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Waterworks maintenance for men

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WATER WORKS MAINTENANCE  FOR MEN 

The waterworks of men and the waterworks, linked to the organs of reproduction are what distinguish men from women much more than their brains or their personalities!

What are the effects of ageing?

The prostate is probably the only part of the body that gets bigger as men get older and the reason for that is not clearly understood but it is normal. As a result the shape of the hole where the bladder and the urethra meet, the urethra being the tube leading from the bladder to the outside world, can change and there are two effects of this. 
  • Firstly the hole may get smaller and this may mean that the individual has more difficulty in starting to pass water or in keeping up a good pressure by doing so.
  • The other problem is that the band that holds the hole tight shut may become less efficient and little bits of urine drip from the bladder into the top of the urethra and this creates a sensation usually called urgency where the person feels they really have to go quickly.
 
How can you minimise the effects of ageing and living longer?

Prostate problems can be regarded as part of normal ageing so the longer you live the more likely you are to have prostate problems.  However it is possible to take steps to minimise the impact of these changes because there does seem to be a vicious cycle that develops where the problem gets worse if you do nothing about it.  

People also need to think about prostate cancer. The relationship between prostate cancer and ageing is unclear.  It is clear that the older the age group studied, the higher the rate of prostate cancer.  But 'prostate cancer' should probably always be referred to as 'prostate cancers', in the plural,  because it is now clear that although we can generalise about the effects of, for example, cancer of the colon it is very difficult to generalise about the effect of prostate cancer because there are obviously a number of different types of prostate cancer.  Some of them will spread and result in the death of an individual although treatment is getting more effective. However it is also clear that many men develop prostate cancer but that it never causes trouble in their lifetime. If the prostates of people who have died aged 70 plus of causes unrelated to prostate cancer are examined a significant percentage have prostate cancer cells in them.   At least half the people over the age of seventy do have prostate cancer cells in their prostate but most of them will never experience any problems in the cancer during their lifetime, even if they live to the nineties.  Prostate cancers are very mysterious.
 
What can you do to reduce the risk of disease?

The big debate is whether or not to have a PSA test, a test for Prostate Specific Antigen.  At one time there was great enthusiasm for offering this test to everyone aged sixty and over whether or not they had any symptoms of prostate disorder.  The problem with this test was that it identified many people who would be found to have evidence of a prostate cancer but who had the type of prostate cancer which was never going to cause them trouble in their lifetime and if they had treatment for this cancer that was never going to cause them trouble in their lifetime they could suffer from incontinence or impotence or both.  
A good general rule therefore is that if your prostate is causing problems that affect the quality of life then go and seek advice and the doctor will probably test for prostate cancer as part of solving the problem but when should you go to seek help?  
This depends on the impact of night waking on the quality of life.  For some people waking three or more times a night to pass water is a minor inconvenience.  For others this has a major impact on their quality of life and if they are in a job that requires full alertness eight or nine hours a day, driving for example, then the fact that their sleep is disturbed increases their risk of an accident so it is not possible to lay down  a particular rule when people should take action.  Prostate symptoms affect almost everybody from about sixty on and if they are becoming a nuisance you should seek help because operations to reduce the size of the prostate are now less risky than they were ten or twenty years ago.
 
How can you increase your fitness?

It is possible for men to increase their efficiency of managing their waterworks.  Many men notice not only that they have an urge to pass water but that this can be brought on by the sound of running water.  There are now a number of techniques that you can use to re-educate your waterworks surprising this may be


  • When you feel the need to pass water don’t give in right away particularly if that need is stimulated by the sound of running water.  Just wait and for many people that pressing need disappears.
  • If you find you have to go frequently during the day start training yourself to wait for a longer time.  If for example you need to pass water within thirty minutes of having a cup of tea first thing in the morning decide that you are now going to set a target of waiting an hour before you pass water and retrain your waterworks to contain it for that period of time and don’t just give in as soon as you feel the need to go.
 
The term Kegel exercises is sometimes used , named after an American gynaecologist who invented these exercises for women with stress incontinence due to weak muscles in the perineum, the floor of the pelvis. They have been adapted for men too and here is advice from the health guide from the famous Mayo Clinic
  • Find the right muscles. To identify your pelvic floor muscles, stop urination in midstream or tighten the muscles that keep you from passing gas. These maneuvers use your pelvic floor muscles. Once you've identified your pelvic floor muscles, you can do the exercises in any position, although you might find it easiest to do them lying down at first.
  • Perfect your technique. Tighten your pelvic floor muscles, hold the contraction for three seconds, and then relax for three seconds. Try it a few times in a row. When your muscles get stronger, try doing Kegel exercises while sitting, standing or walking.
  • Maintain your focus. For best results, focus on tightening only your pelvic floor muscles. Be careful not to flex the muscles in your abdomen, thighs or buttocks. Avoid holding your breath. Instead, breathe freely during the exercises.
  • Repeat 3 times a day. Aim for at least three sets of 10 repetitions a day.

When to do your Kegels
Make Kegel exercises part of your daily routine, for example:
  • Fit in a set of Kegel exercises every time you do a routine task, such as brushing your teeth.
  • Do another set after you urinate, to get rid of the last few drops of urine.
  • Contract your pelvic floor muscles just before and during any activity that puts pressure on your abdomen, such as sneezing, coughing, laughing or heavy lifting
 
Who is there to help 
Obviously, the general practitioner is the first person to consult and they can do some tests and refer to a urologist, a specialist in the waterworks of men.
 

 
 
 

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