Chronic Diseases

How Do You Detect The Symptoms Of Developing Prostate Problems?

Odd as it may appear for many years most men knew little about their prostate gland and it is only in the last few years as prostate cancer has become such a prominent issue that men are starting to ask what the prostate is and what its function is.

The prostate gland is a vital part of a man’s reproductive system that manufactures the clear liquid that makes up a significant portion of male seminal fluid. Sperm is carried from the testes to the prostate gland where it is mixed with prostatic fluid to form semen.

A normal prostate gland is roughly the size of a walnut, weighs roughly one ounce and is situated just below the bladder and in front of the rectum. It is also frequently described as being shaped like a donut and partly wraps around the urethra, which carrying urine out of the body from the bladder.

Throughout a man’s life the prostate gland continues to grow, although from about the age of twenty until the mid-forties growth is extremely slow and is almost undetectable. When a man reaches approximately forty-five however it is common for the growth of the prostate gland to speed up and the vast majority of men will start to experience the symptoms of a growing prostate during their forties or fifties.

In most cases an enlarging gland produces little more than some mild discomfort that a lot of men simply learn to live with. In some cases however the gland can become sufficiently enlarged so that it pinches the urethra enough to produce various symptoms which require treatment or persuade a man to ask his doctor for treatment to relieve his discomfort. Mere growth of the prostate at this point in a man’s life is a normal part of aging and is known as benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BHP.

However, the biggest danger with an enlarged prostate is that the problem might be something more than a simple case of enlargement and might be masking an underlying cancer.

As the prostate gland starts to grow it also begins to press on the urethra and to narrow it so that the first prostate symptoms are usually seen when it comes to urinating. Specifically you might experience difficulty in urinating and need to ‘push’ to start the process. You could also experience a weak urine flow and a flow that has a tendency to stop and start. After a while you will also notice that you have to visit the bathroom more frequently, especially during the night, and that you feel as if you need to visit the bathroom even after you have just done so.

Not surprisingly this can become something of an irritation to say the least but but, all the same, many men are content to merely see it as one of the inevitable problems of aging and learn to live with it. Now this is fine but the mistake which far too many men make is to choose not to talk to their doctor at this stage to establish that their problem is simply BPH and that it is not likely to result in other problems.

Apart from the obvious risk of the possibility of an underlying cancer present, BPH can also cause other difficulties like kidney disease or bladder infection.

When you start to experience symptoms which suggest a developing prostate problem then visit your doctor so that the problem can be diagnosed and treated.