“Most people are familiar with many of the benefits of exercise, such as improving muscle strength and endurance, reducing the risk for heart disease and stroke, and preventing obesity. Perhaps not as well understood is the importance of regular physical activity in building and maintaining healthy bones. Inactivity causes loss of bone!

Aging, along with certain diseases and medications, can cause bones to become very weak and fragile over time — a condition called osteoporosis. It often occurs in women after menopause, and in men in older age. This bone-thinning disease puts people at a greater risk for broken bones, which can seriously limit mobility and independence. We also tend to lose muscle as we age — a condition called sarcopenia. People who develop osteoporosis or sarcopenia are considered frail: more likely to fall and more likely to break a bone.”

OrthoInfo (https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/staying-healthy/exercise-and-bone-health/)

The infrastructure of the human body that allows us to perform our daily activities from standing, to sitting, to walking, or even climbing is our skeletal system. The major pillar or beam in the skeletal system is the vertebral column (spinal column). This bone structure allows us to bend, stand upright, twist, to dancing up a storm down the happy trail of life, if taken care of properly. If not, you may not be considering your life a happy tune, during that time of injury that can be a short or long haul before resolved, if ever. This infrastructure is so vital in our activities of our daily life. Many of us don’t realize that until the injury or damage sets in. There is one way you can bypass this disaster, don’t have it become a part of your life which is taking preventative measures; especially if you do heavy lifting in your life; like in my job as a nurse. One major ingredient to preventative measures is proper body mechanics but the trick here is never lift heavy items from below your waist level without bending your legs or even better without a second person helping you or some form of support but there is more to it than just that. There are more factors involved in helping you keep your back with all other bones strong. That would be healthy dieting, maintaining a good weight for your height (body mass index), and good exercise (not necessarily work out but if that is what you enjoy doing, it’s even better and don’t stop). All these ingredients to a better development and maintenance of your skeletal system=HEALTHY HABITS. A plus and benefit that many choose to do is going regularly to a chiropractor who can keep your spine in alignment (see one before injury starts). Recommended in Rockland County, NY is Dr. Diane Gregory, who I go to for my back and who has done both prevention & Rx; www.gregorychiropractic.com.

The key is to be living a healthy life. This consists of diet, exercise, activity and healthy habits learned and practiced in your routine of daily living that will help prevent or assist you in treating bone and back injuries; even problems caused by the inactivity with doing heavy lifting (Ex. lack of any muscle tone or muscle knots), which can inflict bone or back injuries. The better we treat ourselves EVERYDAY regarding health the higher the odds we will live a longer life. One common problem in America that can occur if not living healthy and/or using improper body mechanics with heavy lifting, especially frequently, can increase the risk of sciatica nerve damage. The pain of sciatica is typically felt from the low back (lumbar area) to behind the thigh and radiating down below the knee. The sciatica nerve is the largest nerve in the body that begins from nerve roots in the lumbar spinal cord in the low back and extends through the buttock to send the nerve ending down the lower limb to the foot. Depending on the precise cause of the sciatica symptoms with the duration, the outlook for recovery from sciatica ranges from excellent to having long term chronic symptoms. This can be prevented to some extent by avoiding low back trauma injuries. Thinking before lifting is the one of the best ideas. Osteoporosis is a common bone problem that is a abnormal loss of bony tissue resulting in fragile porous bones attributable to a lack of calcium, most common in postmenopausal women. This progressive bone disease that’s characterized by a decrease in bone mass and density leads to an increased risk of a fracture. The causes of this disease that are modifiable (can be changed) would be: Vitamin D deficiency, menopause, excess alcohol, tobacco smoking, malnutrition (identified risk factors include low dietary calcium and/or phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, boron, iron, fluoride, copper, vitamins A,K,E, and C; also D where skin exposure to sunlight provides an inadequate supply. Excess sodium is a risk factor. High blood acidity may be diet related, and is a known antagonist to the bone. Some have identified low protein intake as associated with lower peak bone mass during adolescence and lower bone mineral density in elderly populations. Other risk factors are inactive, underweight, heavy leads-a strong association between cadmium and lead with bone disease has been established. Low-level exposure to cadmium is associated with an increased loss of bone mineral density readily in both genders. Some studies even show soft drinks can increase the risk of osteoporosis related to high phosphoric acid. Others suggest soft drinks may displace calcium containing drinks from the diet rather than causing osteoporosis.

Another bone disorder is osteomalacia that is a softening of the bones caused by defective bone mineralization secondary to inadequate amounts of available phosphorus and calcium. The most common cause of the disease is a deficiency in vitamin D, which is normally obtained from the diet and/or from sunlight exposure. We can help our bones in many ways. There is not just one food to eat or one type of exercise to do or one healthy habit to practice to keep you healthy with strong bones, there are choices.   Wouldn’t you want less risk of bone or back injury or disease for yourself and for others throughout the nation including the future generations? Than join me and others. If you like what you see spread the good cheer. Let’s build a stronger foundation regarding HEALTH in America.

Adults need 700mg of calcium a day. You should be able to get all the calcium you need by eating a varied and balanced diet.

Foods healthy for bones and Good sources of calcium include::

• milk, cheese and other dairy foods.
• green leafy vegetables, such as broccoli, cabbage and okra, but not spinach.
• soya beans.
• tofu.
• plant-based drinks (such as soya drink) with added calcium.
• nuts.
• bread and anything made with fortified flour.
• fish where you eat the bones, such as sardines and pilchards.

“Peyronie disease rarely goes away on its own. In most people with the condition, it will remain as is or may get slightly worse early on. Early treatment soon after you get the condition may keep it from getting worse or even improve symptoms. Even if you’ve had Peyronie disease for some time, treatment may help ease symptoms such as pain, curving and shortening.”

MAYO CLINIC (https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/peyronies-disease/symptoms-causes/syc-20353468)

How the Diagnosis of Peyronie’s Disease is made:

Health care professionals often can figure out if someone has Peyronie disease by doing a physical exam. They also might do tests to check for other conditions that can cause similar symptoms.

You might need the following tests:

• Physical exam. Your health care professional feels your penis when it’s not erect to figure out the location and amount of scar tissue. The length of your penis also might be measured. If the condition becomes worse, this measurement helps determine whether the penis has gotten shorter.Your health care professional also might ask you to bring in photos of your erect penis taken at home. This can help determine the degree of curving, the location of scar tissue or other details that might guide treatment.
• Other tests. Your health care professional might order an ultrasound or other tests to check your penis when it’s erect. Before testing, you’ll likely receive a shot directly into the penis that helps it become erect.Ultrasound is the most commonly used test for penis conditions. It uses sound waves to make images of soft tissues inside the body. These tests can show the presence of scar tissue, blood flow to the penis and any other irregular signs.

Treatment of Peyronie’s Disease:

Treatment options for Peyronie disease depend on how long it’s been since you began having symptoms.

• Acute phase. As scar tissue forms, changes in the curve or length of the penis become worse. You also may have pain during erections. The acute phase may last for 5 to 18 months.
• Chronic phase. The scar tissue in the penis stops growing, and your symptoms become stable. You also have no penile pain or changes in the curve, length or other aspects of the penis. The chronic phase happens later in Peyronie disease.

Acute phase Peyronie disease treatment

For the acute phase of the condition, treatments include:

• Traction therapy. When used early in the process, a device that holds the penis in a cradle and applies tension can be helpful. This is called penile traction therapy. It prevents length loss and limits curving.
• Medicines. Some medicines taken by mouth or given in shots are options in this phase. Some medicines that have been used in the past clearly do not work. Others may or may not help. Your health care professional will likely talk with you in more detail.

Surgery is not recommended in the acute phase of Peyronie disease. It isn’t a treatment option until the condition stops becoming worse and any pain goes away. This lowers the chances of needing a second surgery.

Chronic phase Peyronie disease treatment

For the chronic phase of the disease, treatment choices include:

• Watchful waiting, in which your health care team watches your condition closely and gives treatment if your symptoms become worse.
• Injections or shots into the scar tissue.
• Stretching devices, also called “traction” therapy.
• Surgery to straighten the penis.

These treatments may be done alone or combined with one another.

Oral medications taken by mouth aren’t recommended in the chronic phase. They haven’t been shown to be effective at this stage of the disease.

“Peyronie’s (pay-roe-NEEZ) disease is a condition in which scar tissue (plaque) in your penis causes it to bend, curve or lose length or girth (circumference). You may be able to feel the scar tissue through your skin, or you may have pain in a specific part of your penis as the scar tissue forms.”

Cleveland Clinic (https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/10044-peyronies-disease)

Erectile dysfunction (impotence) is the inability to get and keep an erection firm enough for sex.

Having erection trouble from time to time isn’t necessarily a cause for concern. If erectile dysfunction is an ongoing issue, however, it can cause stress, affect your self-confidence and contribute to relationship problems. Problems getting or keeping an erection can also be a sign of an underlying health condition that needs treatment and a risk factor for heart disease.

If you’re concerned about erectile dysfunction, talk to your doctor — even if you’re embarrassed. Sometimes, treating an underlying condition is enough to reverse erectile dysfunction. In other cases, medications or other direct treatments might be needed.

Symptoms

Erectile dysfunction symptoms might include persistent:

• Trouble getting an erection
• Trouble keeping an erection
• Reduced sexual desire

When to see a doctor

A family doctor is a good place to start when you have erectile problems. See your doctor if:

• You have concerns about your erections or you’re experiencing other sexual problems such as premature or delayed ejaculation
• You have diabetes, heart disease or another known health condition that might be linked to erectile dysfunction
• You have other symptoms along with erectile dysfunction

Causes

Male sexual arousal is a complex process that involves the brain, hormones, emotions, nerves, muscles and blood vessels. Erectile dysfunction can result from a problem with any of these. Likewise, stress and mental health concerns can cause or worsen erectile dysfunction.

Sometimes a combination of physical and psychological issues causes erectile dysfunction. For instance, a minor physical condition that slows your sexual response might cause anxiety about maintaining an erection. The resulting anxiety can lead to or worsen erectile dysfunction.

Physical causes of erectile dysfunction

In many cases, erectile dysfunction is caused by something physical. Common causes include:

• Heart disease
• Clogged blood vessels (atherosclerosis)
• High cholesterol
• High blood pressure
• Diabetes
• Obesity
• Metabolic syndrome — a condition involving increased blood pressure, high insulin levels, body fat around the waist and high cholesterol
• Parkinson’s disease
• Multiple sclerosis
• Certain prescription medications
• Tobacco use
• Peyronie’s disease — development of scar tissue inside the penis
• Alcoholism and other forms of substance abuse
• Sleep disorders
• Treatments for prostate cancer or enlarged prostate
• Surgeries or injuries that affect the pelvic area or spinal cord

Psychological causes of erectile dysfunction

The brain plays a key role in triggering the series of physical events that cause an erection, starting with feelings of sexual excitement. A number of things can interfere with sexual feelings and cause or worsen erectile dysfunction. These include:

• Depression, anxiety or other mental health conditions
• Stress
• Relationship problems due to stress, poor communication or other concerns

Risk factors

As you get older, erections might take longer to develop and might not be as firm. You might need more direct touch to your penis to get and keep an erection.

Various risk factors can contribute to erectile dysfunction, including:

• Medical conditions, particularly diabetes or heart conditions
• Tobacco use, which restricts blood flow to veins and arteries, can — over time — cause chronic health conditions that lead to erectile dysfunction
• Being overweight, especially if you’re obese
• Certain medical treatments, such as prostate surgery or radiation treatment for cancer
• Injuries, particularly if they damage the nerves or arteries that control erections
• Medications, including antidepressants, antihistamines and medications to treat high blood pressure, pain or prostate conditions
• Psychological conditions, such as stress, anxiety or depression
• Drug and alcohol use, especially if you’re a long-term drug user or heavy drinker

Complications

Complications resulting from erectile dysfunction can include:

• An unsatisfactory sex life
• Stress or anxiety
• Embarrassment or low self-esteem
• Relationship problems
• The inability to get your partner pregnant

Prevention

The best way to prevent erectile dysfunction is to make healthy lifestyle choices and to manage any existing health conditions. For example:

• Work with your doctor to manage diabetes, heart disease or other chronic health conditions.
• See your doctor for regular checkups and medical screening tests.
• Stop smoking, limit or avoid alcohol, and don’t use illegal drugs.
• Exercise regularly.
• Take steps to reduce stress.
• Get help for anxiety, depression or other mental health concerns.

“Too much cortisol can cause some of the main symptoms of Cushing syndrome — a fatty hump between the shoulders, a rounded face, and pink or purple stretch marks on the skin. Cushing syndrome also can cause high blood pressure or bone loss. Sometimes, it can cause type 2 diabetes.  The people most commonly affected by Cushing syndrome are children, teenagers and adults, mostly those ages 25 to 50. People who take cortisol medication (for example, to treat asthma and rheumatoid arthritis) are especially vulnerable. Some 70% of people with Cushing syndrome are women or people assigned female at birth (AFAB) and 30% are men or people assigned male at birth (AMAB).”

Cleveland Clinic (https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/5497-cushing-syndrome)

Complications of Cushings Syndrome include:

Diabetes (High or Low blood glucose levels)

Enlargement of pituitary tumor and other complications from the tumor growth

Fractures due to osteoporosis which are common in older people

High blood pressure which could be life threatening

Kidney stones from the increase in cortisol and other chemicals filtered through the kidneys

Serious infections which could lead to further secondary infections

Although diagnosis can be challenging, it is important being correctly diagnosed with Cushing’s disease is the first step toward regaining control of your health because an accurate diagnosis helps your doctor determine the best course of action. Cushing’s disease may be challenging to diagnose because of several factors:

Cushing’s disease does not cause the same symptoms in everyone

Cushing’s disease may cause the same symptoms as other medical conditions that are more common

The tumor that causes Cushing’s disease can be too small to be found on MRI scans

The tumor can become “inactive” so that it releases less cortisol at certain times

Inactive tumors can fool tests for Cushing’s disease that measure the levels of hormones in your urine, blood, or saliva

The process and tests used to diagnose Cushing’s disease

Ways to take control of your health once you are diagnosed

Cushing’s disease can be mistaken for other conditions

Doctors don’t always think to look for Cushing’s disease because it is rare and causes symptoms that can make them think you have a different condition. Because these other conditions are more common, your doctor will probably rule them out before testing you for Cushing’s disease. These conditions include:

-Pregnancy

-Depression or other psychiatric disorders

-Alcoholism

-Weight problems (obesity) caused by improper diet and/or exercise

-Poorly controlled diabetes mellitus

-Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)

How is Cushing’s syndrome diagnosed?

The process of diagnosing Cushing’s disease—There are generally 3 phases in the diagnostic process and you will likely see more than one doctor, including an endocrinologist.

Phase 1: Confirm clinical suspicion-Your doctor will to a physical exam.

The doctor will measure if you have the symptoms that are known to be caused by hypercortisolism.
Your doctor may look for:

Purplish streaks on your body (called striae)

Weight gain

Fatty tissue around your mid-section

Thinning of your arms and legs

Fatty tissue that creates a hump on your back

Redness or roundness in your face

Bruises on your body

Thinning of your skin

Excessive facial/hair growth (hirtusism) if you’re female

Acne

Weakness

Medical conditions that are unusual for a patient’s age

— High blood pressure (called hypertension)

— Diabetes

— High cholesterol

— Osteoporosis

— Infection

— Heart disease

__Evaluation

What you can expect is your doctor will do a physical examine your entire body to look for specific physical signs of Cushing’s disease and may do tests to better understand your symptoms, what we call diagnostic tooling.

Phase II: Confirm hypercortisolism
Medical tests will be performed to measure the level of cortisol in the body. These tests should only be done when a form of Cushing’s syndrome(including Cushing’s disease) is highly suspected.

-24 hour urinary free cortisol (UFC) –

Measures the level of cortisol in your urine over a 24-hour period. If the levels are too high, then you may have Cushing’s disease or Cushing’s syndrome. This test is often used because it only measures the type of cortisol that causes Cushing’s disease, called “circulating cortisol,” and may be more accurate than other tests that measure cortisol levels

Because of the difficulty in obtaining 24-hour urine collections in many outpatients, some physicians use a l-mg overnight dexamethasone suppression test. For this test, the patient takes l mg of dexamethasone orally at 11 p.m., and the plasma cortisol level is measured at 8 a.m. the following day (normal value: 5 μg per dL or less [140 nmol per L]). The reported sensitivity of this test is 98 percent; the reported specificity is 80 percent.4

Obesity, chronic illness, chronic alcoholism and depression can cause false-positive results (pseudo-Cushing’s syndrome) on the 1-mg dexamethasone suppression test and mildly elevated free cortisol values on the 24-hour urine collection.

If the result of the dexamethasone suppression test is abnormal or the 24-hour urinary free cortisol level is mildly elevated, a confirmatory test for Cushing’s syndrome is needed. The 24-hour urine collection for urinary free cortisol excretion can be used to confirm the result of the l-mg dexamethasone suppression test. Normal findings on both tests provide strong evidence against the presence of Cushing’s syndrome.4 However, when Cushing’s syndrome is still strongly suspected based on the clinical findings, negative tests should be repeated; the tests should also be performed again in three to six months.

Phase III: Determine if Cushing’s disease is the cause of hypercortisolism

-Adrenocorticotropic Hormone (ACTH) test-

Measures if the amount of ACTH in your blood is higher than normal.

If your ACTH levels are high or normal, then you may have a tumor that is producing ACTH.

ACTH-producing tumors are most often found on the pituitary (Cushing’s disease).

ACTH-producing tumors may be in other areas of the body (called ectopic Cushing’s syndrome) If your ACTH levels are low, you may have Cushing’s syndrome due to a different cause or another condition. Additional tests will be done to confirm whether or not you have Cushing’s syndrome

Treatment of cushings syndrome is by castigation of the under lying cause.

Treatments for Cushing’s syndrome are contrived to pass your body’s cortisol production to normal. By indurate, or even distinctly lowering cortisol levels, you’ll feel evident improvements in your signs and symptoms. Left untreated, however, Cushing’s syndrome can finally induce to death. The treatment choice depend on the cause. For example:

-If a tumour in an adrenal gland is the reason, an operation to withdraw it will cure the condition.

– For adrenal hyperplasia, both adrenal glands may require to be withdraw. You will then require to take lifelong replacement therapy of several adrenal hormones.

-Other tumours in the body that produce ‘ectopic’ ACTH may be able to be removed, depending on the kind of tumour, where it is, etc.

-Medication to block the production or consequence of cortisol may be an choice.

“Cushing syndrome happens when the body has too much of the hormone cortisol for a long time. This can result from the body making too much cortisol, or from taking medicines called glucocorticoids, which affect the body the same way as cortisol.  Too much cortisol can cause some of the main symptoms of Cushing syndrome — a fatty hump between the shoulders, a rounded face, and pink or purple stretch marks on the skin. Cushing syndrome also can cause high blood pressure or bone loss. Sometimes, it can cause type 2 diabetes.”

MAYO CLINIC (https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/cushing-syndrome/symptoms-causes/syc-20351310)

Cushing’s syndrome describes the signs and symptoms associated with prolonged exposure to inappropriately high levels of the hormone cortisol. This can be caused by taking glucocorticoid drugs, or diseases that result in excess cortisol, adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), or CRH levels.

Cushing’s syndrome appears when the body’s tissues are display to immoderate levels of cortisol for long periods of time.

There are two types of the disease and they are known as exogenous and endogenous. Exogenous Cushing syndrome is caused by something outside of the body, like when hormones are given to a patient during a RX for another condition. Endogenous is caused by natural causing problems within the body. Endogenous is likely to be hereditary and not caused by an outside force like a steroid complex.

 Causes of Cushing Syndrome:

The most common cause of Cushing’s syndrome is exogenous administration of glucocorticoids prescribed by a health care practitioner to treat other diseases (called iatrogenic Cushing’s syndrome). This can be an effect of corticosteroid treatment of a variety of disorders such as asthma and rheumatoid arthritis, or in immunosuppression after an organ transplant.

Administration of synthetic ACTH(adrenocorticotropichormone) is also possible, but ACTH is less often prescribed due to cost and lesser utility. Although rare, Cushing’s syndrome can also be due to the use of medroxyprogesterone In this form of Cushing’s, the adrenal glands atrophy due to lack of stimulation by ACTH, since glucocorticoids downregulate production of ACTH. Cushing syndrome in childhood usually results from use of glucocorticoid medication^.

Endogenous Cushing’s syndrome results from some derangement of the body’s own system of secreting cortisol. Normally, ACTH is released from the pituitary gland when necessary to stimulate the release of cortisol from the adrenal glands.

In pituitary Cushing’s, a benign pituitary adenoma secretes ACTH. This is also known as Cushing’s disease and is responsible for 70% of endogenous Cushing’s syndrome.

In adrenal Cushing’s, excess cortisol is produced by adrenal gland tumors, hyperplastic adrenal glands, or adrenal glands with nodular adrenal hyperplasia.

Tumors outside the normal pituitary-adrenal system can produce ACTH (occasionally with CRH) that affects the adrenal glands. This etiology is called ectopic or paraneoplastic Cushing’s disease and is seen in diseases like small cell lung cancer.

Finally, rare cases of CRH-secreting tumors (without ACTH secretion) have been reported, which stimulates pituitary ACTH production.

Pseudo-Cushing’s syndrome

 Elevated levels of total cortisol can also be due to estrogen found in oral contraceptive pills that contain a mixture of estrogen and progesterone, leading to Pseudo-Cushing’s syndrome. Estrogen can cause an increase of cortisol-binding globulin and thereby cause the total cortisol level to be elevated. However, the total free cortisol, which is the active hormone in the body, as measured by a 24 hour urine collection for urinary free cortisol, is normal.

Epidemiology

 Iatrogenic Cushing’s syndrome (caused by treatment with corticosteroids) is the most common form of Cushing’s syndrome.

Symptoms of Cushings Syndrome:

 Symptom of cushings syndrome include fat deposits close to the face neck and trunk; weariness; muscular weakness; salt and water retention; acne; leisurely bruising; menstlruall irregularities; and signs (in women) of virilisation, such as increase of the voice, commute in body, shape, loss of scalp hair, and extend in facial and body hair. Complications of cushings syndrome include advanced blood pressure, The symptoms and signs of cushings syndrome induced by a chronic redundant of corticosteroid hormones in the blood. The redundant may be acquired by a tumour of the outer part (cortex) of the adrenal gland, or may be referable to over inspiration of the adrenal glands by a tumour the pituitary gland.

Many children and teenagers with Cushing’s syndrome will exhibit various symptoms of the following:

-extreme weight gain

-growth retardation

-missed periods in teenage girls

-excess hair growth

-acne

-reddish-blue streaks on the skin

-high blood pressure

-tiredness and weakness

-either very early or late puberty

Adults with the disease may also have symptoms of intense weight gain, redundant hair growth, high blood pressure, and skin difficulties. In addition, they may show:

-muscle and bone weakness

-moodiness, irritability, or depression

-sleep disturbances

-high blood sugar

-menstrual disorders in women and diminished fertility in men

Complications of this disease include:

 -Diabetes (High or Low blood glucose levels)

-Enlargement of pituitary tumor and other complications from the tumor growth

-Fractures due to osteoporosis which are common in older people

-High blood pressure which could be life threatening

-Kidney stones from the increase in cortisol and other chemicals filtered through the kidneys

-Serious infections which could lead to further secondary infections

Tune in Monday for Part II on Cushing’s Disease in how it is treated.