Men's Health
Prostate Problems
Written by Mark Abell
As the availability of layman's literature covering problems associated with the prostate gland increases, more and more men are seeking the attention of physicians because of urinary complaints. It is known that about fifty percent of men experience symptoms of inflammation of the prostate gland. These symptoms can range from inability to urinate, pain on urination (dysuria) or merely having to take a long time to develop a stream when trying to urinate, a more classic symptom. As new medicines are becoming available to physicians and better surgical techniques are discovered, the treatment of prostatic disorders is improving and becoming more widely available.
The prostate is a male sex organ situated directly below the bladder. The urethra, the tube which allows the urine to be expelled when urinating, runs directly through the prostate, which is why there are urinary problems when the prostate becomes enlarged or infected. Only about five percent of prostate problems involving urinary pain or difficulty are due to infections, the rest being most commonly associated with either Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy, otherwise known as BPH, (enlarged, non-cancerous prostate) or prostatic cancer. There are only a few bacteria that normally cause infectious prostate diseases and the treatments for these diseases are very effective, requiring antibiotic therapy from your physician. The bacterial infections of the prostate are generally seen in the younger males, whereas BPH is considered a disease of advanced age. Prostatic cancer does not discriminate with respect to age and is highly linked to smoking.
Cancer of the prostate is becoming a national health concern as the number of men being diagnosed with the problem is rising. We aren't sure whether this is due to better techniques to identify the problem, men becoming more aware of the potential problem and therefore seeking screening tests, or if the actual number of cases in general are rising. Whatever the situation, prostate cancer is the second most common malignancy in American men, and the third most common cause of death in men over the age of 55. Prostate cancer is more common among African American men than white men (a ratio as high as 2:1). The best way to deal with the growing attention as well as the climbing statistics of diagnosed prostate cancer is to have a thorough examination each year after the age of 30, which should include a rectal exam as well as a PSA (prostate specific antigen, which is a marker for the disease). It is known, however, that the prostate specific antigen is only a marker and not a tool for diagnosis. Many men undergo a biopsy of the prostate gland, which is the general rule if the physician feels cancer is the culprit.
So, what are we looking for in prostate problems and what are your warning signs? This is an excellent question, and the answer usually will determine whether or not one should seek the attention of a family physician or even a specialist, such as a urologist. For one thing, if the prostate bcomes enlarged (for any reason), there could be pain in the very lower part of the abdomen which could radiate to the back or the legs. As noted above, there could be problems developing a stream when urinating. In other words, if one is trying to urinate, and it takes several minutes standing over the urinal or commode before urine comes out, the problem could be the prostate gland. Recall the anatomy above. There could also be situations when one urinates and then there is an "urge" to urinate again within a five to ten minute period; this is caused by obstruction of the urethra, not allowing all of the urine to pass out of the bladder. This can present problems later, since urine which remains in the bladder for an extended period of time can cause severe bacterial infections, leading to infection of the kidneys and even urosepsis (which can occur if the bacterial infection enters the blood stream), and often requires hospitalization.
If you think that there is a problem with your prostate based on the information presented, then it would be wise to seek the attention of your physician. If left untreated, there is a potential risk of further injury to the bladder or organs near the prostate, particularly if cancer is involved. Prostatic cancer grows rapidy and there is a high risk of "metastatic disease", which means that the cancer spreads to other parts of the body, usually bone.
If you would like to find more information on the Web about prostate diseases, symptoms, anatomy, as well as treatments, visit the web sites listed below. You can also search using the following string: "Prostate Disease" which yields a great deal of sites to visit. The following sites were found to be very interesting and informative:
There's more - take a search through the web.
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