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Irish Times
2 days ago
- Health
- Irish Times
What causes pelvic floor dysfunction in men and what can be done about it?
In his early 30s, Chad Woodard spent hours cycling around New York City training for an Ironman triathlon. Around the same time, he began to experience pelvic pain and erectile dysfunction. He never suspected his workouts could be the cause. Dr Woodard, now an assistant professor of physical therapy at Hunter College, had been in practice for several years, but it was only when a urologist asked him if he treated men with pelvic floor dysfunction that he began to educate himself about the pelvic floor, an umbrella term for the sling of muscles, ligaments and nerves at the base of the torso that supports the bladder, bowels and reproductive organs. When the pelvic floor becomes either overly lax or overly tight in men, it can cause incontinence, sexual dysfunction and pain in the scrotum, rectum or groin. Dr Woodard had heard passing mentions of the pelvic floor during his training, but he had no idea what pelvic floor physical therapy was. He sought out continuing education coursework in pelvic care and discovered that he was suffering from pelvic floor dysfunction. READ MORE After he successfully treated his conditions using the exercises he was learning, he dedicated his practice to helping other men. After treatment, 'they can live their life again,' he said, now more than a decade later. Overlooked source of suffering In recent years, women's pelvic floor health has received an uptick in attention, thanks to women's health advocates, social media activism and the rise of a cottage industry of telehealth companies and products to treat pelvic floor issues. But men's pelvic floor health is often still overlooked by medical providers (According to some estimates, one in 10 men in Ireland may suffer from a pelvic floor disorder). This is in part because pelvic floor issues, such as incontinence, erectile dysfunction and chronic pain, 'can masquerade as so many other conditions,' including prostate infections, sexually transmitted infections and even cancer, said Dr Amin Herati, an assistant professor of urology at Johns Hopkins Medicine. What causes pelvic floor dysfunction in men? Pelvic floor disorders typically arise when the muscles of the pelvis become too tight or too loose. Generally speaking, men are more likely to experience issues from overly tight pelvic floors, in which the muscles are in a near permanent state of contraction, said Kimberlee Sullivan, the head of clinics for pelvic health provider Origin. This limits the muscles' range of motion and mobility, which ultimately weakens them, making it difficult to control the flow of urine and faeces and to support erections and ejaculation. One of the most common causes of tight pelvic floors is stress, which can lead to over-clenching of the pelvic muscles. Other common causes include constipation, holding in urine for long periods of time and excessive sitting. Cycling or heavy lifting can also lead to tightness, experts said. When men have overly lax pelvic floors, the cause is most often surgery to treat prostate cancer. This cohort is especially likely to experience incontinence and erectile dysfunction, since surgery can weaken the muscles and ligaments of the pelvic floor. Pelvic floor disorders can also be caused by damage to the pudendal nerve, which runs through the pelvic floor, as a result of injury from activities such as kick-boxing, cycling or squatting. How is pelvic floor dysfunction treated in men? If you're suffering from bladder or bowel incontinence, erectile dysfunction or pelvic pain, first see a doctor to rule out infection or disease. For many issues, physical therapy may be the solution – with a treatment programme that combines massage to release tight muscle and fascia, and stretching or strengthening exercises. Diaphragmatic breathing may also be recommended. How can you keep your pelvic floor healthy? If you don't suffer from any pelvic floor issues, there are a few simple steps you can take to avoid dysfunction down the road. Practice deep breathing: Diaphragmatic breathing, in which your abdomen fills with oxygen as your inhale, can help to keep the pelvic floor both appropriately relaxed and strong. Deep breathing is like 'a stretch from the inside out,' said Alicia Ferriere, a pelvic floor physical therapist. Stretch regularly: Stretching your hip and groin muscles, quads, glutes and hamstrings can keep the muscles of your pelvic floor mobile. This can be especially valuable after powerlifting and cycling, both of which can tighten the pelvic floor's muscles and tissues, Ferriere said. Avoid Kegels, in most cases: Unless you have been diagnosed with an overly lax pelvic floor, avoid Kegels, or intentionally contracting your pelvic floor muscles. Most people don't do Kegels correctly, experts said, which can exacerbate a tight pelvic floor. Don't suffer in silence: If you suspect you might be developing a pelvic floor issue, don't try to tough it out. Just as you would seek treatment for a pulled or cramped muscle in your shoulder or calf, Sullivan said, the sooner you start addressing symptoms in your pelvic floor muscles, the better. – This article originally appeared in the New York Times
Yomiuri Shimbun
16-07-2025
- Politics
- Yomiuri Shimbun
University Leaders Face Tough Questions in House Hearing on Antisemitism
Three university leaders faced harsh questioning Tuesday during a House hearing about antisemitism on college campuses, as Republicans demanded answers about their handling of statements by students and faculty that the lawmakers found antisemitic. In a three-hour hearing, Robert Groves, interim president of Georgetown University, Félix V. Matos Rodríguez, chancellor of the City University of New York, and Rich Lyons, chancellor of the University of California at Berkeley, asserted a commitment to combating anti-Jewish hatred while defending campus rights to free expression. Groves has been in his position since last year, Matos Rodríguez since 2019 and Lyons since last summer. Tuesday's is the latest of a series of hearings over alleged failures to protect Jewish students that the House Committee on Education and the Workforce has held since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel. Tuesday's hearing had combative moments but was less explosive than some previous ones. Earlier hearings put intense personal scrutiny on leaders of other universities, some of whom eventually resigned after controversial exchanges with lawmakers. The hearing was briefly interrupted a number of times by protesters yelling, 'There's blood on your hands' and 'Free Palestine!' After the fourth interruption, Rep. Randy Fine (R-Florida) yelled, 'Shut up and get out of here!' to the demonstrators, then turned to the university presidents and said he blamed them for the disruptions. 'I hold you all responsible for this,' he said. 'It is the attitude that you have allowed on your college campuses that make people think that this is okay.' Facing questions about specific cases of alleged antisemitism on their campuses, the university leaders sometimes demurred or said they could not comment on individual disciplinary matters. In one case, however, Groves said that Jonathan Brown, a professor still listed on his faculty page as the chair of Islamic civilization at Georgetown's School of Foreign Service, had been stripped of his chair title after posting on X last month that he hoped 'Iran does some symbolic strike on a base' amid news of U.S. strikes on Iran. 'He's on leave and we are reviewing the case,' Groves told lawmakers. Committee Chairman Tim Walberg (R-Michigan) said he found the news 'encouraging' but 'long overdue.' Brown did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Walberg questioned Matos Rodríguez about a Palestinian studies job posting at Hunter College that called for scholars who could 'take a critical lens' on issues including 'settler colonialism, genocide, human rights, apartheid' and other topics. The listing was removed in February following a demand from New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D). 'We made sure to tell Hunter College that it was entirely inappropriate to have that posting,' Matos Rodríguez said at the hearing. Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-North Carolina) pressed Matos Rodríguez on whether he sees it as problematic that the president of CUNY's faculty and staff union personally supports BDS – the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement that targets Israel. In response, the president stressed that the union 'does not speak for' CUNY. Foxx responded: 'You obviously don't think it's problematic.' Pressed by Fine and Rep. Lisa C. McClain (R-Michigan) on why history professor Ussama Makdisi, who had posted on social media, 'I could have been one of those who broke through the siege on October 7,' had not faced discipline at UC-Berkeley, Lyons said Makdisi is a 'fine scholar.' McClain retorted: 'I'm sure there's a lot of murderers in prison who are fine people, too, fine scholars, but they do some pretty nefarious and heinous acts.' Makdisi did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Rep. Glenn Thompson (R-Pennsylvania) pushed Groves to condemn a Georgetown employee who had compared Israel's actions in Gaza to Nazi concentration camps in a social media post. 'I reject those kinds of statements,' Groves said. 'I want everyone to know that to the extent that that hurt Jewish students, Jewish faculty, Jewish staff at Georgetown, I apologize for that,' he added. Republicans repeatedly criticized the leaders' handling of faculty unions, which Walberg said have 'played a critical role in fomenting the rise of antisemitism.' The committee's first hearing on antisemitism, in December 2023, put the presidents of the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard University under intense scrutiny over an exchange with Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-New York), who asked whether the presidents would punish students if they called for the genocide of Jews. Claudine Gay of Harvard and Liz Magill of the University of Pennsylvania said their response would depend on context. Both resigned in the aftermath. The next hearing, four months later, also sparked controversy as the president of Columbia University, Minouche Shafik, drew criticism from some members of the university when she denounced specific professors and revealed disciplinary details, taking a more aggressive stance against pro-Palestinian leaders on her campus. She also later stepped down from the role. The GOP's critics say the hearings do not represent genuine efforts to combat hatred directed at Jewish students, but rather an attempt to use antisemitism as a pretext to stem anti-Israel rhetoric on American campuses – and cut funding for those institutions. 'I am extremely disappointed in the majority for exploiting my community's legitimate fears and concerns as they advance discriminatory, regressive, unconstitutional, and harmful policy,' Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-Oregon) said. 'Jewish Americans and the American people deserve better.' Democrats also criticized the hearings as political theater and condemned the congressional committee's focus on antisemitism as coming at the exclusion of other urgent concerns. 'This is yet another hearing to demonize Muslims and their religion, to demonize Palestinians, including those in Gaza,' Rep. Summer Lee (D-Pennsylvania) said. The Trump administration has leaned on allegations of antisemitism to go after elite universities including Harvard, UC-Berkeley and Columbia in an unprecedented attack on the nation's higher education system. As administration officials have opened investigations into schools and sought to strip them of federal funding, they have expanded their probes beyond antisemitism. The administration has opened two investigations into the University of California, one probing alleged antisemitism and the other investigating its hiring practices for evidence of diversity measures. The schools in Tuesday's spotlight have looked to portray themselves as hard on antisemitism, in part by cracking down on encampments – a movement that swept college campuses in the spring of last year. CUNY was the site of a prominent encampment in New York City and the attempted occupation of an administration building. The school eventually brought in New York police, leading to the arrest of dozens of protesters. 'We learned from that experience,' Matos Rodríguez said in his opening statement, saying the school significantly beefed up security. 'We now have a zero-tolerance policy against encampments.' The encampment at UC-Berkeley ended after the school agreed to review its investments following three weeks of pitched tents and protests. The school strengthened its rules against encampments and banned face masks under some circumstances. Georgetown largely avoided the high-profile encampments that roiled many campuses last year, as D.C.-area student protesters gathered for a united encampment at George Washington University, blocks from the White House. In 2024, the university hosted families of Americans who were taken hostage by Hamas in the 2023 attack for a speaking event, which Groves stressed in his statement to the committee. In a letter to the House committee last week, some of the family members praised Georgetown and its students and faculty. 'During a fraught time in so many public spaces after October 7, 2023, Georgetown created space for something different: a conversation rooted in empathy, dignity, and truth,' the families wrote in the letter, a copy of which was obtained by The Washington Post.
Time of India
03-07-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Compound found in olive oil can kill cancer cells in 30 minutes
A Rutgers University and Hunter College study revealed that oleocanthal, a compound in extra-virgin olive oil, can kill cancer cells rapidly. The research, published in Molecular & Cellular Oncology, found that oleocanthal targets cancer cells' lysosomes, causing them to rupture and die within 30 minutes, while leaving healthy cells unharmed. Olive oil, which is one of the star ingredients in a Mediterranean diet, often hailed as one of the world's healthiest eating patterns, is already known for its benefits to heart and brain health. But here's something even more surprising: it may also have powerful anticancer properties! A natural compound found in extra-virgin olive oil has been found to kill cancer cells in just 30 minutes. A study led by researchers from Rutgers University and Hunter College found that an ingredient in olive oil can potentially fight cancer. The study is published in the journal Molecular & Cellular Oncology in 2015. Olive oil and its anti-cancer properties Olive oil contains oleocanthal, a phenolic compound that may be key in targeting cancer cells without harming healthy ones. The study adds to the numerous health benefits of olive oil, including improving the immune system, protecting bones, and even reducing the risk of Alzheimer's disease. Meanwhile, the concentration of oleocanthal differs in different varieties of olive oils, due to their origin, harvest time, and processing methods. The researchers tested a variety of olive oils to determine their respective concentrations of oleocanthal, which ranged from very low to very high. They found that olive oils with high oleocanthal content completely killed in vitro cancer cells like purified oleocanthal. Killing cancer cells Habit: Start the morning with a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil or drizzle it over your it works:Olive oil is packed with monounsaturated fats, which help increase HDL (good cholesterol).It also reduces hunger, preventing unnecessary Mediterranean diet, rich in olive oil, is linked to a lower risk of heart disease! In normal physiological conditions, cells die through a process called apoptosis, a form of programmed cell death. This process usually takes 16 to 24 hours. But when scientists Onica LeGendre, David Foster of Hunter College, and Paul Breslin of Rutgers University applied oleocanthal to cancer cells in the lab, the effect was far more immediate. The compound wiped out cancer cells of multiple types within just 30 minutes to an hour. That led researchers to believe that oleocanthal was working through a different mechanism. 6 Best oils for navel massage to boost health naturally 'We needed to determine if oleocanthal was targeting that protein and causing the cells to die,' Breslin, a professor of nutritional sciences at a university, said in a release. How it attacks cancer cells They found that the compound was killing the cancer cells' waste centers, known as lysosomes, which are larger than healthy cells and also more fragile. 'Once you open one of those things, all hell breaks loose,' Breslin added. They noticed that once oleocanthal did its damage, the crucial functions of the cell began to suffer, eventually leading to its death. What was even more surprising was that the healthy cells were unharmed. After oleocanthal 'put them to sleep' for a day, they rebounded as if nothing had happened. "We think oleocanthal could explain reduced [cancer] incidence in Mediterranean diets where consumption is high. And it is also possible that purified (higher-dose) could possibly be used therapeutically," Foster said. The researchers also added that they want to learn more about why oleocanthal targets and shrinks cancer cells specifically. 'We also need to understand why it is that cancerous cells are more sensitive to oleocanthal than non-cancerous cells,' Foster concluded.
Fox News
02-07-2025
- Fox News
The gross reason airplane passengers might want to avoid using the water on flights
Flying with hundreds of other people at one time can be a gateway to illness. Various airplane surfaces — such as overhead bins, tray tables, instruction cards and seat covers — are some of the biggest sources of germs, according to flight attendants. Even the water in the bathroom can pose a risk — leading some people to question whether it's even sanitary to wash one's hands on a flight. "It's a good idea for passengers to use hand sanitizer after stowing away their luggage, touching anything in the seat pocket in front of them, and going to the bathroom," flight attendant and travel blogger Josephine Remo, who is based in Portugal, previously told Travel & Leisure. Bathrooms can be especially dirty, as the toilets are regularly cleaned, but the locks and door handles may not be, according to Remo. The water in the bathroom can contain a plethora of contaminants, research suggests, which could be found in bathroom sink water and drinking water, as well as the coffee, tea and ice served onboard. A 2019 study by the Hunter College NYC Food Policy Center confirmed that select airlines have potentially provided passengers with unhealthy drinking water. Of the 11 major and 12 regional airlines studied, 15 airlines received an Onboard Water Health Score of 2 or lower out of 5. The federal government's Aircraft Drinking Water Rule (ADWR) requires airlines to provide passengers and crew with safe drinking water, according to the researchers. Airlines are also required to test the water for bacteria and E. coli, and to disinfect and flush the aircraft's water tank four times per year. "Alternatively, an airline may choose to disinfect and flush once a year, but then it must test monthly," the researchers noted. "The 2019 Airline Water Study also finds that the Environmental Protection Agency – one of the federal agencies responsible for ensuring safe aircraft drinking water – rarely levies civil penalties to airlines in violation of the ADWR." In an interview with Fox News Digital, travel expert and author of Gary Leff confirmed that "very little cleaning" happens between most domestic flights. "Planes aren't on the ground very long — an airline only makes money when their planes are in the air," said the expert, who is based in Austin, Texas. "And cleaning crews often have to come onboard and tidy while passengers are deplaning." "Different airlines take different approaches, and cleaning will vary across different cabins and classes of service." "When an inbound aircraft is late, the airline wants to make up time, and cleaning is often sacrificed," he pointed out. "When airlines face financial struggles, deep cleans are one of the first things cut." Bathrooms can be particularly dirty due to passenger hygiene, according to Leff, and can get "pretty gross" over the course of a flight. Different airlines take different approaches, and cleaning will vary across cabins and classes of service, he noted. "I'm not going to suggest it's unsafe, per se — just disgusting," Leff said. "Don't go into the [lavatory] with bare feet. Bring your own sanitizer. And consider wiping down surfaces you'll be touching if you're so inclined, just knowing that this hasn't been done for you." Fox News' senior medical analyst Dr. Marc Siegel also confirmed to Fox News Digital how "filthy" airplane bathrooms tend to be, including the water, as various studies have shown. "The tray tables are common surfaces that can be covered with bacteria and viruses," he cautioned. "And though the HEPA filters overhead are effective, they don't really work until the plane is in the air and the filtration system is fully engaged. And [they] don't prevent the person next to you from coughing on you." Before and during a flight, the doctor suggested keeping well-hydrated, which can help fight off infection by keeping nasal membranes moist. He also encourages the use of sanitizers, wipes or gels to disinfect surfaces and hands. "I prefer washing hands thoroughly with soap, but on planes, I prefer sanitizers and wipes," Siegel said. In a statement sent to Fox News Digital, the EPA explained that the primary purpose of the ADWR is to "ensure that safe and reliable drinking water is provided to aircraft passengers and crew through requiring development and implementation of aircraft water system operations and maintenance plans that include strategies for monitoring, disinfection, and reporting." The EPA revealed that drinking water safety is "jointly regulated" by the EPA, FDA and FAA. "The regulatory structure for all public water systems, including aircraft, relies upon self-monitoring and reporting of results to the primacy agency," the agency said. "The EPA is responsible for oversight of the aircraft public water systems and provides guidance to help air carriers comply with ADWR." For more Health articles, visit An FAA spokesperson told Fox News Digital in a statement that the FAA is an "aviation safety agency" and water quality is "not within our regulatory authority." Fox News Digital reached out to OSHA for comment.
New York Times
01-07-2025
- Health
- New York Times
Why Men Shouldn't Ignore Their Pelvic Floors
In his early 30s, Chad Woodard spent hours cycling around New York City training for an Ironman triathlon. Around the same time, he began to experience pelvic pain and erectile dysfunction. He never suspected his workouts could be the cause. Dr. Woodard, now an assistant professor of physical therapy at Hunter College, had been in practice for several years, but it was only when a urologist asked him if he treated men with pelvic floor dysfunction that he began to educate himself about the pelvic floor, an umbrella term for the sling of muscles, ligaments and nerves at the base of the torso that supports the bladder, bowels and reproductive organs. When the pelvic floor becomes either overly lax or overly tight in men, it can cause incontinence, sexual dysfunction and pain in the scrotum, rectum or groin. Dr. Woodard had heard passing mentions of the pelvic floor during his training, but he had no idea what pelvic floor physical therapy was. Pelvic floor treatment isn't taught in depth in most physical therapy programs, so Dr. Woodard sought out continuing education coursework in pelvic care, and discovered that he himself was suffering from pelvic floor dysfunction. After he successfully treated his conditions using the exercises he was learning, he dedicated his practice to helping other men. After treatment, 'they can live their life again,' he said, now more than a decade later. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
