Prostrate Problems & Symptoms

Prostate problems normally show up in males 50 years of age or older. To diagnose the prostate properly a doctor will use a physical examination, a blood test, a urine sample, a biopsy of the prostate tissue if cancer is suspected and an imaging test such as a CT scan or an MRI.

Identification

• The prostate gland is a golf-ball-sized gland that is part of the male reproductive system. It wraps around the urethra, which is the tube that leads from the urinary bladder and ends at the tip of the penis. The function of the prostate is to create the fluid that the semen travels in during ejaculation.

  The three major prostate-related conditions are prostatitis, which is an infection that causes urinary problems; prostate cancer, which is an invasion of cancerous cells; and benign prostatic hyperplasia, an enlarging of the prostate.

Effects

• The conditions that affect the prostate may vary in their treatment, but many of the preliminary symptoms are common. These initial conditions include a frequent and urgent urge to urinate, not feeling as though the urinary bladder is empty even immediately after urination, difficulties urinating which could include a burning pain when trying to urinate, sexual problems including difficulty in getting an erection and painful ejaculation, blood mixed in with urine, painful stiffness in the back, an inability to create a urination stream and getting only dribbles of urine and chronic pelvic pain.

Potential

• Some advanced symptoms of prostate cancer do not appear in prostatitis. These symptoms include a painful feeling that seems to originate in the bones of the pelvic region, a noticeable swelling in both legs, spinal compression that can create back and leg pain, bones that seem to fracture easily and a general feeling of pain and discomfort throughout the body.

Prevention/Solution

• Treatment for prostate problems depends on which condition is present. The common treatment for prostatitis is to prescribe medication that is designed to fight the infection and decrease the size of the prostate. In some cases the doctor may give the option of not having any treatment at all if the person feels that he can live with the symptoms. In these cases a doctor will normally schedule regular appointments to monitor the condition and make sure it does not get worse. If the condition is prostate cancer then a doctor may either choose radiation treatment with chemotherapy medication, or surgery may be required to remove the prostate.

Considerations

• A diagnosis of benign prostatic hyperplasia does not always indicate cancer. According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases while it is possible for men with prostate cancer to have benign prostatic hyperplasia, it is also possible for benign prostatic hyperplasia to appear on its own without any cancerous cells.