Bladder outlet obstruction in men is a blockage that slows or stops urine flow out of the bladder. Bladder outlet obstruction can cause urine to back up in your system, leading to difficulty urinating and other uncomfortable urinary symptoms.

Possible causes of bladder outlet obstruction might include:

• Enlarged prostate, also known as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) — this is the most common cause of bladder outlet obstruction in men
• Scarring of the urinary channel (urethra) or bladder neck, as a result of injury or surgery
• Use of certain medications, including antihistamines, decongestants or drugs to treat overactive bladder
• Prostate cancer

Prompt diagnosis and treatment of bladder outlet obstruction is important to prevent serious problems caused by urine backing up into your system.

If you can't pass urine, emergency treatment includes insertion of a tube (catheter) through the tip of your penis and into your bladder. This tube helps urine drain from your bladder. If your condition doesn't require urgent care, your doctor might order tests to determine the underlying cause of your bladder outlet obstruction. Tests include imaging the bladder with sound waves (ultrasound) and viewing the bladder with a camera (cystoscopy). Treatment might include medications or surgery.

Hysterectomy is the surgical removal of the uterus. It's normal to have bloody vaginal discharge for several days to several weeks after a hysterectomy, as the stitches (sutures) dissolve and the tissue heals. You'll likely need to wear sanitary pads during that time.

Generally, vaginal bleeding after hysterectomy should be light. You may notice occasional spotting or a pink discharge. If bleeding after hysterectomy is as heavy as a menstrual period or lasts longer than six weeks, consult your doctor for an evaluation.

Menopause is the end of menstruation. In clinical terms, you reach menopause when you haven't had a period for 12 months.

Vaginal bleeding after menopause isn't normal and should be evaluated by your doctor.

Postmenopausal vaginal bleeding can be caused by:

• Cancer of the uterus, including endometrial cancer and uterine sarcoma
• Cancer of the cervix or vagina
• Thinning of the tissues lining the uterus (endometrial atrophy) or vagina (vaginal atrophy)
• Uterine fibroids
• Uterine polyps
• Infection of the uterine lining (endometritis)
• Medications such as hormone therapy and tamoxifen
• Pelvic trauma
• Bleeding from the urinary tract or rectum
• Excessive overgrowth of the cells that make up the lining of the uterus (endometrial hyperplasia)

The cause of your bleeding may be entirely harmless. However, postmenopausal bleeding could result from something serious, so it's important to see your doctor promptly.

A blighted ovum, also called an anembryonic pregnancy, occurs when an early embryo never develops or stops developing, is resorbed and leaves an empty gestational sac. The reason this occurs is often unknown, but it may be due to chromosomal abnormalities in the fertilized egg.

A blighted ovum usually occurs early in pregnancy — sometimes before you even know you're pregnant. However, you may be aware of your early pregnancy because of a positive pregnancy test or missed menstrual period. A pregnancy test may be positive because the early embryo secretes a pregnancy hormone — human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) — until the embryo stops developing and fails to implant.

You may have symptoms of early pregnancy, such as breast tenderness, nausea and vomiting. But when the embryo stops growing and hormone levels decrease, pregnancy symptoms subside. At this point, minor abdominal cramping and light spotting or bleeding are possible. An ultrasound will show an empty gestational sac.

A blighted ovum eventually results in miscarriage. Some women choose to wait for the miscarriage to happen naturally, while others take medication to trigger the miscarriage. In some cases, a procedure called dilation and curettage (D&C) is used to remove the placental tissues.

Most women who've had a blighted ovum go on to have successful pregnancies. If you experience multiple consecutive miscarriages, talk with your doctor or other care provider to identify any underlying causes.

Passing blood clots during menstruation can be normal. The amount, length and frequency of menstrual bleeding vary from month to month and from woman to woman.

However, passing large blood clots may be a sign that something's wrong. If your periods seem heavier than usual — for instance, soaking through one pad or tampon every hour for several hours or passing very large blood clots — check with your doctor.

Your doctor can determine if there's an underlying problem causing your heavy periods. Your doctor may recommend a blood test to check for anemia, a blood condition that can cause you to feel weak or tired. Your doctor may also recommend an ultrasound of your pelvis. Sometimes doctors prescribe hormonal medications to help regulate heavy bleeding.

When used correctly, blood glucose monitors — small devices that measure and display your blood sugar level — are usually accurate. But occasionally they may be incorrect.

Consider these factors that affect meter accuracy and the steps to resolve or prevent the problem:

Blood glucose monitor quality control tests

The following quality control tests can assure you that your meter is working properly:

• Test using a control solution. Follow your normal blood-testing procedure, but use a liquid control solution instead of blood. These solutions usually come with your monitor and are available at most drugstores and pharmacies. Follow package directions.

  Use liquid control solutions every time you open a new container of test strips, and occasionally as you use them. You generally should also use liquid control solutions if you drop your blood glucose meter, or whenever you get unusual results.

• Match your reading with lab results. Take the blood glucose monitor along when you visit your doctor or have an appointment for lab work. Check your blood sugar level with your meter at the same time that blood is drawn for lab tests. Then compare your meter's reading with the lab results. Results that are within 15 percent of the lab reading are considered accurate.

If your meter isn't working properly, contact the manufacturer of your meter and test strips.

"Blood poisoning" isn't a medical term. But as the term is often used, it refers to the presence of bacteria in the blood (bacteremia) or an infection in the blood — and not a poisonous substance in the blood. But bacteremia and infection can potentially progress to sepsis and septic shock — serious illnesses that need prompt medical attention.

When to see a doctor

If you recently had a medical or dental illness or procedure, such as a wound infection or tooth removal, or stayed in the hospital, and have any of the following signs and symptoms, see your doctor right away:

• Sudden fever
• Chills, with or without shaking

A diagnosis of bacteremia or infection is confirmed by blood cultures.

During treatment, you'll need to stay in the hospital and have IV antibiotics. Without prompt treatment, bacteremia or infection can spread to other areas such as heart valves or other tissues. Or it can progress to severe sepsis and septic shock, which may be life-threatening.

Using a blood pressure cuff that's too large or too small can give you inaccurate blood pressure readings. Your doctor's office should have several sizes of cuffs to ensure an accurate blood pressure reading.

When you measure your blood pressure at home, it's important to use the proper size cuff. The inflatable part of the blood pressure cuff should cover about 40% of the distance around (circumference of) your upper arm. The cuff should cover 80% of the area from your elbow to your shoulder.

If you're concerned about the size of your cuff or your blood pressure readings, talk to your doctor. You may need to have your blood pressure taken several times during your visit using the same, properly sized cuff in the same arm. An average of these blood pressure readings should give your "true" blood pressure for that visit.

If you're overweight, losing even 5 pounds (2.3 kilograms) can lower your blood pressure. As you slim down, it may be possible to reduce your dose of blood pressure medication — or stop taking your blood pressure medication completely. Don't make changes to your blood pressure medication on your own, however. Do so only after getting your doctor's OK.

Remember, high blood pressure isn't a problem you can treat and then ignore. Even if you're able to stop taking blood pressure medication, it's still important to maintain healthy habits. Here's how:

• Eat a healthy diet — the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet is an effective eating plan for lowering blood pressure.
• Get 30 minutes of physical activity on most days of the week.
• Limit alcohol.
• Quit smoking.
• Schedule regular checkups with your doctor to make sure you're keeping your blood pressure in check.

Yes, some blood pressure medications can affect triglyceride and cholesterol levels.

Hydrochlorothiazide (Microzide) is commonly prescribed for high blood pressure. It's from a class of medications called diuretics, more commonly known as water pills. High doses — 50 milligrams or more — of some diuretics, including hydrochlorothiazide, can temporarily increase your low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol — the "bad" cholesterol — and triglycerides.

The mild effects these drugs have on cholesterol and triglycerides don't outweigh the benefits from lowering blood pressure. Smaller doses usually don't cause a rise in cholesterol and triglycerides.

Older beta blockers, such as propranolol (Inderal, Innopran XL), atenolol (Tenormin) and metoprolol (Kapspargo Sprinkle, Lopressor, Toprol-XL), can slightly increase triglycerides and decrease high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, the "good" cholesterol. This side effect may be more likely in people who smoke.

Newer beta blockers, such as carvedilol (Coreg) and nebivolol (Bystolic), are less likely to affect your cholesterol levels.

If you're worried about increasing triglyceride levels, talk to your doctor about making changes to your diet and exercise routine. Don't stop taking any prescribed medications without first talking to your doctor.