Can Stress Cause Prostate Problems

How Common Is Prostatitis

Prostatitis is the most common urinary tract problem for men younger than age 50 and the third most common urinary tract problem for men older than age 50.1 Prostatitis accounts for about two million visits to health care providers in the United States each year.2

Chronic prostatitis or chronic pelvic pain syndrome is

• the most common and least understood form of prostatitis.
• can occur in men of any age group.
• affects 10 to 15 percent of the U.S. male population.3

Bph Treatment And Diagnosis

The prevalence of BPH diagnosis is far-reaching with men typically seeking out BPH treatment long after symptoms have become bothersome and disruptive to their lives. In some cases, due to chronic untreated BPH symptoms, irreversible damage has been done to the bladder.

Dont add even more stress to an already stressful condition. Get the best BPH treatment options in Texas at the Austin Urology Institute and get back to your life. For more information or to make an appointment with a provider call us at 694-8888 or drop us a note.

Symptoms Of Urinary Problems

Urinary symptoms commonly experienced with prostate problems include:

• the need to urinate frequently during the night
• urinating more often during the day
• urinary urgency the urge to urinate can be so strong and sudden that you may not reach the toilet in time
• the urine stream is slow to start
• urine dribbling for some time after finishing urination
• a sensation that the bladder isn’t fully emptied after urination
• lack of force to the urine flow, which makes directing the stream difficult
• the sensation of needing to go again soon after urinating.

Although these symptoms often do not need treatment, see your doctor if they are causing you difficulty, as they can be successfully treated.

Read Also: How To Massage A Man’s Prostate

Maintain A Healthy Weight

Being overweight can cause and worsen BPH symptoms so if necessary take some steps to reduce your weight. You can do this by incorporating moderate exercise and good dietary choices into your daily routine. This might seem easier said than done but it can make a big difference.

If youd like more advice on good nutrition Id recommend you have a look at our food hub. Also, our get active hub is a good place to find information and advice on incorporating more exercise into your routine. Some of my favourite blogs here include:

• An easy 10 minute workout for beginners

Diagnosing Benign Prostate Enlargement

You might have several different tests to find out if you have an enlarged prostate.

A GP may do some of these tests, such as a urine test, but others might need to be done at a hospital.

Some tests may be needed to rule out other conditions that cause similar symptoms to BPE, such as prostate cancer.

Don’t Miss: Do Females Have Prostate Cancer

The Causes Of Prostate Problems: Poor Stress Management

Stress plays such an important role in prostate cancer causes and mens prostate health overall. Research has proven that stress is one of the major causes of all diseases not just the causes of prostate problems. Men are very susceptible to poor stress management because of our more aggressive makeup and activities.

If you have prostate symptoms or prostate cancer, then make managing stress a key area to master. This is crucial to your well being!

Let me explain why this is so important to your prostate health. Ill tell you a story about my anxiety prostate problems!

And its true!

In my third year of my enlarged prostate condition, I got a call from Revenue Canada wanting to come see me for an audit of my personal and business affairs. Fun Fun Fun!

While I knew I had nothing to hide, I could see why they had chosen me. My personal income was very low while I was involved in several businesses. It was the old bootstrap entrepreneur story. I knew all I had to do was show them my credit cards and they could see how I was living and financing the businesses.

I told myself to relax and that I had nothing to worry about.

I live on a remote island and two auditors came to see me… a days journey each way from their office.

When they came, I thought that I was relaxed enough and ready. I guess I felt a bit intimidated by all the questions they asked and the documents they wanted to see. It was quite invasive.

Very Low Flow/nearly No Urination

Finally, another common problem is feeling the need to urinate, but with little coming out. We mentioned earlier that this is often similar to those that cannot control their urination at all. Somehow, when the fight-or-flight symptom is activated, the muscles and brain center that control urination simply don’t work properly, and this is the result.

Another reason may related back to those that need to urinate often. Remember, anxiety can make you feel like you need to urinate, but anxiety doesn’t create more urine. That means that if you constantly feel like you need to go, you may go to the bathroom but not have very much urine left to void.

This combination can make you worry that you have a prostate-related issue, or something more serious. You should still get checked out by a doctor, just in case. But often the issue is simply that you’ve already urinated, and while you feel the “need” to go, your body isn’t ready to release anything.

Don’t Miss: Prostate Cancer Ruined My Marriage

Stress Related To Prostate Cancer Recurrence

Patients diagnosed with recurrent cancer may experience many of the same feelings experienced earlier when first diagnosed with cancer. Shock, disbelief, anxiety, fear, grief and a loss of control are all common emotions. Feelings of betrayal, anger that it could happen more than once, anger directed at the doctor for not curing the cancer the first time or anger at themselves are common and normal responses to what can be an especially difficult experience. Many people with recurrent cancer also experience self-doubt about their original treatment decisions or choices after treatment. It is important that the doctor/psychologist make the patient understand that the choices the doctor made at the time of original treatment were based on the information available then, and possibly the best at that time.

Other Possible Urination Problems

Those are the three most common urination problems, but they may not be the only issue. Some people may worry about the color or consistency of their urine. Others may worry about when they need to urinate .

All of these may be caused by anxiety. In many cases, none of these are a concern at all, but anxiety causes you to worry about them more than you otherwise need to. It’s not uncommon for people with anxiety to see urine of a questionable color and Google the symptoms in a way that those without anxiety would never even think of.

Don’t Miss: Chemotherapy For Prostate Cancer Side Effects

Add Some Alternative Treatments

The most successful approach to prostatitis usually involves employing several different treatments, including alternative treatments for prostatitis. These drug-free ways to treat prostatitis may include simple treatments you can do at home such as applying ice packs to the area or sitting in a sitz bath. Some men find relief from taking pressure off the prostate area by sitting on special cushions and pillows.

Other alternative chronic prostatitis treatments that require help from a trained professional involve acupuncture, biofeedback, prostate massage, trigger point release therapy and intrapelvic physiotherapy or pelvic floor rehabilitation. Some of the therapies can be done at home by yourself or with the help of a partner after you have learned how to perform them. As mentioned already, many of these methods are complemented by a good stress management or cognitive training program to lead to long-term success.

Deformation Of The Prostate Due To Pca

We considered three artificial tumors placed in characteristic locations within the prostate: the basal PZ, the apical PZ, and the CG. Each tumor had ellipsoidal geometry with one semiaxis measuring 4 mm and the others 3 mm. The largest dimension was oriented in anteroposterior direction. We selected the parameters that regulate tumor dynamics so that these tumors were aggressive and showed the typical morphologies of localized PCa: massive and fingered . shows the growth of these artificial tumors and how they deformed the patients prostate .

Deformation of the prostate over 1 y produced by a tumor originated on basal PZ , apical PZ , and median CG . Tumor growth over the original prostate geometry. Length of the displacement field vector over original anatomy at t = 1 y. The contour of the tumor is depicted with black curves. Original and deformed geometries of the prostate at t 1 y.

The CG tumor grew faster and larger than the PZ tumors, whose growth rates and initial volumes were similar. Because the tumor in apical PZ underwent the change in morphology earlier, its volume was larger than that of the basal PZ tumor for the second half of the simulation. The final volumes of the basal PZ tumor, the apical PZ tumor, and the CG tumor were 5.43 cc, 6.82 cc, and 9.02 cc, respectively.

Don’t Miss: What Is Perineural Invasion In Prostate Cancer

What Is Psychological Stress

Psychological stress describes what people feel when they are under mental, physical, or emotional pressure. Although it is normal to experience some psychological stress from time to time, people who experience high levels of psychological stress or who experience it repeatedly over a long period of time may develop health problems .

Stress can be caused both by daily responsibilities and routine events, as well as by more unusual events, such as a trauma or illness in oneself or a close family member. When people feel that they are unable to manage or control changes caused by cancer or normal life activities, they are in distress. Distress has become increasingly recognized as a factor that can reduce the quality of life of cancer patients. There is even some evidence that extreme distress is associated with poorer clinical outcomes. Clinical guidelines are available to help doctors and nurses assess levels of distress and help patients manage it.

This fact sheet provides a general introduction to the stress that people may experience as they cope with cancer. More detailed information about specific psychological conditions related to stress can be found in the Related Resources and Selected References at the end of this fact sheet.

General Psychological Issues In Prostate Cancer

Psychological and social issues arise in 3050% of prostate cancer patients irrespective of the stage and progression of cancer or the type of treatment they receive. With effective assessment and intervention, clinicians can help to recognize troublesome and disturbing problems, reduce their negative impact and enhance the QOL for patients and those close to them. Some of the psychological issues that are commonly seen in prostate cancer are anxiety related to the cancer and its cure, depression and depressive symptoms, guilt and remorse after a diagnosis, fear with regard to PSA assessment, fear with regard to recurrence of the cancer after treatment, an impending fear and recognition of death, fatigue and pain, which may be aggravated by social and psychological factors and the ensuing sexual problems during and after treatment. However, making a psychiatric diagnosis in a prostate cancer patient can be complicated by overlapping symptomatology seen in psychological disorder and cancer that includes fatigue, weight loss, sleep disturbance, loss of appetite and anxiety. One needs to assess the more subtle psychological or cognitive symptoms, such as feeling a lack of pleasure, depressed mood, hopelessness and helplessness along with anxiousness to help establish a diagnosis.

Recommended Reading: Va Disability Rating For Bph

What Causes Prostatitis

The causes of prostatitis differ depending on the type.

Chronic prostatitis or chronic pelvic pain syndrome. The exact cause of chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome is unknown. Researchers believe a microorganism, though not a bacterial infection, may cause the condition. This type of prostatitis may relate to chemicals in the urine, the immune systems response to a previous urinary tract infection , or nerve damage in the pelvic area.

Acute and chronic bacterial prostatitis. A bacterial infection of the prostate causes bacterial prostatitis. The acute type happens suddenly and lasts a short time, while the chronic type develops slowly and lasts a long time, often years. The infection may occur when bacteria travel from the urethra into the prostate.

What Is Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer is common among American men. Your chance of getting prostate cancer may be affected by your:

• Age. Men age 50 and older run a greater risk.
• Race. Prostate cancer is most common among African-American men.
• Family history. If your father or brother has had prostate cancer, you are more likely to have it, too.
• Diet. Eating high-fat food with few fruits and vegetables may raise your risk.

Read Also: Prostate Cancer Perineural Invasion Radical Prostatectomy

Psychosocial Aspects Of Hrqol In Prostate Cancer

Apart from the general worries of a new cancer diagnosis, there is still controversy about the selection of primary treatments for prostate cancer, making the decision about treatment difficult. For early-stage cancer, primary treatment options are radical prostatectomy, radiation therapy and active surveillance, which can lead to differences in specific areas of functioning, such as sexual, urinary or bowel functioning over time. Because surgery and radiation treatments seem to be equally effective in treating early-stage prostate cancer, controversy exists about selection of primary treatments for prostate cancer. Early treatment decisions are fraught with the sense of having to choose between QOL and longevity, even though it is unclear what the outcome will be on either side of the balance. Many men entertain multiple second opinions regarding their primary therapy, although this for some men adds to more confusion and distress because of the lack of agreement among practitioners. They often take in information from reasonable and reliable sources and any number of unverified sources on the internet. This amount of information can lead to significant anxiety while trying to make a reasonable treatment decision.

Actions For This Page

• The prostate gland is a male reproductive organ that produces fluids to feed and protect sperm cells.
• Many men experience urinary changes as they age. In many cases, these changes do not need specific treatment.
• When urinary changes cause problems, they can be treated successfully by lifestyle changes, medication, surgery or a combination of the three.
• For problems such as blood in the urine, pain on urination, inability to urinate or uncontrollable urine flow, see your doctor promptly.

You May Like: What Happens If You Have Prostate Cancer

When Anxiety Leads To Urinary Problems

• Urinary problems are rarely associated with anxiety, but they are surprisingly common
• Anxiety takes resources away from the area of your brain that controls holding urine
• Certain types of severe anxiety can lead to a complete lack of bladder control
• Concerns over urinary issues can lead to self-sustaining anxiety
• Treatment specifically for urinary difficulties isnt necessarily possible. But anxiety treatment helps

Ejaculation Is A Potential Cause Of Mildly Elevated Psa

“Ejaculation can cause a mild elevation of your PSA level, and so can having a digital rectal exam,” says Milner. “These types of PSA elevations are usually not enough to make a significant difference unless your PSA is borderline. PSA should return to normal in two to three days.”

To avoid this type of elevation, doctors will usually draw blood for a person’s PSA level before doing a rectal exam. Ask your doctor if you should avoid ejaculation for a few days before a PSA test.

Don’t Miss: Would You Expect A Male With Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia To Have Difficulty With Ejaculation

Ejaculation May Lower Prostate Cancer Risk

The findings, published in the April 7 issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association, are based on data collected from nearly 30,000 predominately white men aged 46 to 81.

At the start of the study, men provided information on ejaculation frequency in their 20s, 40s, and in the previous year . Ejaculation frequency included sexual intercourse, masturbation, and nighttime ejaculations that can occur during sleep. The men were then monitored for eight years.

Researchers found most categories of ejaculation frequency were unrelated to prostate cancer risk. But when they looked at men in the highest category of ejaculation frequency, they found evidence of a protective effect.

“When you look at the data in a little bit more detail, you do see that not only is there not an increased risk, but there is potentially even the possibility of a slight decrease in risk with high ejaculation frequency,” says researcher Michael Leitzmann, MD, an investigator at the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Md. Leitzmann conducted the research during a post-doctoral fellowship at Harvard University.

Leitzmann says researchers suspected that ejaculation frequency might be a marker of a healthier, more active lifestyle. But when they accounted for diet, exercise, and other risk factors for prostate cancer, the link between frequent ejaculation and lower prostate cancer risk remained.

Why Managing Stress Is Important With Bph

Stress can worsen the symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia, or enlarged prostate, but these tools can help lessen your need to urinate and feel better overall.

If you have benign prostatic hyperplasia also called enlarged prostate it may or may not affect your ability to urinate. Although most men will develop BPH over time, symptoms generally start after the age of 50, according to the National Institute of Health.

The most common symptom of BPH is the frequent need to urinate, especially at night, the American Urological Association says. Men may need to urinate as often as every one to two hours, depending on the severity of their BPH. Other symptoms can include a feeling of incomplete emptying of the bladder, leaking, and feeling like you need to urinate urgently or frequently.

This latter symptom in particular can cause increased levels of stress in many men, as the frequent need to use the bathroom may interrupt their days and impact their work and social lives. Perhaps not surprisingly then, a study published in July 2020 in the Journal of Endourology found that men experienced higher levels of anxiety as their BPH symptoms worsened.

Men in general are not great about talking about things that might be stressing them out or causing anxiety or even depression, but it’s really important to take these issues seriously and to have a very deliberate approach to stress relief and managing difficult emotions, he adds.

Don’t Miss: Does Enlarged Prostate Affect Ejaculation