Males Above Forty: Look After Your Prostate Health
Over fifty percent of men over fifty, and eighty percent of men over seventy, have problems with their prostate, commonly enlargement.
The prostate is a gland located beneath the bladder. If it becomes enlarged, it squeezes the urinary tract, causing a number of problems.
Men with an enlarged prostate may experience incontinence, frequent urination, weak stream, blood in the urine, and more. Many different methods can be used to treat this uncomfortable and irritating condition so proper functioning is restored.
Prostate enlargement comes with age. Over half of men over fifty deal with this problem, and that number climbs as you get older. You may or not be bothered by the symtpoms, but it is important to talk to your doctor in either case. You may not need surgery or even medication, but your doctor should be aware of your condition in order to monitor it.
If the symptoms do become bothersome or worse, medications such as Flomax have been developed in recent years that help to shrink the prostate. They allow urine to pass more smoothly through the urethra.
The severity of the symptoms of an enlarged prostate can fluctuate, and it is important to have regular check-ups.
Even mild symptoms should be checked with an exam. This can keep them from developing into more severe problems, such as urinary tract infections, blood in the urine, bladder stones, or acute urinary retention. These require immediate medical attention.
When the problem is allowed to go unchecked, simple medication may not be enough to relieve the symptoms and remedy the condition. Invasive procedures may then become necessary. Because they involve going through the urethra, they can be uncomfortable or painful.
Because the prostate is blocking the flow of urine, these surgeries seek to remove extra tissue or widen the passage to make urination easier and more comfortable.
Two methods are widely used for destroying excess tissue through the urethra: electromagnetically-generated heat and microwave thermotherapy.
Another procedure, photo-selective vaporization, is also performed through the urethra, and seeks to relieve discomfort and pain caused by enlarged prostates. Small incisions are made into the bladder, and one common side effect is a temporary decrease in sexual functioning.
The above procedures may still not be enough to alleviate an enlarged prostate, especially if the condition has escalated into prostate cancer.
Again, there are surgical options if this is the case. Transurethral resection of the prostate, or TURP, involves removal of portions of the prostate. In more severe cases, a radical prostatectomy may be performed. This involves the removal of the entire prostate.
TURP and prostate removal can severely impact sexual function and ejaculation. Further surgical procedures can be performed to fix any sexual dysfunction.
The key in preventing prostate problems is understanding that it does continue to grow in late adulthood, and that there can be symptoms you will need to recognize if it becomes enlarged.
Yearly prostate exams are recommended for men over forty, and regular doctor’s visits can keep prostate enlargement symptoms in check. Prostate enlargement is a natural result of aging, but it doesn’t have to severely impact your life.
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