Men's Health

Looking after your health

For men, who are often reluctant to visit their GP to discuss health matters, let alone intimate issues, the emergence of legitimate online doctor and pharmacy services have provided a quick, easy and discreet way of managing their conditions. This has become more relevant than ever before, as pressure continues to mount on the NHS resulting in certain ‘lifestyle’ medication only being accessible with a private prescription.

Lifestyle Medication

Lifestyle medication is a broad and non-specific term relating to medication which treats non-threatening and non-painful conditions such as impotence, hair loss or weight gain. Such medication may or may not require an assessment from an appropriately trained healthcare professional, who will supply a suitable prescription.

While lifestyle medication isn’t considered curative or life-saving in the same sense as other prescription drugs, there is good evidence to suggest that the conditions they treat can dramatically improve overall health and life expectancy. Examples include losing excess weight and stopping smoking, which can reduce the chance of heart attacks, strokes and type 2 Diabetes.

Examples of conditions that are treatable with lifestyle medication include:

•Erectile Dysfunction(ED)
•Hair Loss
•Weight loss aids
•Smoking Cessation
•Acne

Tests You Might Want To Consider

Oxford Online Pharmacy provides access to various tests which can help you to get a better understanding of the underlying causes of your illness.

Examples include cholesterol level and blood glucose level self-test kits:

https://www.oxfordonlinepharmacy.co.uk/self-testing-kits

Embarassing Illnesses - Men

A reddit thread asked the men of Reddit: What questions do you have about your body that you're too embarrassed to ask? We put the seven most popular questions to our pharmacy and GP team and here are their answers:

Q: This is pretty awkward but has anyone else had problems with dry skin on your penis? Been having issues with the skin just below/under the head of the penis, it looks and feels dried out and it sometimes tears during sex/masturbation.

A: The skin on the glans of the penis is very thin and can dry and crack easily. Gentle non-perfumed moisturisers such as Epaderm or E45 cream applied liberally, several times a day would be the first option. Sometimes you can get inflammation (balanitis) which can just happen or can be due to infections - so it’s always worth a check up at the GUM clinic.

Q: How come sometimes it burns to pee after I ejaculate?

A: The skin on the penis is very thin and any physical activity can cause some small tears or breaks, increasing sensitivity. Any persistent burning should be checked out by a doctor to make sure there is no infection or inflammation.

Q: My left testicle is a LOT bigger than my right. It doesn't usually hurt or anything, is this normal?

A:If this has always been the case then it is probably a normal variation. If this is something new then you should get it checked out. Testicles are important and any change in size, or appearance of lumps needs urgent medical attention and advice.

Q: How do you deal with profuse, excessive sweating while sleeping? My problem personally continues regardless of the temperature in the room (it continues even below freezing).

A: Persistent nighttime sweats can be symptomatic of a number of health issues, including problems with metabolism or thyroid, as well as being a side effect of some tumors. Visit your GP.

Q: What can I do to stop burping? It started about two years ago. I used to never burp then all of a sudden I started burping a lot. Really deep airy loud burps. I always feel a little better after a good one.

A: Burping is often habitual and tends to be caused by swallowing too much air which needs to be expelled as a burp to achieve the relief you describe. In the first instance try to concentrate on not swallowing additional air when you drink. If you have any burning or acid reflux (heartburn) then antacids such as liquid Gaviscon or an acid suppressant such as Nexium (pantoprazole) tablets, available over the counter from your pharmacy, can help. Alternatively, prescribed medications are also available from your GP.

Q: How do I get over my erectile dysfunction? It's all in my head, so I find Viagra doesn't really work, and there have been so many girls where I have "closed the deal" so to speak, and then when the time comes I just can't get it hard. The only time it isn't a problem, is when I get too drunk to care, but that poses its own problems.

A: If the barrier is in your head, the best approach is to talk to an expert about the issues that may be blocking you. Your GP can help you to find the right person to speak to. Medication can sometimes break the cycle, but if there is something deeper at play, the relief felt at simply addressing the symptoms may be short lived.

Q: Why do my palms always feel sweaty? It's so embarrassing while giving handshakes.

A: Sweating is perfectly normal but can be embarrassing. There are products available that can help. Driclor roll on for example actually helps to reduce the amount of sweat produced by your sweat glands. Apply sparingly directly to your hands the night before your meeting.

Authored by Stuart Gale, on 13 September 2018. Reviewed by Robert Bradshaw, on 14 December 2018.