Are you a man having trouble urinating? It could be your prostate.
- Category: Men's Health
- Date: 25-10-2022
Many men experience problems with urination because of medical conditions of the prostate gland. The prostate is a peanut-sized gland that is found below a man’s bladder and around the urethra (the tube that allows you to pass urine). A man’s prostate naturally enlarges as he gets older. Most men over 60 years experience either prostate enlargement (also called benign prostatic hyperplasia/ BPH) and some develop prostate cancer. In both conditions the prostate is enlarged. If cells start to multiply out of control, cancer develops.
Symptoms
As the prostate grows for any reason, it squeezes the urethra thus reducing the ease with which urine flows from the bladder and out of your body. Symptoms of both BPH and prostate cancer include:
1. Having to push to release urine
2. Urgent need to urinate combined with trouble starting to urinate
3. Dripping of urine
4. Feeling of incomplete urination
5. Blood in urine (more common with cancer)
6. Painful ejaculation
How do we diagnose BPH or prostate cancer
1. Digital rectal exam (DRE): Your doctor will wear gloves, put a lubricant on one of his fingers and insert into through you’re your anus. He or she will feel for the prostate to test if it is enlarged or has an abnormal consistency.
2. Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test: Your prostate gland makes PSA so when it enlarges it produces more of it. Although a raised PSA level indicates that your prostate has enlarged, it cannot differentiate between BPH or prostate cancer. Your doctor needs to do additional tests.
3. Ultrasound scan: A scan can be used to make view your prostate gland and observe any abnormal growth.
4. Biopsy: A sample of prostate tissue can be removed and checked it under a microscope for cancer.
Treatment:
BPH: Your doctor may give your drugs to reduce the size of your prostate or drugs to relax your muscles. These make you urinate with ease.
Prostate cancer: Surgery may be performed to reduce a cancerous prostate. Your doctor may also recommend radiotherapy and chemotherapy.
Speak to your doctor for more information.