Prostate cancer is a disease all men need to be aware of as they slide into their 40s and 50s. Family history and diet play an important part in establishing an individual's risk of prostate cancer, it is a disease that can affect any man. Getting a prostate exam, however, decreases the risk of death by prostate cancer and even help people with high risk avoid it all together.
It can be your greatest nightmare. Suddenly an area that never gave you
trouble is causing havoc in your life. Urinating becomes a challenge and a large
part of your day. Sexual relations become impossible. And you are sitting on the
problem. Prostate problems and prostate cancer can be traumatizing, but just a
few changes and precautions can help most men have a healthy, happy prostate.
In a way, the prostate is a bit like love—it can make you feel fantastic,
slowly give you trouble, make it hard to pee and give you cancer. Well, OK, the
prostate isn't like love at all, actually. It's really important, though, on
this you can be assured. Located near the rectum and scrotum, the prostate is
part of a man's reproductive system, helping produce some of the seminal fluid.
A healthy prostate is donut-shaped and about the size of a walnut.
When Prostates Go Bad
There are three common diseases that affect the prostate: Benign prostatic
hyperplasia (BPH), prostatitis, and prostate cancer. Each affects the prostate
differently:
BPH: In common lingo, this is known as having an enlarged prostate.
Most common for men over the age of 50, the enlargement will tend to cause
problems with urination, such as frequent urination, trouble starting to
urinate, and a weak flow while urinating. Treatment for BPH depends on the
individual. Many times lifestyle changes can improve this condition. In more
serious cases, however, where BPH is hurting one's quality of life, drugs, such
as alpha-blockers, can be prescribed. Surgery is a final option.
Prostatitis: This is an inflammation of the prostate. Symptoms
include lower back pain, pain while urinating, and painful sexual climaxes.
Antibiotics are often used as a treatment.
Cancer: Affecting as many men as breast cancer affects women,
prostate cancer will cause the deaths of more than 30,000 men in the U.S. this
year. Symptoms include trouble starting and stopping urination, pain while
urinating and achieving sexual climax, and painful erections. With early
testing, however, prostate cancer is nearly 100 percent survivable.