FOR YOUR INTEREST, A COLLECTION OF MEDICAL ARTICLES FOR MEN.
ARTICLES AS APPEARED IN MAKSIMAN AND WRITTEN BY DR. MICHAEL MOL.

  Attention: Hypertension
  I am a pain in the back …
  The Bald and the Beautiful.
  A Lesson in Cellular Biology.
  A Heartfelt Message …
  The Cost of Cholesterol.
  Costly Cholesterol - more wine and less whine.
  The Cost of Lekker Living.
  Forget the Tali-ban, ban the tan!
  Watch My Back …
  Wonder Drug!
  The Anti Antibiotics Aunty.
 Please Zits still… howzit possible?
  Tired of being Tired...
  A Passport to Health.
  Oh my Gord!
  The Ins and Outs of Insomnia.
  Prostrate over your Prostate.
  Snotklap Sindroom.
  Scratch where it Itches - it could save your life.
  The Halls are alive with the sound of Mucus.
  The Difference of a Deferens.
 Avoiding the Flu is no Fluke.
 "If Only..."
 SARS - A Taxing tale...
 You screen, I screen, we all screen for...
 Square Eyes...
 A little jabber on the jab...
 The Verdict on Vitamins.
 Vitamins and Vitality.

Some time back I went to sleep with perfectly normal blood pressure, an unremarkable 120/80. The following day, I woke up in a blood pressure danger zone. What happened? My blood pressure didn't spike overnight, somebody shifted the goal posts ... and revised blood pressure guidelines to include a new category: prehypertension.






I am a pain in the back...

Two years ago, doubled over in agony, I shuffled painfully out of a Neurosurgeons consulting room, carefully considering the prognosis he had handed me. “There’s no doubt that you will one day need a back operation,” he said – “but let’s try and delay it until you’re ninety-five.” And so my youth was gone forever. Where once this body could withstand the relentless beatings and bashings of rigorous sport and adventure without flinching, it would now need to be cared for and serviced like a second hand car. Thankfully I’m not alone - eight out of ten people will experience lower back pain at some time in their lives, brought on by any number of causes...

The bald and the beautiful.

My Grandfather was so bald, he could’ve been Kojak - I’ve seen more hair on a golf ball! My own father has an ever-broadening divide between the sparse & withery vegetation on either side of his head, and so I am preparing to “meet my dome.”

Long before Julius Caesar grew his hair long in the back and combed it forward (as did Napoleon) men through the ages have suffered in silence from male pattern hair loss. Today’s no different, only the stigmas have changed… some say if you lose it in front – “you’re a thinker,” if you lose it at the back – “you’re sexy.” But if you lose it on top – “you think you’re sexy!”

7 out of 10 men will suffer from Androgenetic Alopecia, which is the scientific name for the genetic predisposition in men for pattern hair loss - and is the cause of over 95% of all balding...






A lesson in Cellular Biology.

As a child, my mother lead me to believe that if my ears glowed, someone, somewhere was talking about me. More recently I came across the real reason for red ears (which makes me wonder about the validity of the tooth fairy) Though her theory was a little shaky, it definitely had to do with talking … on a cellphone. Cell phones emit electromagnetic waves or radiation, which we call radio frequency (RF), similar to that of microwave ovens and TV’s. Unlike deeply penetrating X-rays or Gamma rays, RF fields cannot cause radioactivity in the body. They do, however, penetrate exposed tissues to depths of up to one centimeter at the frequencies used by mobile phones. That RF energy is absorbed in the body and produces heat, hence the glowing ear...






A heartfelt message ...

People say leaping off the 216m high Blaauwkraans bridge with an elastic band attached to your ankles can’t be good for the heart. But the truth is, when it comes to risk factors for heart disease (HD) - just being born a South African male is far more dangerous than bungi jumping. One in three men will suffer from cardiovascular disease before the
age of sixty...






The cost of cholesterol.

"I was fit. I ate the right food. I never smoked. I wasn't aware that there was a history of high cholesterol in my family. It never occurred to me to have my cholesterol checked, until I started having palpitations and was tired 20 minutes into my training. By then it was too late. I was rushed in for a triple - bypass operation. If only I had spoken to my doctor earlier. No matter how fit and healthy you think you are, my advice is that you keep checking your cholesterol and your cardio- vascular risk." 

A sobering testimony from a previously untouchable Springbok center that played 24 tests … Danie Gerber.






Costly cholesterol - more wine and less whine..

High cholesterol affects eight out of ten South Africans – and you’re probably one of them. Cholesterol is a waxy fat-like substance that is manufactured in the liver, found throughout the body and needed for normal functioning. It’s coated with a layer of protein to facilitate transportation in the bloodstream, creating a lipo(fat)-protein. Low density lipoproteins (LDLs) aka bad cholesterol, carry most of the cholesterol in the blood. Excess LDLs build up on the walls of arteries leading to a narrowing of the vasculature, known as ...






The Cost of Lekker Living.

What’s the opposite of “Unhappy?” I wish it were “Happy” – but it isn’t. If you bang your head against the wall, that makes you unhappy. When you stop are you happy? No, you’re simply “not unhappy” – if you were “happy,” then the key to happiness would be to bang your head against the wall just so that you could stop and “be happy.” In reality, the opposite of “unhappy” is simply “not unhappy.” So why the grammar lesson? The same could be said of sickness ... the opposite of sick is not healthy, it’s simply “not sick.” Being healthy is not merely the absence of disease; it is the pro-active approach to overall wellness. There has been a noticeable shift toward positively influencing health, rather than reactively managing it, an emphasis on maintenance rather than repair – prevention being better than cure.






Forget the Tali-ban, ban the tan!

By the time you’ve read this article you will be a lot older – so my advice is to stop reading before it’s too late! We’re all ageing, and if you’re over 20, the effects of ageing are starting to show in your skin. Genetically programmed chronological ageing causes biochemical changes in collagen and elastin, the connective tissues that give skin its firmness and elasticity, and results in sagging skin and wrinkles. Grin and bare it – err, I mean, “bear” it – because there’s nothing that can reverse the process...






Watch my back ...

”Watch my back!” is Hollywood’s favourite phrase - and one you and I should be using all the time when it comes to preventing skin cancer. Melanoma is not the most common malignancy, but six out of every seven deaths from skin cancer are due to an aggressive melanoma. It commonly starts on the upper back or trunk, and early detection is essential for an optimal outcome. If it’s only skin deep, the cure rate for superficial lesions is almost 100% - but once it has spread – there’s a 90% chance of fatality within ten years.






Wonder drug!

There's an old wonder drug that's making a resurgence on the market today. With only four to six doses per week it dramatically reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure and strokes. It offers protection against colon and prostatic cancer, lowers cholesterol, combats obesity and reduces the ill effects of stress and anxiety. The drug boosts physical energy, enhances mental vigor and vastly improves psychological well-being - to such an extent that it has been prescribed as an anti depressant. This promising prescription also promotes longevity, both qualitatively and quantitively. The wonder drug is called, tah dah... exercise!






The Anti Antibiotics Aunty.

The concept of using chemicals to kill bacteria, and thus treat infections, has been around for centuries. But it was only in 1928 when Sir Alexander Fleming noticed some bacteria he was cultivating would not grow in the presence of a certain fungus. The fungus was called Penicillium, the precursor to penicillin, which would become the worlds first antibiotic and a wonder drug of the 20th century.

By either killing the bacteria, or reducing their ability to multiply, antibiotics give the body’s own immune system a chance to fight more effectively against invading organisms. But, as their name implies, Antibiotics are only effective against bacteria and have NO effect against viruses...






Please Zits still… howzit possible?

Acne is the most common skin disease in the world, affecting 90% of adolescents…fact. Acne clears up and disappears by the age of 25 … fiction! Acne can and does persist into adulthood in more severe forms affecting the body and the face – afflicting men more often than women. But despite it’s worldwide prevalence, there are still many myths surrounding the simple pimple parade.

Tired of being Tired...

We all get tired, and many of us at times have felt depressed. But the obscure condition known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), Myalgic Encephalitis (ME) or Yuppie Flu is not like the normal ups and downs we experience in everyday life. In this instance you feel too tired to do normal activities or are easily exhausted with no apparent reason. Researchers have compared CFS to the mind fog of a serious hangover (which I trust you know little about!), with a distinct difference - the profound weakness of CFS does not go away with a few good nights of sleep. Instead, it slyly steals your energy and vigor over months and sometimes years...

A Passport to Health.

Thailand: Land of smiles, white beaches, azure waters and exotic food… or so I was told. All I experienced was the white ceiling in my hotel room, flushing waters and exotic disease – it was not a land of smiles, but rather of grimacing for me as I battled delirious fever and severe stomach cramps for a few unforgettable days.

Certainly not what I had in mind when I flipped through the glossy brochure. Yet, almost half of travelers to developing countries will end up this way if they don’t take precautions. Here are some simple safety measures then, to reduce your risk of illness far away from home…

“Oh my GORD!” you say as you clutch a hand to your chest and let a burp escape after a lavish business lunch. Your colleagues mistakenly think you’re calling on your Heavenly Father when in fact you’re referring to your Gastro Oesophageal Reflux Disease – a condition in which your stomach’s acidic contents flow back (or reflux) into the oesophagus because of an abnormally relaxed valve. The resulting awkward sensation is that of a burning pain in the chest that radiates to your back – commonly referred to as heartburn. Common because all of us at one time or another have experienced it, but in your case – it’s a regular occurrence that has started to damage the lining of your gullet, and is now classified as a disease...

Do not confuse the Flu (Influenza) with the common cold. The latter is a mild infection caused by viruses other than the influenza virus, whereas flu is a more severe infection of the airway tract that can spread down into the lungs, and recurs every year from late autumn to early winter.

The Difference of a Deferens.

”I’m Pregnant!” is a expression many married couples long to hear - except those who already have three children in High School! Instead of looking to our wives to take the snip, shouldn’t men have the … courage … to lead by example?





Avoiding the Flu is no Fluke.

Autumn is here, and the circle of life amazes me. Each year at the same time that leaves start turning a deep red, so do our noses – thanks to the recurring flu. You’d be wise not to insult this highly contagious disease (officially called influenza), by mistaking it for something as benign as the common cold… different virus, different disease. The flu virus is spread through inhaled infected droplets in the air, sourced from an infected person (contagious for up to 3 to 5 days after the onset of the illness) who coughs or sneezes without their hands in front of their mouths … our mothers were right about being considerate!






"If Only..."

As a boy I spent four years in the scouting fraternity. Apart from developing a love for the outdoors and an uncanny ability to make fire - I also learned two vital words from Baden Powell, the movements’ founder: “Be prepared.”

Hindsight will haunt you after an emergency you weren’t prepared for, especially an accident in the home. Something as simple as a piece of paper stuck on the fridge door with all the essential emergency telephone numbers on it could mean the difference between life and death.






SARS - A Taxing tale...

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) is an uncharacteristic pneumonia of unknown aetiology that was recognized at the end of February 2003, first spread in a Hong Kong elevator and described in patients predominantly from Asia and North America. As at the beginning of May just on 5000 cases had been reported worldwide, and the puzzling flu-like illness had already claimed 300 lives, a 6% mortality rate. 90% of reported cases originated in China, Hong Kong and Surrounds, and Canada was as distant second with 200 victims. South Africa had one. Most patients have been previously healthy adults. Should we then panic about a pending catastrophe, like the 1918 flu pandemic that spread across the globe in 4 months and claimed 20 million lives? No, modern medicine has greatly increased our odds of survival in the last century, but we need to be vigilant nonetheless…






You screen, I screen, we all screen for....

How come we never see the headline “Psychic wins Lottery?” (We’re more likely to read: “Clairvoyant congress cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances!”) The question of foresight in medicine is an interesting one too, especially in the light of the latest advances in the identification of genetic causes for certain conditions.






Square Eyes...

“Workers who used a computer for more than five hours a day most commonly complained of insomnia, fatigue, lethargy, anxiety and reluctance to go to work,” according to the American Journal Of Industrial Medicine. They discovered a significant relationship between the duration of daily VDT (video display terminal) use and physical symptoms, which included headache, joint pain and the most ominous of all – eyestrain, or Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS) … square eyes!






A little jabber on the jab...

As I rock my three day old baby girl to sleep, I’m amazed as to how she already has me wrapped around her little finger … and believe me - it is little! I’m also struck by how completely dependent she is on us as parents for her health and well-being, which brings up a fiercely debated concern – do we vaccinate?






The Verdict on Vitamins.

Lady Astor turned to Winston Churchill and said: “If you were my husband I would put poison in your coffee!” “And if you were my wife ma’am,” he replied without batting an eyelid, “I would drink it!”

The relevance here begs the question: Are you taking poison with your coffee in the morning without even realizing it? The toxicity of vitamins is a controversial and often hot topic for debate – so let’s bang that judges gravel and present the arguments. Firstly, some background…






Vitamins and Vitality.

Vitamins and minerals are substances your body needs in small amounts for normal growth, function and health. Together, vitamins and minerals are called micronutrients, and since your body can’t make most micronutrients, you must get them from the foods you eat or, in some cases, from supplements.