Erectile Dysfunction

The Federal Trade Commission's complaint against the maker of Pom Wonderful pomegranate juice was certainly worth headlines. The regulators have accused Pom Wonderful LLC of making unsubstantiated claims about the health benefits of its beverage, which it advertised as a panacea for heart disease, prostate cancer and erectile dysfunction, among other ailments. According to the FTC, most of the research the company cited did not follow standard scientific method or back up the advertised health claims.

Rafael is still looking for the first long ball of the year ... " The announcer's voice floats from the TV toward the men hanging around the Latin Palace. The guys, members of a softball team sponsored by the Fells Point restaurant, chatter over the TV but train their eyes on Rafael Palmeiro, their Cuban-born hero, waiting for his first home run of the season as a returning Baltimore Oriole. Nice Friday night in mid-April. Top of the first. There's the pitch. The 39-year-old Palmeiro swings.

It's Men's Health Week, and public health officials are encouraging men to pay more attention to their bodies. Not only should they be paying more attention to little changes that don't seem right, they should be getting annual checkups. Diseases common in older men such as prostate cancer can be treated when found early, and other conditions can be prevented from getting worse, says Mercy Medical Center urologist Dr. Ira Hantman. How often do men need to get a general checkup, and what do doctors look for?

I have just changed jobs, and my new employer does not offer medical insurance. I am presently taking Luvox for trichotillomania and Synthroid for a thyroid condition. I am having trouble getting insurance on my own, and I wonder if the Luvox might be to blame, because it's usually prescribed for psychological problems. Is there a nondrug treatment for my compulsion to pull my hair so I could stop taking Luvox? People who suffer from trichotillomania have an uncontrollable urge to pull out their hair.

JUST when you might have thought it was safe to ignore Bob Dole, he has done it again: come up with the unpredictable.The tremors from his decision to hawk the latest remedy for what he delicately calls "erectile dysfunction" in his now-famous television commercial have barely begun to die down. Now he has offered the notion that he might just contribute to the presidential campaign of one of his wife's rivals for the GOP presidential nomination.Mr. Dole told the New York Times that he has considered contributing to the campaign of Sen. John McCain, who's "not raising the money that [Texas Gov.]

Q.For several years, my husband and I have been taking enteric- coated aspirin. We understand that these dissolve in the intestines rather than the stomach, thus avoiding the danger of ulcers. Is this a misconception? Is there some other reason why enteric-coated aspirin is not more frequently recommended by professionals?A.Enteric coatings do keep aspirin from dissolving in the stomach. This reduces irritation caused by the aspirin tablet itself. But once aspirin is circulating in the bloodstream, it can have an indirect effect on the stomach.

Men's health expo set for Sept. 6 Upper Chesapeake Health will hold a free men's health expo from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sept. 6 at the American Legion, 501 St. John's St., Havre de Grace. The expo will feature physicians speaking on various topics, including men's heart health, erectile dysfunction and prostate health, tobacco-related cancers and colorectal wellness. Free health screenings will be available. Information: 800-515-0044. Seminar to focus on long-term care Melissa Barnickel, a specialist in long-term-care insurance, will present a free seminar at 6:30 p.m. Sept.

Report highlights baby-bottle risk Chemicals Parents who heat plastic baby bottles risk feeding their children a synthetic hormone linked with medical, reproductive and developmental problems, according to a University of Missouri study released last week. The chemical - bisphenol A - is used in making hard, polycarbonate plastic and leaches out of the bottles when heated to 80 degrees or filled with hot liquids, researchers said. Bisphenol A is a synthetic estrogen that can cause feminization in boys, an onset of early puberty in girls, prostate and breast cancer, and some forms of diabetes.

If you want to have sex with your wife, don't worry so much about nibbling on her ear. Instead, take out the trash. According to a new study that just made headlines, more than 40 percent of women and 30 percent of men have little interest in sex, can't have an orgasm or suffer from physical problems related to intercourse.And many of those problems are the result of resentment, disappointment and a lack of communication and trust among couples, sex experts say."Like the saying goes, the most important sex organ is your mind," said Dr. Sujatha Reddy, an Atlanta gynecologist.

What can you tell me about medication used to fight alcoholism? How would I get it, and how much will it cost? I don't have much money. The prescription medications used to treat alcoholism work best in conjunction with counseling and social support. ReVia (naltrexone) has been available for some time and takes away the pleasurable feelings associated with alcohol. Sadly, the drug is quite expensive (more than $200 for a month's supply), and there is no patient assistance from the manufacturer.