What You Need To Know About The Prostate And Its Diseases?

What You Need To Know About The Prostate And Its Diseases?

I had heard of prostate diseases for years but never thought much about it till a friend developed prostate problems.

His situation was enough to get me curious about prostate diseases.

First I learned that the prostate is a doughnut-shaped cluster of glands at the bottom of the bladder between the rectum and the base of the penis. It produces most of the fluid in semen.

I then learned that there are three main diseases of the prostrate: cancer, prostatitis and prostrate enlargement.

First let's talk about the 'big one', cancer.

Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of death for men after lung cancer.

Men are more than twice as likely to get the disease as any other ethnic group in the world. No one knows why this is so.

Prostate cancer is primarily a disease of aging. About 80 percent of all cases occur in men over sixty-five.

However, the rate of prostate cancer is rapidly rising in all men, even those under fifty. Generally, the younger a man is when he is diagnosed with prostate cancer, the worse his prognosis. Its increase among younger men points to the role of diet and exposure to environmental toxins in the development of the disease.

Prostatitis (prostate inflammation) is common in men of all ages. The usual cause is infectious bacteria that invade the prostate from another area of the body.

These can be either acute or chronic infections. Acute infections come on suddenly and may include fever and chills, pain and burning on urination and ejaculation, frequent urge to urinate while passing only small amounts of urine and blood in the urine. Symptoms of chronic prostatitis are similar but usually milder than the acute infection.

Prostatitis usually responds well to home care and antibiotic treatment.

Prostate enlargement seems to be a natural process, often associated with aging, and not necessarily a disease, but the gradual enlargement of the prostate. In the USA it occurs in about half of all men over fifty.

The major symptom is the need to pass urine frequently, perhaps with pain or burning feelings.

As prostate enlargement is often not a serious problem (though it depends on the case), let's talk about the other two prostate diseases.

Prostate cancer is usually a slow growing cancer, often with no symptoms until its advanced stages. Symptoms include: pain or a burning sensation during urination, frequent urination, a decrease in the size and force of urine flow, an inability to urinate, blood in the urine, and lower back discomfort. However, these symptoms may be caused by benign enlargement or prostatitis. To get an accurate reading of the condition professional evaluation is of course recommended.

For treatment, testing is important. This may include a rectal exam (which can be rather painful) and/or a blood test. Ultrasound scanning is one of a number of other tests.

Unfortunately, prostate cancer can be difficult to diagnose in its early stages. Many cases are diagnosed only after the cancer has spread outside the gland.