Episode Transcript
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When Should a Man Start Involving a Urologist in His Care?
Conversation with this week's guest, Dr. Alex Pastuszak.
For men under the age of 50, a urologist may be the last thing on your mind. But according to urologist Dr. Alex Pastuszak, you should really bring a urologist on to your health care team as early as 25.
"For a young man, a urologist is a doctor that takes care of what most people consider to be the genitalia," says Dr. Pastuszak, "So one of the funny names for us is a pecker checker."
Urologists take care of the penis, testicles, kidneys, bladder, and everything in between. They are also fertility and hormone management experts.
Urologists are also surgeons, capable of performing procedures like vasectomies.
Question for the Urologist: Why Do I Pee a Lot?
Troy has a confession. He gets up a lot at night to go to the bathroom.
Frequent urination is not just something old guys experience, it's a common problem that can effect men beginning in their 20's and 30's. So what causes it and should you go see a urologist for it?
Dr. Pastuszak says, "Yes."
Some reasons for peeing a lot:
- You drink a lot
- You live at high altitude
- If you're obese
- Diabetes
- Certain metabolic syndromes including diabetes
- Urinary tract infection
- Bladder or prostate issues
So how can you tell if you're running to the bathroom too often? The rule of thumb is you should be able to make it through a long movie, and if you're can't, you should see a urologist.
ER or Not: Really Bad Toothache
You find yourself with an extremely painful toothache. It's 6 pm on a Friday evening and there's no chance you can get in to see a dentist. Should you go to the emergency room?
Short answer - no.
Dental pain is a surprisingly common thing Troy sees in the emergency department. But the biggest challenge is there's not a lot the ER can offer.
ER doctors do not have the training to treat dental problems. They will probably prescribe antibiotics and something for the pain, then send you on your way.
In most cases, it's not worth the cost and hassle of going to the emergency department - with one exception.
"The exception to this would be if you have massive swelling on your face," explains Troy, "Sometimes you can get dental pain and then it gets an abscess, a big pocket of infection with it. You're going to know if you have that. It's a lot of swelling, and that's where it becomes a more emergent thing, particularly if it's affecting your ability to breathe or your ability to swallow."
6 Tips to Prevent Injuries During Exercise
So you've decided to start exercising more to improve your health. That's a great step, but be careful. If you're just getting into exercise, there's a very real chance you could injure yourself.
Scot and Troy give their take on an article from Scripps Health, "Six Tips to Prevent Injuries During Exercise."
- Start your exercise routine slowly
- Warm up your lower extremities
- Stretch and strengthen your muscles
- Stay Loose
- Keep hips, shoulders, and neck in check
- Listen to your body
Just Going to Leave This Here: Scot's Phone Calls 911
Scot tells his story about how his iPhone dialed 911 while he was exercising at the gym. There was no emergency. Apparently, there's a combination of buttons one can push that makes it do that. A handy feature, unless there isn't an emergency. He shares what happened so you can avoid doing the same thing.
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