What Is The Prostate
The prostate is a walnut-shaped gland that is part of the male reproductive system. The main function of the prostate is to make a fluid that goes into semen. Prostate fluid is essential for a mans fertility. The gland surrounds the urethra at the neck of the bladder. The bladder neck is the area where the urethra joins the bladder. The bladder and urethra are parts of the lower urinary tract. The prostate has two or more lobes, or sections, enclosed by an outer layer of tissue, and it is in front of the rectum, just below the bladder. The urethra is the tube that carries urine from the bladder to the outside of the body. In men, the urethra also carries semen out through the penis.
Signs Of Prostate Cancer Your Doctor Can Assess
Your doctor can tell a lot about your prostate by the way that it feels.
The back wall of your prostate is very close to your rectum. If your doctor inserts a finger into your rectum, he can feel the back and sides of your prostate through the thin, soft wall of the rectum. This examination of the prostate is called a digital rectal examination .
The DRE is used to detect possible signs of prostate illness:
- A DRE that finds a smooth, soft prostate but that causes intense pain is commonly a sign of prostate infection, also known as prostatitis.
- A DRE that finds a smooth, rubbery, and enlarged prostate is commonly a sign of prostate enlargement, also known as benign prostate hyperplasia.
- A DRE that finds hard nodules, generalized firmness, or an unusual shape to the prostate is commonly a sign of prostate cancer.
DRE can be used to raise suspicion of prostate cancer. DRE can not be used to rule out prostate cancer.
Many prostate cancers produce no physical signs that can be felt by DRE. In other words, a normal DRE is not a sign that there is no prostate cancer.
It is also well known that if different doctors carry out a DRE on the same patient , they may come to different decisions about what they think they feel.
Figure 1: How the DRE is carried out.
Content on this page last reviewed and updated April 5, 2008.
Risk Factors For Prostatitis:
Many times, the exact cause for prostatitis is not fully determined or understood. However, there are certain risk factors that may increase your chance of acquiring prostatitis. The most common risk factors include:
- Risky sexual practices: As described above, a sexually transmitted disease may cause prostatitis. Therefore, practicing safe sexual practices can reduce a mans chances of acquiring prostatitis.
- Prostate stones
- Trauma to rectal/testicular area
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Possible Cancer Protection From Prostate Drugs
Early research suggested that 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors , a class of drugs used to treat prostate enlargement, might increase the risk of developing more aggressive prostate cancer. However, newer studies have found that not only do the drugs appear to pose no extra risk, they may even protect against prostate cancer.
For instance, research from the Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial study in 2013 showed that taking the 5-ARI finasteride for seven years could lower the chance of getting low-grade prostate cancer by 25% among men ages 55 and older. A follow-up study of almost 9,500 men, published in the Nov. 1, 2018, issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, also showed that finasteride lowered the risk by a similar amount , and found the protective effect lasted for at least 16 years.
What Was Your First Prostate
Fred: I didnt expect it, so it was a very new sensation. It was like feeling someone lighting a fire in my feet and feeling it slowly spread all the way up my body. Slowly moving through my torso and making me shiver. I was in shock!
Alan: My first prostate-induced orgasm felt like an out of body explosion. My head was dizzy for like a minute afterward, and I had this absolutely incredible rush of nothing but pleasure. Needless to say, I was hooked and wanted to keep going.
Evan: My first prostate induced orgasm was because of a prostate toy I bought a few years ago. I never had one before using it. It was pretty hot because the toy got me really close to ejaculating without touching my dick. Then all it took was a little stroke, and I shot everywhere.
Drew: I remember the first time pretty vividly. I was having sex with a fuckbuddy and they repositioned me on my back with my legs up on their shoulders. They started pounding away at my hole and must’ve found just the right angle or something because a whole new wave of pleasure and sensation came over me. I’ve never looked back since.
It was heaven. I almost didn’t understand what was happening. That there could be so much sensation, throughout every inch of my body, was brand new to me.
Ryan: The first time I realized I liked it up the butt and really hit my prostate myself was when I was 16. I got my first vibrator and really went to town on my own ass.
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What Is The Prognosis For People Who Have Prostatitis
Antibiotics can cure acute bacterial prostatitis. These medications also ease chronic bacterial prostatitis symptoms in approximately 30% to 60% of men. Up to 80% of men with chronic pelvic pain syndrome feel better after receiving appropriate treatments for their symptoms using the UPOINT system. Men with asymptomatic inflammatory prostatitis dont need treatment.
How The Prostate Changes As You Age
Because the prostate gland tends to grow larger with age, it may squeeze the urethra and cause problems in passing urine. Sometimes men in their 30s and 40s may begin to have these urinary symptoms and need medical attention. For others, symptoms arent noticed until much later in life. An infection or a tumor can also make the prostate larger. Be sure to tell your doctor if you have any of the urinary symptoms listed below.
Tell your doctor if you have these urinary symptoms:
- Are passing urine more during the day
- Have an urgent need to pass urine
- Have less urine flow
- Feel burning when you pass urine
- Need to get up many times during the night to pass urine
Growing older raises your risk of prostate problems. The three most common prostate problems are inflammation , enlarged prostate , and prostate cancer.
One change does not lead to another. For example, having prostatitis or an enlarged prostate does not increase your risk of prostate cancer. It is also possible for you to have more than one condition at the same time.
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Tests Used To Check The Prostate
This first step lets your doctor hear and understand the “story” of your prostate concerns. You’ll be asked whether you have symptoms, how long you’ve had them, and how much they affect your lifestyle. Your personal medical history also includes any risk factors, pain, fever, or trouble passing urine. You may be asked to give a urine sample for testing.
When To Seek Medical Care For Prostate Infections
Contact a doctor for any of the following symptoms. These symptoms are even more significant if accompanied with high fever and chills:
- Urinary burning or pain
- Difficulty or pain when starting urination
- Pain in the genital area
- Pain with ejaculation
Doctors usually diagnose and treat prostate infections on an outpatient basis. If a person develops high fever with chills or a new onset of difficulty in urinating, seek medical care immediately or go to a hospitals emergency department because the infection may be spreading to other areas of the body.
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The Tension Headache Of The Groin
Prostatitis is a benign but painful condition that causes inflammation of the prostate or surrounding area. While half of all men will experience it, many dont know what it is.
When prostatitis happens to younger men, it can be alarming and a little scary.
We asked UNC Medical Center urologist Eric Wallen, MD, to explain prostatitis and what can be done to fix it.
Symptoms Of Prostate Cancer
- Frequent urge to pass urine, especially at night
- Weak or interrupted urine stream
- Pain or burning when passing urine
- Blood in the urine or semen
- Painful ejaculation
- Nagging pain in the back, hips, or pelvis
Prostate cancer can spread to the lymph nodes of the pelvis. Or it may spread throughout the body. It tends to spread to the bones. So bone pain, especially in the back, can be a symptom of advanced prostate cancer.
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Of : Checking Your Prostate
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Causes Of Swollen Prostate
There are vast causes of swelling of the prostate. These include:
- Benign prostatic hypertrophy or hyperplasia As discussed earlier, the occurrence of BPH is a significant cause of swelling of the prostate. The increase in size and the increase in cells usually mimic swelling of the prostate. Benign prostatic hyperplasia results from an increase in the dihydrotestosterone levels, a metabolite of testosterone. The presence of high levels of dihydrotestosterone acts in the stromal cells of the prostate leading to activation of growth factors that causes increase in the size of the prostate. Men with high testosterone levels, for example, hairy men, may experience BPH when they get old.
- Prostatitis Prostatitis is the inflammation of the prostate gland that results from possible infection. Presence of unmanaged urinary tract infection may spread in the prostate and cause infection in the area. The swelling that results from the infection also causes similar affectation of the urinary tract.
- Exogenous testosterone therapy Similar to the mechanism of BPH, exogenous testosterone leads to increased circulating dihydrotestosterone as a metabolite.
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Risk Factors For Prostate Cancer
Some risk factors have been linked to prostate cancer. A risk factor is something that can raise your chance of developing a disease. Having one or more risk factors doesn’t mean that you will get prostate cancer. It just means that your risk of the disease is greater.
- Age. Men who are 50 or older have a higher risk of prostate cancer.
- Race. African-American men have the highest risk of prostate cancerâthe disease tends to start at younger ages and grows faster than in men of other races. After African-American men, prostate cancer is most common among white men, followed by Hispanic and Native American men. Asian-American men have the lowest rates of prostate cancer.
- Family history. Men whose fathers or brothers have had prostate cancer have a 2 to 3 times higher risk of prostate cancer than men who do not have a family history of the disease. A man who has 3 immediate family members with prostate cancer has about 10 times the risk of a man who does not have a family history of prostate cancer. The younger a man’s relatives are when they have prostate cancer, the greater his risk for developing the disease. Prostate cancer risk also appears to be slightly higher for men from families with a history of breast cancer.
- Diet. The risk of prostate cancer may be higher for men who eat high-fat diets.
Things You Can Do At Home To Help Treat Prostatitis
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How Do You Know If Something Is Wrong With Your Prostate
Others experience discomfort or burning while urinating, blood in the urine or sperm, back, hips, or pelvis pain, and painful ejaculation. Your doctor will inquire about your previous medical issues as well as the medical history of your family to determine whether these symptoms are caused by prostate cancer.
Symptoms Of Enlarged Prostate
Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia, or BPH, is the enlargement of the prostate gland. About half of men over age 75 will experience symptoms of BPH. BPH is a very minor condition and is not related to prostate cancer. However, symptoms can cause discomfort and be inconvenient.
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How Can I Clean My Prostate
There are five measures to improved prostate health.
Surgery For An Enlarged Prostate
For most men with very enlarged prostates, surgery can relieve symptoms — but there are both risks and benefits with each type of operation. Discuss them with your doctor. After a careful evaluation of your situation and your general medical condition, your doctor will recommend which is best for you.
TURP : This is the most common surgery for an enlarged prostate, and considered to bring the greatest reduction in symptoms. Only the tissue growth that is pressing against the urethra is removed to allow urine to flow easily. The procedure involves an electrical loop that cuts tissue and seals blood vessels. Most doctors suggest using TURP whenever surgery is required, as it is less traumatic than open surgery and requires shorter recovery time.
With the TURP procedure, patients can expect to have retrograde ejaculation afterwards, says Westney. This is a condition in which a man ejaculates backward into the bladder instead of through the urethra. “Retrograde ejaculation generally isn’t painful,” she tells WebMD. “It shouldn’t be an issue unless fertility is a concern.” Other possible side effects include blood loss requiring transfusion , painful urination, recurring urinary tract infections, bladder neck narrowing, and blood in the urine.
After TURP, the odds of erection problems range from 5% to 35%. However, this is often temporary — and the ability to have an erection and an orgasm returns after a few months.
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Locating The Prostate Externally
Once youre feeling frisky, press deeply in the area between the testicles and the anus, and try to find a lump thats about the size of a walnut but feels softer.
If you cant find it, no worries not everyone can feel it externally. Its still possible to stimulate the prostate with pressure on the perineum, although there are no guarantees that it will lead to an orgasm.
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The Benefits Of Prostate Massage
The overriding benefit of prostate massage is that it is both healthy and pleasurable. There are very few things you can say that about! Massaging of the prostate gland can release the build up of toxins in the prostate ducts, and can heal illnesses and prevent them. This is why this practice is always recommended for men by both doctors and prostate massage advocates.
Prostate massage can also produce a highly pleasurable sensation, which is why some men practice prostate massage for personal sexual pleasure.
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Do You Also Ejaculate When You Have A Prostate
Fred: Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Occasionally Ill shoot when Ive gone through a prostate orgasm, but usually, if I ejaculate, I dont even notice.
Alan: Most of the time I do ejaculate with a prostate-induced orgasm, but the first time I didnt. Its how I learned I could climax without an ejaculation.
Drew: I generally cum from p-spot orgasms, but it’s more drawn out and less of a “shooting my load” type situation. The cum oozes out during the drawn-out orgasm and is usually accompanied by some really lovely spasming of my hole.
Oh boy, do I ever. I have been told on multiple occasions that I need to do adult film work with the amount that I ejaculate when my prostate is stimulated. Fountain, hose, shower, drain spoutjust a few of the words that humans have used to describe my cumshot when something is up my rear end.
Daniel: Many times when I’m enjoying prostate stimulation it’s difficult to keep an erection. I get lost in the waves of pleasure and just lose it. Other times, I can maintain my erection and will masturbate while being penetrated or stimulated. I can time my prostate orgasm with my penile one causing a massive surge of energy and triggering dopamine to leak in my brain.
Dominus: I practice Tantra and can have multiple body orgasms that aren’t ejaculatory, and prostate play can get me to that state. Now if I want to ejaculate at the same time, at my age, this is the only time I really shoot like I did in my teen years.