Once upon a time, people had no idea how to diagnose and treat prostate disease and this lead to scores of men throughout history needlessly suffering and even dying from not taking the proper preventative steps. Thanks to modern medicine, prostate disease is now well documented and not longer necessarily considered a death sentence to those who suffer from it. Knowledge and preventative maintenance have become the most effective methods for handling the disease. In this article we hope to help shed some light on prostate disease, the various diagnostic tools that are at your disposal as well as recommend some treatment options.
The Prostate Defined
The first step to understanding how your prostate affects your health is to learn exactly what the prostate is and what purpose it serves. While the prostate is a rather small walnut sized gland that sits just below the bladder, in front of the rectum and behind the pubic bone, it does play a very important part in the male reproductive system. This small donut shaped gland surrounds your urethra (the channel that transports your urine from your bladder to your penis) and helps control the flow of urine. The prostate is also contacted to your testicles via tubes. Before ejaculation, sperm is first carried up to the prostate where it mixes with a prostatic fluids and proteins produced by the seminal vesicles which are attached to the prostate. The resulting fluid is then ejaculated during orgasm through ejaculatory ducts that are connected to the urethra.
Prostate Problems
Almost every man is bound to experience some type of prostate problem during their lifetime, especially as they get older. A common problem for men over the age of 45 is an enlarged prostrate called BPH (Benign prostate Hypertrophy). While not life threatening by any means, this growing of the prostate can be a major nuisance and could possibly be a forerunner to more serious problems in the future.
The most common symptoms of BPH are:
Difficulty urinating
Feeling like you need to urinate all the time even if you just went
Increased urination at night
A weak urine stream
If you have any or all of these symptoms, seeking the counsel of an urologist is highly recommended. Since the conditions are not life threatening, many men choose to simply put up with the discomfort, while others will seek treatment and surgery if the enlargement is rather significant.
Prostate Cancer
While BPH is not life threatening, Prostate Cancer most definitely is, especially if it is not diagnosed and treated in its early stages. African American males as well as men with a history of prostate cancer in their family are at the most risk, almost twice as likely to develop prostate cancer before the age of 50. Diagnostic screening is the only way to truly determine whether you are at risk and the earlier you are screened the higher the odds of your survival.