INSAF

Learn the keys to preventing and managing allergies caused by tree and grass pollens, pet dander, mold, dust mites, medications, cosmetics, vaccines,insects, and food If you are an allergy sufferer, you can sometimes feel alone. While others are enjoying spring breezes, you are sniffling and sneezing. While others eat whatever they please, you have to pore over each menu item cautiously. The fact is, you are not alone. More than one in five Americans suffers from allergic diseases. That includes 36 million people with pollen allergies and more than 15 million with food allergies. Allergies can be more than disruptive and discomforting. They can be dangerous, such as when symptoms progress to asthma or escalate to potentially fatal anaphylactic shock. Although allergies can’t yet be cured, they can be controlled with great success. Important advances in diagnosis, treatment, and medications offer welcome relief and peace of mind like never before. The first step in controllin...

Few things can make a man feel less in control of his life than being told he has cancer. But making healthier choices — including what food you eat — can help you regain some control, and make you feel better in the process. Can adopting a healthier diet help fight prostate cancer? That’s a question men newly diagnosed with prostate cancer often ask their doctors. Several studies have shown that in countries where men eat a typical “Western” diet containing a large amount of meat, the incidence of prostate cancer, especially aggressive prostate cancer, is higher than in countries where plant-based foods are a primary part of the diet. Unfortunately, these studies weren’t designed to prove cause and effect. So for now, definitive answers about prostate cancer and diet aren’t yet in — although researchers are actively studying this topic. Investigators have launched a federally funded national study to see whether a diet that’s higher in plant-based foods and lower...

When a man reaches about age 25, his prostate begins to grow. This natural growth is called benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and is the most common cause of prostate enlargement. BPH is a benign condition that does not lead to prostate cancer, though the two problems can coexist. Although 50% to 60% of men with BPH may never develop any symptoms, others find that BPH can make life miserable. The symptoms of BPH include a hesitant, interrupted, or weak urine stream urgency, leaking, or dribbling a sense of incomplete emptying more frequent urination, especially at night. As a result, many men seek treatment. The good news is that treatments are constantly being improved. Patients and their physicians have more medications to choose from than ever before, so if one doesn’t do the trick, another can be prescribed. And thanks to some refinements, surgical treatments are now more effective and have fewer side effects than before. But there are some things men deal...