The Best Protection Against Prostate Problems
Description
This article is from the Health Articles series.
The Best Protection Against Prostate Problems
The prostate is a small organ about the size of a walnut. It lies below the bladder and surrounds the urethra, the tube that carries urine from the bladder. The prostate makes a fluid that becomes a part of the semen, which is the white fluid that contains sperm.
Prostate problems are common in men older than 50 years. Most can be treated successfully without harming a person's sexual function. A urologist is a doctor most qualified to diagnose and treat many prostate problems.
Non-cancerous Prostate Problems
Acute prostatitis is a
bacterial infection of the prostate. It can occur in men at any
age. Symptoms include fever, chills and pain in the lower back and
between the legs. This problem also can make it hard or painful to
urinate. Doctors prescribe antibiotics for acute prostatitis and
recommend that the patient drink more liquids.
Chronic prostatitis is a prostate infection that comes back again and again. The symptoms are similar to those of acute prostatitis except that there is usually no fever. Also, the symptoms are usually milder in chronic prostatitis. However, they can last a long time.
Chronic prostatitis is hard to treat. Antibiotics often work when the infection is caused by bacteria. But sometimes no disease causing bacteria can be found. In some cases, it helps to massage the prostate to release fluids. Warm baths also may bring relief. Chronic prostatitis clears up by itself in many cases.
Benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH) is enlargement of the prostate. This condition is common in older men. More than half of men in their 60's have BPH. Among men in their 70's and 80's, the figure may go as high as 90 percent.
An enlarged prostate may eventually block the urethra and make it hard to urinate. Other common symptoms are dribbling after urination and the urge to urinate often, especially at night. In rare cases, the patient is unable to urinate.
A doctor usually can detect an enlarged prostate by rectal exam. The doctor also may examine the urethra, prostate and bladder using a cytoscope, an instrument that is inserted through the penis.
Prostate Cancer
Prostate cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer among
Indian men. About 80 percent of all the cases occur in men older
than 65 years. In the early stages of prostate cancer, the disease
stays in the prostate and is not life threatening. But without
treatment, cancer can spread to other parts of the body and
eventually cause death. Some 40,000 men die every year from prostate
cancer that has spread to other organs.
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