The prostate is a doughnut- shaped gland with two lobes
located at the bottom of the bladder, about halfway between the retum and the base of the penis. It encircles the
urethra, the tube that carries urine from the bladder out through the penis.
This walnut-sized gland produces most of the fluid in semen.
The three most common prostate problems are : infection(prostatitis), prostate enlargement(
benign prostatic hypertrophy) and
prostate cancer.
Infection and enlargement do not lead to cancer.
There are two types of prostate infection: acute and
chronic.
Acute infection: This comes on suddenly and has the
following symptoms:
·
Fever and chills
·
Pain during urination and ejaculation.
·
Strong and frequent urge to urinate while
passing out only small amounts of urine.
·
Lower back and abdominal pain.
·
Occasional blood in the urine.
Prostate infections usually respond well to
home treatment and antibiotics. If the infection recurs, long term antibiotics
treatment may be needed. However, sometimes, a man may have painful urinary
symptoms without infection ( a condition called prostatodynia).This is often
related to stress and anxiety.
PREVENTION
·
Increase your fluid intake to as much as 8 to 12
glasses per day until you are urinating more often than usual. Extra fluids
help flush the urinary tract clean.
·
Avoid alcohol and caffeine. Caffeine can cause a
strong and frequent urge to urinate.
·
Keep stress under control. Stress is closely
associated with painful urinary symptoms.
·
Drink as much water as you can tolerate.
·
Eliminate all alcohol and caffeine from your
diet.
·
Hot baths help soothe pain and reduce stress.
·
Pain killers may help relieve painful urinary
symptoms.
Prostate Enlargement (Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy)
As men age, the prostate may enlarge. This seems to be a
natural process and is not really a disease. However, as the glands get bigger,
it tends to squeeze the urethra and cause urinary problems such as :
·
Difficulty getting urine started and completely
stopped.
·
Urge to urinate frequently, or being awakened by
the need to urinate.
·
Painful urination.
·
Decreased force of the urine stream.
·
Incomplete bladder emptying.
An enlarged prostate gland is not a serious
problem unless urination becomes extremely difficult or causes bladder
infections or kidney damage. Some difficulties in getting urine started and
completely stopped are common and not necessarily a sign of prostate problems.
Surgery is not usually necessary for an
enlarged prostate. Although surgery used to be a common treatment but research
now shows that most cases of prostate enlargement do not get worse with time as
previously thought. Many men find that their symptoms are stable and some even
clear up on their own. In these cases, the best treatment may be no treatment
at all. Drugs are available that may help improve symptoms in many men.
PREVENTION
·
Since the prostate produces sperm, it is
believed that regular ejaculations will help prevent an enlarged prostate.
·
Avoid decongestants which can make urinary
problems worse.
·
Cut down on beverages, especially alcohol and
caffeine before bedtime to prevent frequent urination at night.
·
Don’t postpone urinating, and take plenty of
time. Try sitting on the toilet instead of standing.
·
If starting urination is a problem, wash your
penis once a day to prevent infection.
PROSTATE CANCER
This is the most common cancer as well as the second leading
cause of cancer deaths in men .It is usually a small and slow – growing cancer.
When detected early, before it spreads to other organs, the cancer may be
curable. Risk increases with age and in most cases in men over 65. Since it is more
common in older men, it usually does not shorten life. However, when it is
large, advanced, or appears at a younger age, it can be very serious.
There are no specific symptoms associated with prostate
cancer. Most men have no symptoms at all. In few cases, it can cause urinary
symptoms very similar to those of prostate enlargement. In advanced cases,
other symptoms such as pain , may be
caused by spread of the cancer to other organs such as the bone.
Prostate cancer sometimes runs in families, is more common
in African-American men, and tends to be more common in men who eat a high fat
diet.
PREVENTION
·
Maintaining a low fat diet is the only way to
reduce the risk of prostate cancer.
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