Prostate enlargement, or benign prostatic hyperplasia, is a common diagnosis that affect many men over the age of forty years or older. While it is not a common cause of prostate cancer, it can cause the bladder to shut down if it is not treated, as well as urinary tract infections, and a great deal of discomfort.
Understanding what the prostate is will help you understand your condition as well. The prostate is very small, almost the size of a nickel. It is located near the base of your bladder. It is the gland that produces the white secretion that later makes the semen. The secretions from the prostate help to nourish the sperm when it is ejaculated from your body.
Before seeking the help of a doctor, you need to determine if your symptoms might be the cause of an enlarged prostate. The first sign is urine leakage. This soon turns into frequent urination, and then eventually you will not be able to urinate at all. If you are having any of these ate gland, or benign prostatic hyperplasia, is a condition that a man faces who is over the age of forty. It is also thought to be the most common diagnosis for men over the age of sixty. While having an enlarged prostate does not necessarily mean that prostate cancer is ahead, it is still a very uncomfortable problem to deal with.
The cause of an enlarged prostate is almost as mysterious as the common cold. A normal prostate gland is smaller than a quarter, but larger than a peanut. As the prostate grows, it begins to squeeze the urethra causing a large amount of pain. After this occurs, the bladder feels the constant urge to push urine down the narrowed urethra in a forceful manner. The bladder will eventually feel the urge to not completely release itself and it is then that the patient starts to have urinary retention.
In order to prevent the worst from happening, it is important that you spot the signs and symptoms of an enlarged prostate before the condition becomes worse. The first sign is the leakage of urine. If you let the problem continue, eventually you will not be able to completely empty the bladder. This will cause you to have frequent trips to and from the bathroom, especially in the middle of the night. Of course, the last symptom is the inability to urinate. You should not take any of the symptoms lightly and seek medical attention at the sign of the first symptom.
In the worst circumstances, patients who have let the problem persist without getting help for their symptoms have experienced fever, chills, nausea, extreme lower back pain, and blood in the urine. This could cause the patient to be hospitalized until their condition has been rendered stable. This is also one of the main reasons that men are recommended to visit the doctor each year for a prostate check. If the doctor finds that an enlarged prostate is present, there are two certain medications that can be used: Finasteride and Alpha-blockers.
Alpha-blockers can be used to relieve the symptoms of the enlarged prostate by relaxing the muscles in the gland. Doctors will then follow up with Finasteride in order to start shrinking the prostate gland. Mixed with the Alpha-blockers, the condition can be treated appropriately and you will not be in an extreme amount of pain as you were prior to the diagnosis occurring.
If medicine does not cure the problem, there is a surgical procedure that can be done, known as the transurethral resection of the prostate. The procedure consists of scraping tissue from the core of the prostate with the aid of a telescope. The transurethral incision of the prostate has also been considered as an option as well. Unlike the resection, the incision procedure involves a few cuts in the prostate in order relieve the pressure from the urethra. There is no scraping involved which is why it is preferred over the first procedure. If you sense that you might have an enlarged prostate, do not wait about seeking medical attention. The condition will only worsen if you wait.
Symptom Of Enlarged Prostate
Men undergo transformation as they ages and the body will experience internal and external changes. As men approaches forty, there is a need to be alert to their prostate health. The health of the reproductive system plus the urinary system has been associated with prostate gland. Knowledge of the enlarged prostate and prostate cancer can go a long way in staying in the pink of health.
With aging and leading a predominant carefree lifestyle; enlargement of the prostate can and do occur. Majority of the symptoms are linked to the bladder as the prostate bear down on it. As pressure bear on the bladder, problem in urinating, urine remaining in the bladder and lack of control of the urine are the results of an enlarged prostate.
Common symptom of an enlarged prostate that caused discomfort is problem with urinating. Complaints are frequency of urinating at night, initiating or ending urinating and drizzle of urine after finishing. Blood is sometimes found in some patient and in the worst case, pus is present. Majority also has problem getting an erection and trouble ejaculating.
Rectal examination is usually used to diagnose the above symptoms and the physician may carry out other tests to determine if there is cancer. Surgical procedure is considered to shrink an enlarged prostate if the symptoms are not lessened. Even though symptoms of the enlarged prostate and prostate cancer can have common characteristics, the enlargement of prostate does not mean cancer.
Besides the above mentioned symptoms, other includes sexual impotency and painful ejaculation. Prostate cancer is more difficult to diagnose than enlarged prostate as it requires the tumor to be considerable before a rectal exam can spot it. By recognizing the difference between the two, getting an enlarged prostate doesn't mean cancer so you don't have to be unduly worried. Getting in touch with the physician to evaluate the seriousness of the enlarged prostate as delaying treatment could be damaging to your health.
At the age of fifty, men should go for regular prostate examination as the test is not as insidious as one might imagine. It is simply just an insertion of the gloved finger into the anus. Once done with the test, physician will recommend treatments and medicine is usually given as seventy five percent of the men found it to be effective. Delaying can be detrimental as enlarged prostate might turn up to be prostate cancer. By not taking care of your prostate health can lead to serious health problem and even death. With early detection and awareness, a knowledgeable choice on the types of treatments can be made.
Once diagnosed, physician will discuss with the patient and recommend the types of treatments hinging on the seriousness of the symptoms and the patient medical history. Two different but efficient treatment of an enlarged prostate are alpha blocker and finasteride.
Alpha blocker assists in loosening of the surrounding wall of the bladder, easing urination. Seventy five percent of the men found it to be effective and once consumed, the patient can feel the difference.
The other medicine for an enlarged prostate is finasteride and it has been known to reduce the size of the prostate but it may be up to a year. The choice between the two medicine rests on the physician and how enlarged the prostate is.
Another herbal alternative is saw palmetto as it has been extensively tested and found to be effective. The herb will produce hormones in the prostate, for instant testosterone and relieve the symptoms the patient has gone through. The herbal treatment is found to be as effective as other medicines in treating enlarged prostate. A perceived difference should be noticed in the first three months, if not abandoned it and seek other treatment.
A less widespread procedure is the surgical method but it is, in the long term, the most efficient treatment for an enlarged prostate. Most of the surgical procedures require extended stay in hospital and long period of recuperation. Once diagnosis is carried out by your physician, he will go through with you all existing choices and its suitability, and then propose the best surgical method for you. Don't procrastinate in having a prostate examination as putting off can be damaging and harmful to your health.
Both Allen Gelbl & Cindy Heller are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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