There’s a worrisome uptick in the incidence of certain head and neck cancers among middle-aged and even younger Americans, and some experts link the trend to a rise in the popularity of oral sex over the past few decades.

That’s because the human papillomavirus (HPV) is a major trigger for these cancers, and HPV can be transmitted through this type of sexual activity.

“It seems like a pretty good link that more sexual activity, particularly oral sex, is associated with increased HPV infection,” said Dr. Greg Hartig, professor of otolaryngology–head and neck surgery at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health in Madison. Read the rest of this entry »

Prostate cancer is a disease that affects men from around the age of 45 years. It involves the prostate gland, which is a small gland about the size of a walnut, positioned just beneath the bladder, and is responsible for producing fluids that nourish and protect sperm.

Since the urethra (the tube that carries urine from the bladder) passes through the centre of the prostate gland, any growth within the gland will cause pressure on the urethra, causing difficulties in passing urine.

It is still not entirely clear why some men develop prostate cancer and others do not. However, we do know that there are both genetic and environmental factors that can influence it.

In terms of genetic factors, you have a higher risk of developing prostate cancer if your father or brother had prostate cancer, although the increased risk is relatively small. Read the rest of this entry »

Medicines may be needed when symptoms of sinusitis are severe or do not improve. The goals of treatment with medicine are to:

• Treat the infection, which is usually caused by bacteria if your symptoms have lasted more than 7 to 10 days.
• Relieve pressure and pain caused by poor sinus drainage.
• Reduce inflammation of the nose and sinuses.

Medication Choices

Medicines are used and sometimes combined to treat sinusitis.

• Antibiotics kill bacteria. Examples of antibiotics used are amoxicillin and cefdinir (Omnicef).
• Decongestants reduce the swelling of the mucous membranes in the nose. Some examples may include oxymetazoline (for example, Afrin) and phenylephrine (for example, Neo-Synephrine). Read the rest of this entry »

What is sinusitis?

The paranasal sinuses are the air-filled spaces in the bones of the skull that open into the nose. One pair lies in the cheeks and another in the forehead.

There are also a variable number of sinuses between the eyes and the nose. Sinusitis is the infection of these spaces.

Sinusitis may be a short illness (acute sinusitis) or a condition that continues for months or years (chronic sinusitis). Chronic sinusitis is relatively uncommon nowadays.

What causes sinuitis?

Acute sinusitis comes on following a cold.

If acute sinusitis fails to clear up completely, it may develop into chronic sinusitis. Read the rest of this entry »