the death rate in 2015 has been lower compared to the figure in 2014.
Symptoms
You should get tested for the H1N1 virus if along with flu symptoms (fever, runny nose, sore throat and congestion) you have:
*Fever over 101 Fahrenheit for more than three days
*Extreme breathlessness
*Pain in the chest while breathing
*Lethargy
*Loss of appetite
*Nausea/vomiting
Protecting yourself
Swine flu spreads through droplets expelled when an infected person coughs or sneezes or by touching surfaces contaminated by the droplets. You can protect yourself by staying away from infected persons, frequently washing hands with soap, and cleaning surfaces with disinfectant or warm water regularly.
People at high risk
*People with respiratory disorders, such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, etc.
*People with compromised immunity because of cancer, kidney diseases and uncontrolled diabetes.
*Pregnant women and children under five years of age. People aged 50 years or older.
Youngsters should follow a decent dress code
If you are one of those youngsters who sport funky hairstyles and low-waist pants, beware! The cops are watching you and can get pulled up. Wondering why? They want to give you a few lessons in clothing etiquette.
It was a few months ago that the police caught hold of youngsters sporting Afro hairstyles and those wearing T-shirts with marijuana and Bob Marley prints on them. They felt others can easily get influenced by the sight of these narcotic substances and associated idols in the printed form and can be the target of drug dealers. The latest edition of Kiss of Love event held in Alappuzha saw IG M R Ajithkumar advising a few ‘freakers’ to dress appropriately. The district police are currently continuing the drive in Alappuzha district. So what do our so-called cool dudes have to say about this novel idea of the men in khaki?
The cops have seen only M-Town films
“The police seem to have watched only Malayalam films where stars are always dressed decently. So they believe the rest are indecent men. Having said that, I feel the problem is when you go overboard with your style. Whatever style you adopt, if you do it neatly then there is no problem. You can have different hairstyles, but keep it neat and clean. But then, dressing is a matter of personal choice and the police shouldn’t go by the looks,” says Adarsh, a self-confessed freak.
We are insulted in front of others
Santhu K S, a self-confessed freakan, was once caught by the police for his unusual style. He says, “What we wear is our choice, but the cops insult us in front of the public. They hurt us by pulling our ears and abusing us. It was during the district youth festival at Cherthala that the cops pulled us up.”
This hairstyle is part of my profession
Richy Geo Thomas, a fashion designer from Kollam, sports long, curly hair. He says, “I am a model and travel to Bengaluru regularly but I have never faced any such problem there.”
Suvith Krishna, a model-cum-actor is known for his signature curly long hair. He says, “I am a model and I am maintaining such a hairstyle as my profession demands it. Look at the pictures of criminals that we see in the newspapers; most of them are well-dressed men.”
As a promotion of his upcoming short film Model Kanyaka Menon, Suvith plans to invite 108 men with striking hairstyles. “This won’t be just a promotion for the film; we are planning to donate our hair to cancer patients. So we are growing hair for a cause. Are the police listening?”
We are normal human beings
“There is a misunderstanding that those with striking hairdos are drug addicts and involved in other wrongdoings. But we are not jobless and this is just a style we follow. We are just like any other normal human being,” says Basheer Bashi, a member of a ‘freakers’ group on a social networking site.
Police speak
Cherthala circle inspector K G Aneesh says, “Legally it is the right of an individual to dress in his or her way. But when you live in a society, there are certain norms to be followed. All these styles are not acceptable in our society. When wearing low-waist trousers, men flaunt their underwear and it can be an irritant for women. Mostly, it is the college goers who adopt such styles. They look like troublemakers, so we catch hold of them. We have not initiated a campaign or anything against them. While patrolling if we see youngsters dressed up in an inappropriate way we just advise them. That’s all.”
Categories: Hairstyles Tags: code, decent, dress, follow, should, youngsters