Prostate And Its Symptoms
Do you suffer from any of these symptoms?
• Frequent urination
• Urgency to urinate
• Difficulty starting to urinate, especially at night or when the bladder is full
• Hesitant, interrupted or weak urine flow
• Prolonged emptying of the bladder
• Irritation during urination
• Dribbling of urine at the end of urination
• A feeling that the bladder has not emptied completely
• Waking frequently at night to urinate (nocturia)
• Leakage of urine (incontinence)
If you do, chances are you have some kind of a prostate problem. Although cancer is the most common prostate-related fear, men much more often experience the urinary effects of benign prostate changes. When men suffer urinary troubles, the prostate is the first and most likely suspect, and the problems you experience down there are most likely symptoms of an enlarged prostate.
Any one or more of the above symptoms should prompt a visit to your physician without delay. In many cases, these symptoms will not mean that anything is seriously wrong, but they can suggest the possibility of cancer. (Even if cancer isn’t the cause of your symptoms, incomplete passing of urine is potentially dangerous and requires treatment because it can lead to bladder and urinary tract infections as well as kidney problems.)
But even in the absence of symptoms, an annual physical is recommended—especially if you are forty or older.
Understanding Your Prostate
Although it weighs only about one ounce, your prostate plays an important role in many key functions, including healthy urination and sexual performance.
The prostate is a walnut-shaped gland that’s located directly beneath the bladder. When urine passes from the bladder, it travels into a tube that goes through the middle of the prostate (called the prostatic urethra). If the prostate is enlarged, the urethra can become closed off, making urination difficult or in some cases almost impossible.
There is another tube that enters the prostate, and it’s called the vas deferens. Originating in the testicles, the vas deferens goes up and around the top of the bladder, and then down into the prostate, where it too joins the prostatic urethra. When sperm is ejaculated, it travels through the vas deferens, the prostatic urethra, and then out through the penis.
The prostate plays two key roles in the release of healthy sperm. First, sperm is nourished in the prostate by a special protein-rich liquid known as seminal fluid; second, sperm is given its push out of the body by contractions occurring within the prostate.
The prostate also has a crucial function in helping men to perform sexually, because the nerves involved in erections pass directly alongside the gland; damage to the prostate can have a negative impact on these nerves.
What Can Go Wrong
When things are working normally, the prostate contributes significantly to male health and well-being. But if problems start, this tiny gland can become a source of considerable pain and discomfort.
Prostate disorders are divided into two categories: benign conditions (such as prostate enlargement and inflammation) and more serious conditions such as cancer.
Leave a Reply