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Men's health specialists

We offer care for a wide range of men's problems. They include low testosterone, erectile dysfunction, Peyronie’s disease, incontinence, benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostatitis. 

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What we care for

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Low testosterone

Testosterone is the male sex hormone made in the testicles. During puberty, testosterone helps boys grow facial hair, build muscle and develop a deeper voice. It’s also needed to make sperm.

Some men have low testosterone levels. This is called testosterone deficiency syndrome (TD) or low testosterone (low-T).

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  • Low testosterone can cause:

    • Low sex drive
    • Fatigue
    • Loss of muscle
    • Irritability
    • Erectile dysfunction
    • Depression 

    Testosterone levels go down with age. Your body naturally starts making less after age 40. Low-T is more common in men who have diabetes or who are overweight. 

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  • Having symptoms of low-T doesn’t mean you have low testosterone. But, if you have more than one symptom, talk to your doctor. A doctor can help find the right care to bring your testosterone levels back to the normal range. 
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Erectile dysfunction

Erectile dysfunction (ED) means it is hard for a man to have or keep an erection. It affects one out of two men over age 50. It’s the most common sexual problem men report to their doctor.

ED is often a sign of a medical or emotional problem. If you have ED, talk to your doctor. There are many ways to care for it.

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  • You have a higher chance of getting ED if you:

    • Are over age 50
    • Have high blood sugar (diabetes)
    • Have high blood pressure
    • Have heart disease
    • Have high cholesterol
    • Smoke
    • Take illegal drugs or drink too much alcohol
    • Are obese
    • Don’t exercise
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  • Its cause is unknown. But ED can be linked to several physical and emotional health problems. ED happens when:

    • There isn’t enough blood flow to the penis
    • The penis can’t trap blood during an erection
    • Nerve signals from the brain or spinal cord don’t reach the penis
    • Diabetes damages small blood vessels or nerves in the penis
    • Cancer care affects the penis’s ability to work
    • You take certain drugs for other health problems that cause ED
    • You’re depressed
    • You have anxiety
    • You have problems with your spouse or partner
    • There is stress at home or work 
    • You feel stressed from social, cultural or religious conflicts 
    • You worry about sexual performance

    If you have ED, talk to your doctor. The more honest you are with your doctor, the better chance there is of finding the right care. 

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  • If you have ED, talk with your doctor. The more honest your are with your doctor, the more likely you'll get the right care.
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Peyronie’s disease

Peyronie’s disease is when the penis is damaged or hurt. When that happens, a scar forms. The scar can sometimes change the shape of the penis. The penis may curve, indent or become shorter. It can make it difficult to have sex.

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  • The acute/active phase begins when you’re injured, and can last up to 18 months. This is when the scar tissue forms and changes the shape of the penis. Erections will be painful.

    The chronic/stable phase begins 12‒18 months after symptoms first appear. The penis will stop changing shape, and the pain usually decreases. But erectile dysfunction (ED) may develop or get worse. If there is another injury to the penis during this stage, you can return to the acute/active phase. 

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  • If caught early, it can often be cared for without surgery. If there’s little scar tissue and curving, no pain and no problems with sex, you may not even need care. But, if you do need care, there are plenty of choices. Talk to a doctor about what’s right for you. 
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Premature ejaculation

Premature ejaculation (PE) happens when a man ejaculates too quickly. A number of things can cause PE. There may be issues with the brain signals that rule sexual excitement. PE can happen with age. But age is not a direct cause of it.

You can get help for PE. Be honest with your doctor about symptoms so you can get the care you need.

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Male incontinence

Male incontinence happens when a man can’t control when he pees. This causes him to leak urine. Millions of American men suffer from it.

Urinary incontinence isn’t a disease. It’s a symptom of a wide range of health problems.

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  • There are several types of urinary incontinence. They include:

    • Stress incontinence: This happens when pressure is placed on the bladder. It can happen when you exercise, cough, sneeze, laugh or lift heavy objects.
    • Overactive bladder: This happens when you suddenly need to pee and you leak.
    • Overflow incontinence: This happens when the bladder gets too full. It can cause leaking or “dribbling.”
    • Functional incontinence: In general, this happens in older adults. You may have trouble getting to the toilet in time because other health problems make it hard to move quickly.
    • Mixed incontinence: This is more than one type of urinary incontinence. 
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  • Some things can raise your chances of having urinary incontinence.  They include:

    • Age
    • Being overweight
    • Smoking
    • Having a family member with urinary incontinence
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  • A few short-term health problems can cause urinary incontinence. They include:

    • Urinary tract infections
    • Constipation 

    Certain medicines can also cause urinary incontinence. They include diuretics, antidepressants and antihistamines.

    There are long-term health problems that can lead to urinary incontinence. They include:

    • Diabetes
    • Stroke
    • Multiple sclerosis
    • An enlarged prostate or prostate surgery
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  • You can:

    • Eat a healthy diet.
    • Drink plenty of fluids (about two quarts) spread out evenly throughout the day. Water is best.
    • Stay away from food or drink that is known to bother the bladder.
    • Eat more daily fiber so you aren’t constipated.
    • Practice pelvic floor “Kegel” exercises.
    • Work to make your core stronger.
    • Take a bladder retraining program.

    There are many ways to help control incontinence. Don’t be afraid to talk to your doctor about symptoms. You can get help finding the cause and the right care for you.  

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Urethral stricture

The urethra is the tube that carries urine out of your bladder when you pee. In men, semen and sperm also pass through the urethra during sex.

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  • Urethral stricture happens when the urethra becomes scarred. It’s more common in men because they have longer urethras.

    The urethra can become scarred due to:

    • Trauma
    • Infection
    • Health problems that cause swelling
    • Infection, like a sexually transmitted disease
    • Damage from surgical tools
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  • Symptoms include:

    • Bloody or dark urine
    • Blood in semen
    • Slow or decreased urine stream
    • Urine stream spraying
    • Pain with urination
    • Abdominal pain
    • Urethral leaking
    • UTIs
    • Swelling of the penis
    • Loss of bladder control 
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  • It’s important to get care for urethral stricture. Without care, you could develop urinary or testicular infections and stones. If you have any of the symptoms listed above, talk to your doctor. There are a number of ways to care for it. 
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Benign prostatic hyperplasia

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is an enlarged prostate. It’s not cancer and it doesn’t cause or lead to cancer. However, BPH and cancer can happen at the same time. BPH is common. Half of men between the ages of 51 and 60 in the United States have it.

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  • Symptoms include:

    • Feeling that your bladder is full, even right after you pee
    • Feeling that you can’t hold your urine
    • A weak flow of urine
    • Needing to stop and start peeing several times
    • Trouble starting to pee
    • Needing to push or strain to pee 
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    • Lack of exercise
    • Obesity
    • Aging
    • Hormone changes
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  • Care for BPH can include:

    • Watchful waiting
    • Medical care
    • Surgery

    You and your doctor will decide on the right care plan. Be sure to be honest with your doctor about your symptoms. 

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Elevated prostate-specific antigen

Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is made by the prostate gland. PSA tests are often used to check PSA levels in a man’s blood and screen for prostate cancer.

If the blood test comes back abnormal, your doctor may want to do a prostate biopsy. This will give your doctor more information and help determine if you need care.

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    • Age
    • Prostate size (the prostate is a gland in a man's body that helps make semen)
    • Prostatitis (swelling of the prostate gland)
    • Benign prostatic hyperplasia (a problem in which the prostate grows larger than normal)
    • Urinary tract infection (an infection of one or more parts of the body that handle urine)
    • Medicines
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Prostatitis

Prostatitis happens to the prostate. The prostate is a small gland in the male reproductive system. Its main job is to help make fluid to protect and feed sperm.

Prostatitis happens when a man has pain in and around the pelvis. It doesn’t always have a direct cause. But there are things that can raise your chances of having it.

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  • The cause isn’t always known. But there are certain things that can raise your chances of getting it. They include:

    • A bacterial infection
    • Swelling from an injury or infection 
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  • There are four types of prostatitis.

    • Chronic prostatitis or chronic pelvic pain syndrome. This is not an infection. It is inflammation of the prostate and the nerves. Pain can last for weeks to months. The symptoms are:
      • Trouble passing urine, sometimes with pain
      • Pain in and around the bladder, testicles, penis or anus
      • Pain when you ejaculate
    • Chronic bacterial prostatitis. This is caused by bacteria, but is less common. It comes and goes over a long period of time, but lasts at least three months. The symptoms are:
      • A burning feeling when you pee
      • The need to urinate often, eight or more times a day
      • Pain in and around the bladder, testicles, penis or anus
      • Pain when you ejaculate
    • Bacterial prostatitis. This is caused by bacteria. Symptoms are sudden and can be very painful. If you have these symptoms, talk to your doctor right away:
      • Chills
      • Fever
      • Very painful burning when you pee
      • Trouble emptying your bladder
    • Nonbacterial prostatitis. This can be caused by stress, nerve, irritation, injuries or past urinary tract infections. This type of prostatitis has no signs of bacteria in the urine or semen.

    If you have any symptoms of prostatitis, don’t ignore them. Your doctor can help narrow down the cause by asking you a series of questions. Your care will depend on the type of prostatitis you have.

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  • If you have any symptoms of prostatitis, don’t ignore them. Your doctor can help narrow down the cause by asking you a series of questions. Your care will depend on the type of prostatitis you have.
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Varicocele

Varicocele can happen in the male scrotum. A group of veins inside the scrotum can get bigger due to poor blood flow. Most of the time, this doesn’t cause problems. However, sometimes varicocele can cause pain or problems with fertility. In young boys, it can slow testicle growth.

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  • Usually, there are no symptoms. This is why it’s important men examine themselves regularly. A doctor can also find varicocele during a routine exam. 
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  • Currently, there are no medicines you can take for varicocele. But there are other therapies that work. Your doctor will talk with you about your care choices and create a care plan. 
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Hydrocele

Hydrocele happens when fluid causes the scrotum to swell.

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  • Ten in 100 male infants have hydrocele at birth. Hydrocele doesn’t usually cause symptoms. Parents may be worried when they learn their baby has hydrocele.  But it’s not a problem for the baby. It usually goes away in the first year of life. 
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  • Hydrocele in older men is painless. You can have surgery for it if the swelling is uncomfortable, if it becomes larger or changes size during the day.

    Talk to a doctor if you think you have hydrocele. Your doctor can help find a care plan that’s right for you.

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