It may seem odd but for years men knew little about their prostate and it is only in recent years as prostate cancer has gained in prominence that men are beginning to ask what the prostate is and what its function is.
The prostate is a crucial part of the male reproductive system that manufactures a clear fluid that makes up a significant portion of male seminal fluid. Sperm is taken from the testicles to the prostate where it is mixed with proteins and prostatic fluid to form semen.
A healthy prostate is about the size of a walnut, weighs about one ounce and lies just in front of the rectum and below the bladder. It is also regularly described as being donut shaped and partly wraps around the urethra, which carrying urine out of the body from the bladder.
Through a man's life the prostate grows, although from the age of about twenty until the mid-forties growth is very slow and is all but undetectable. When a man gets to approximately forty-five however it is normal for the growth of the prostate to speed up and most men will start to experience the symptoms of an enlarging gland in their forties or fifties.
In many cases an enlarging gland produces little more than some mild discomfort that a lot of men choose to learn to live with. In other cases however the gland may become sufficiently enlarged so that it restricts the urethra enough to produce a variety of symptoms that require treatment or persuade a man to ask his doctor for treatment to relieve his discomfort. Growth of the prostate at this point in a man's life is a normal part of the aging process and is referred to as benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BHP.
However, the greatest danger with an enlarged prostate is that this may be more than just a case of enlargement and may be masking the growth of an underlying cancer.
When the prostate starts to grow it also starts to put pressure on the urethra and to narrow this particular tube so that the first signs of a problem are usually seen when it comes to urinating. In particular you may experience a difficulty in passing water and need to 'strain' to start the process. You may also experience a weak flow of urine and one that tends to stop and start. After a while you will also notice that you need to visit the bathroom more often, especially during the night, and that you feel as though you need to visit the bathroom even after you have just done so.
As you can imagine this could become something of a an irritation to say the least but but, nonetheless, a lot of men are content to merely put it down as one of the difficulties of getting older and learn to live with it. Now this is fine but the mistake which all too man men make is not to turn to their doctor at this stage to confirm that the problem is merely BPH and that it is unlikely to lead to other problems in their particular case.
Apart from the clear risk of the possibility of an underlying cancer, BPH can also cause other difficulties such as bladder infections and kidney disease.
When you begin to encounter symptoms that are suggestive of a prostate problem then talk to your doctor so that the problem can be and treated.
Author Resource:-
ProstateProblemCenter.com provides information on various prostate problems and also provides advice on having a prostate examination
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