That's Fit

Do-It-Yourself diagnosis is usually a pretty bad idea; that is, unless you just so happen to have the letters M.D. that appear at the end of your signature. But for those of us without years of medical school under our belt, assuming that a particular pain, dysfunction, or even blotchy patch of skin is nothing to be concerned about can sometimes be a highly problematic for our health.

The British edition of Men's Health addresses the self-diagnosis problem in the article "7 Deadly Signs," describing how minor symptoms may actually signal major health hazards. Over the next seven days, we will provide a daily summary of one of the various aches and pains that may be indicative of a greater problem, illustrating the importance of maintaining open lines of communication with your physician and why DIY diagnosis can sometimes be dangerous.

Health Sign #1: Pain in Your Foot

Could Possibly Be: A Slipped Disc

According to the Men's Health article, a hearniated or prolapsed disc can cause sharp foot pain. In many cases, there may not even be any back pain, which is why it being a disc problem is commonly ruled out by people. In most cases, says a doctor interviewed for the article, the pain is usually worse in the morning and is aggravated by sitting. Moreover, left unchecked, it may put additional pressure on the sciatic nerve, potentially leading to loss of bladder function and invalidity.

I had a friend in elementary school who used to hold in his pee for as long as he could, only because he said he liked the feeling of relief he experienced once he finally went. Strange kid. He also used to pick his nose and put the boogers in library books, but that's highly irrelevant. Anyway, I have no idea where he is today, but being that he's obviously much older than he was during our grade school days, I hope he's changed his pee-holding ways. It could save his life.

Men's Health reports that the stress of having a full bladder can up a person's heart rate by as much as 9bpm. When your bladder expands, it increases activity in your sympathetic nervous system, sometimes causing coronary vessels to constrict. This, in turn, forces your heart to beat more often, elevating your risk of heart attack.

So, even if you're not a strange little kid, you still should think twice about "holding it in." The last thing you want to do is to give yourself a heart attack because you were too lazy to pee. If you're lucky enough to survive, you'll never live that one down.

Firefighters are known for their bravery. Their job description includes risking their own safety for the sake of others. But it turns out that forging into raging fires isn't the only danger firefighters face. Frequent exposure to smoke and chemical fumes puts them at higher risk of certain diseases, including bladder cancer.

A research team tested over 1,000 active and retired firefighters. Ninety-nine of the firefighters exhibited warning signs of bladder cancer, and two were diagnosed with the disease. The overall incidence rate of bladder cancer for firefighters was 36 of 100,000 -- which is higher than the general population.

Check out AOL Body's quiz to see if you're doing what you can to avoid cancer.

Endometriosis is a condition that was discussed a lot in my house when I hit puberty and started experiencing menstrual cramping that brought me to my knees. My mother was diagnosed with it (and told she needed a hysterectomy) when she gave birth to me -- that was, of course, after more than 25 years of truly unbearable cramping during menstruation and 10 years of trying to conceive with no luck. She had seen doctors about the pain and was basically told it was in her head.

So, when I came across this post at Divine Caroline on the "Devastating Effects of Endometriosis," I took a moment to read it over, and boy am I glad I did. It turns out that endometriosis can cause a lot more than just miserable cramping.

Endometriosis "occurs when fragments of the womb lining are found in other parts of the body where they may swell, bleed, and lead to fusing and scarring." Fragments are generally found in the abdomen, but can be found in the ovaries, fallopian tubes, bladder, and bowel -- even as far away as the lungs. And, it can cause infertility -- between 30 and 40 percent of women with endometriosis are unable to conceive.

Pixie dust. That's what Ohio resident, Lee Spievak, says helped grow his finger back. But the truth is a little less magical and quite a bit more scientific. Spievak accidentally cut the tip of his finger off in the propeller of a model airplane. The finger was cut down to the bone and the missing tip wasn't found. With such damage and nothing to reattach, doctors told him the tip of his finger was lost for good. But Spievak was lucky enough to have a brother who works in the field of regenerative medicine.

His brother sent him the "pixie dust" (otherwise known as extra cellular matrix). Extra cellular matrix is an experimental medicine made from the cells in the lining of a pig's bladder. The material has yet to go through a complete clinical trial, but scientists hope that the sheets and powdered versions of extra cellular matrix will help reduce scar formations after injury or surgery and help regrow tissue.

In the case of Lee Spievak, that's exactly what the experimental material did. Spievak sprinkled the dust on his fingertip for 10 days. Within four weeks, his fingertip regenerated -- with full functionality, nerves, nail and all. Even his fingerprint grew back intact.

Cystitis is an inflammation or infection of the urinary bladder in women. Often referred to as "urinary tract infection" (UTI), cystitis can be painful, annoying and in some cases downright dangerous if it spreads the kidneys.

Cystitis usually begins its journey when bacteria enter the urinary tract and then adhere to the bladder wall. The bacteria often multiply and sometimes, although not commonly, it spreads to the bladder from an infection in another part of the body.

Cystitis is mostly treated with antibiotics. You'll know you might in the market for such treatment if the following symptoms present themselves.

• A strong, persistent urge to urinate
• A burning sensation when urinating
• Passing frequent, small amounts of urine
• Blood in the urine
  
• Passing cloudy or strong-smelling urine
• A feeling of pressure in the lower abdomen
• Low-grade fever
• In young children, new episodes of bed-wetting (enuresis) may also be a sign of a UTI.

If you'd like to prevent cystitis, try these steps.

• Drink plenty of liquids, especially water. Cranberry juice may have infection-fighting properties. But don't drink it if you're taking the blood-thinning medication warfarin (Coumadin) -- bleeding can result.
  
• Urinate frequently. Avoid holding your urine for a long time when you feel the urge to go.
• Wipe from front to back after a bowel movement. This prevents bacteria in the anal region from spreading to the vagina and urethra.
• Take showers, not tub baths. Baths can increase your chances of infections.
• Gently wash the skin around the vagina and anus. Do this daily with gentle soaps.
  
• Empty your bladder as soon as possible after intercourse. Drink a full glass of water to help flush bacteria.
• Avoid using deodorant sprays or feminine products in the genital area. These products can be irritating.

Most important, be sure to seek medical attention if this health condition pays you a visit. Letting it run its course could land you in a more serious predicament.

Ladies, if you're planning on tying one on this weekend, don't drink too much. Besides the same old risks associated with binge drinking--impaired judgement, destroyed brain cells, a wicked hangover, etc--you're at risk for another problem: you might rupture your bladder.

According to reports, several woman have recently ruptured their bladders as a result of alcohol abuse. The condition is rare, but serious -- if urine leaks into the abdominal cavity, it can cause an infection that could be fatal.

Why is this happening? It's believed that because alcohol numbs sensation, these women didn't quite realize that they had to empty their bladders. Ugh. Sounds awful ... and awfully embarrassing.

Amazingly, a group of researchers at Duke University have brought the idea of a pacemaker to control bladder function one step closer to reality. No, it won't be for over active bladder, but instead for people who have lost all bladder function due to spinal cord injury or neurological disease. They have found a way to stimulate the nervous system to both contract the bladder (hold it), and to relax the bladder (urinate). Currently many patients in need of this type of device have to use catheters, which come with their own set of negative side effects like urinary tract infections.

I think this sounds like a great discovery, but in reading the article I wish they didn't have to test it so much on animals -- poor cats!