Men And Prostate Problems

For reasons of age and hormones, after the age of 40 the prostate gland begins to enlarge.

As the gland enlarges it begins to squeeze the urethra (the water pipe from the bladder) through which urine comes out. The man begins to notice changes in the way he urinates.

• Poor flow-The urine stream is weak, and he is not able to hit the wall again.
• He is always rushing to the toilet, and not able to travel a long distance
• Sometimes the urine dripples, and down to his legs or the pants.
• Hesitancy- he waits longer for urine flow to start.
• Incomplete emptying of the bladder- he feels there is something left after urinating
• Nocturia- he wakes up more than 2 times at night to urinate.

What would then happen to the bladder?

Chronic urine retention- Due to the pressure of the enlarged prostate on the water pipe of the bladder (urethra), a lot of urine remains in his bladder and sometimes over fills it. He may start wetting himself. The urine may back flow to the kidney and damage it.

Acute Urine retention- All of a sudden he wakes up one day and he is not able to pass urine. It is very uncomfortable and that is what brings the man to hospital.

Infection and stones– The accumulated urine in the bladder easily leads infection. It gives him burning sensation when urinating.  Also, crystal forms in the urine that collects in the bladder and forms stones there or in the kidney.

The other problems the prostate can have

The technical term for enlarged Prostate is Benign Prostate hyperplasia-BPH

Prostatitis– inflammation of the prostate

Prostate cancer– cancer of the prostate. If your father had cancer of the prostate, you are more likely to get it and you need to start to check yourself early for this condition. Like other cancers if it is diagnosed early, you could get a complete cure.

Prostate Health

There are some lifestyle changes that can help a man to maintain good prostate health.

Nutrition

Eating fruits and vegetables like tomatoes and pumpkins seeds are beneficial for prevention of prostate problems. Reduce the amount of red meat in your diet to reduce prostate diseases

Alcohol.

Reduce alcohol consumption to reduce prostate disease.

Exercise.

Exercise even if it is brisk walking increase blood flow through blood vessels, protects against narrow arteries and reduce blood clots in every organ of the body, the prostate included. It helps in male sexuality and fertility.

Smoking.

Smoking narrows the blood vessel to the penis and prostate and causes erection problems. Avoid smoking!

Sex.

Regular sex is good for the prostate health. It helps to empty the prostate gland regularly and revitalizes it.

Good prostate health could save you a lot of problems as you advance in age.