Prostate Gland - Part 1

Your Prostate and What’s So Special about it

Attention men out there! Did you know? Approximately 3,000 men in New Zealand are diagnosed with prostate cancer every year. Sadly, around 600 of them also die from it. Australian men aren’t far behind with prostate cancer representing 30% of all cancers in that region. It’s the cancer most commonly diagnosed in Australia.

Wait a minute…do you know what your prostate gland does for you?

The Role of Your Prostate Gland

You know where your urinary bladder is right? At the floor of your bladder is your prostate. It’s about the size of a walnut and hugs your urethra. The urethra is a narrow tube that permits the passage of urine out of your penis. It’s connected to the floor of your bladder.

The main role of your prostate gland is to produce prostatic fluid. This fluid feeds and protects the sperm coming from the testicles. The prostatic fluid is made up of electrolytes like citrate, chloride, sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and zinc.

Under normal circumstances, your prostate gland becomes bigger and heavier at two points in your life; during puberty and when you’re in your 30’s. By the age of 30 it weighs around 20 grams. However many men over 50 years may experience continued enlargement of their prostate gland. This can cause a number of health problems.

How to Know if Your Prostate is Experiencing Some Problems

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Your prostate gland can trouble you if it continues to grow. An enlarged prostate is called benign prostatic hyperplasia. It’s not synonymous with cancer. In fact some experts believe that it’s part of normal aging in men.

An enlarged prostate can hug the urethra so tightly that you’ll experience urinary symptoms like:

Dribbling. You have trouble starting and stopping urination.
Your urinary stream becomes weaker.
You have a frequent and urgent need to urinate during the day, and night.
You feel as if your bladder hasn’t finished emptying all of its contents.

Note: The clues listed above aren’t exclusive to people with BPH. They can also be present with other medical conditions.

Remember, BPH doesn’t cause cancer or affect a man’s ability to father children.

Prostatitis. Prostatitis is an acute or chronic inflammation of your prostate. It’s most commonly caused by bacteria coming from your urinary tract. Other times, the cause is unknown. The symptoms are varied but most commonly include the following:

Frequent, painful, or difficult urination.
Discharge from the opening of your penis (urethral discharge). Blood can also be present.
Painful ejaculation
Body aches
Blood may be present in your urine.
You may have a fever and chills.
Groin pain.

Note: Consult your healthcare practitioner if you have any of these symptoms listed above.

Prostate Cancer. In the early stages of prostate cancer you may not have any symptoms. More often than not, it's diagnosed during the terminal stages where treatment options are very limited. The best way to survive prostate cancer as of this moment is early testing and screening for it.

Some of the symptoms for BPH overlap with the symptoms of prostate cancer. There are also some extra symptoms. Take a look at the possible clues that indicate you might have prostate cancer:

Stiffness in your lower back, thighs, or hips accompanied by pain
Painful ejaculation, difficulty starting or maintaining an erection
Blood in your semen or urine.
The flow of your urine may be interrupted or weak.
You feel the need to urinate frequently. You have great difficulty holding back your urine or starting it. At times, you may feel a burning sensation when you pee.

Note: Having prostate cancer is no joke. If you notice any of these clues, be sure to consult your healthcare practitioner immediately.

Your prostate may be one of the most neglected organs in your body. You only notice it when it’s troubled. That should not be the case, my friend. There are only three common conditions you should look out for: BPH, prostatitis, and prostate cancer. Have it checked periodically by your doctor, even if you don’t have any of the symptoms listed in this article. Stay tuned for Part 2 of this article to learn how to take good care of your prostate.