Knowing Prostate Problems
Around 3 million American men have some form of prostate disease, according to the Prostate Cancer Foundation. If you were one of them, would you recognize the symptoms? The most common prostate conditions include:
Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Also known as enlarged prostate, BPH affects more than half of men older than age 50, according to the National Institutes of Health. As men age, their prostates tend to grow larger. This places pressure on the urethra, increasing the urge to urinate, yet also making urination difficult to start or stop and sometimes painful.
Treatment options for BPH include medication, surgery, or minimally invasive techniques to shrink the prostate, performed with lasers, radiofrequency energy or microwaves.
Prostatitis. The most common prostate disease diagnosed in men younger than age 50, prostatitis is a type of inflammation often (but not always) the result of a bacterial infection. Symptoms may include pain in the back, pelvis or groin; burning; or a feeling of obstruction during urination.
Treatment for prostatitis depends on whether bacteria are present in the urine. Bacterial prostatitis is treated with antibiotics, while nonbacterial cases may be treated with anti-inflammatories and other medications.
Prostate cancer. Typically slow-growing, prostate cancer may go undetected with no symptoms for many years. When symptoms occur, they may include frequent, painful urination or pain in the lower back and legs. Routine screenings — the PSA (prostate-specific antigen) blood test and digital rectal exam — can detect around 90 percent of prostate cancers in the early stages, when the cure rate is nearly 100 percent. Speak with your doctor about if and when prostate screening is right for you.
The prostate is a gland in men located in the pelvis below the bladder. About the size of a walnut, the prostate surrounds the urethra, the tube that takes urine out of the body.
As part of the male reproductive system, the prostate’s primary function is the production of semen, the fluid that contains and carries sperm.
In most men, the prostate rarely causes problems until about age 40. Partly due to normal hormonal changes associated with aging, the older you are, the greater the likelihood you will develop prostate problems.
To protect your prostate health:
- Eat a healthy diet, including a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables.
- Exercise regularly and maintain a healthy weight.
- Don’t smoke.
- See your doctor for a prostate wellness checkup each year beginning at age 40.
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